Ink refill unit having a linearly actuated plunger assembly

• US 20050157017A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Hibbard, Christopher, Jackson, Garry Raymond, Berry, Norman Micheal, Nakazawa, Akira, MacKey, Paul Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,399,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/135 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14016 Structure of bubble jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 laser machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16526 by applying pressure only
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16535 using wiping constructions B41J2/16552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1707 Conditioning of the inside of ink supply circuits, e.g. flushing during start-up or shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1714 : Conditioning of the outside of ink supply systems, e.g. inkjet collector cleaning, ink mist removal B41J2/08, B41J2/16517, B41J2/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 : Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 : Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17506 : Refilling of the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 : Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 : Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 : Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17536 : Protection of cartridges or parts thereof, e.g. tape
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 : Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 : Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 : Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/19 : for removing air bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/515 : line printer type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 : Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14403 : including a filter
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 : Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14435 : Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14459 : Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14475 : characterised by nozzle shapes or number of orifices per chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/1742 : Open waste ink collector, e.g. ink receiving from a print head above the collector during borderless printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17516 : comprising a collapsible ink holder, e.g. a flexible bag
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 : Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 : Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 : Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 : Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 : Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 : Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism

Abstract

A dispensing assembly for a printing fluid refill cartridge, the dispensing assembly comprising: a body for storing printing fluid having an outlet through which the printing fluid is dispensed; and a plunger arranged to selectively change the storage capacity of the body and expel the printing fluid through said outlet by selective engagement of a movable retaining member with a series of grooves arranged along a surface of the plunger, thereby dispensing a selected amount of printing fluid from the outlet.

Claims

1. A dispensing assembly for a printing fluid refill cartridge, the dispensing assembly comprising:

a body for storing printing fluid having an outlet through which the printing fluid is dispensed; and

a plunger arranged to selectively change the storage capacity of the body and expel the printing fluid through said outlet by selective engagement of a movable retaining member with a series of grooves arranged along a surface of the plunger, thereby dispensing a selected amount of printing fluid from the outlet.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is arranged to seal with an open end of the body opposite the outlet, the assembly further comprising an urging member for constantly urging the plunger into the interior of the body.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein the retaining member is configured so as provide sufficient retaining force of the position of the plunger with respect to the body through its engagement with the grooves against the urging force provided by the urging member.

4. An assembly according to claim 3, wherein the body, the plunger and the urging member are arranged in a housing of the refill cartridge, the urging member being arranged between an internal surface of the housing and the plunger.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein the urging member incorporates a compression spring.

6. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein the retaining member is mounted within the housing so as to be rotatable and so as to have one end engageable with the grooves and an opposite end engageable with an actuator for causing the rotation of the retaining member and thereby causing the engagement and disengagement of the retaining member with the grooves.

7. An assembly according to claim 6, wherein the actuator is incorporated in a printing unit to which the refill cartridge is mounted for refilling.

8. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the selected amount of printing fluid is an amount selected from a set of discrete amounts of the printing fluid.

9. An assembly according to claim 8, wherein the set of discrete amounts comprises amounts at about 6 ml intervals in a range of from 6 ml to 50 ml.

10. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit incorporates a pagewidth printhead arranged to print printing fluid across the width of sheets of print media.

11. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit incorporates a pagewidth printhead arranged as a two-dimensional array of at least 50,000 printing nozzles for printing across the width of sheets of print media.

12. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit incorporates an array of printing fluid ejecting nozzles configured as a pagewidth printhead arranged to print on sheets of print media by ejecting at least 1200 drops of printing fluid per inch across the width of the sheets.

13. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit incorporates an array of printing fluid ejecting nozzles configured as a pagewidth printhead arranged to print on sheets of print media by ejecting drops of printing fluid across the width of the sheets with a drop ejection energy of less than about 250 nanojoules per drop.

14. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit incorporates a pagewidth printhead arranged to print printing fluid across the width of sheets of print media at a rate of at least 60 sheets per minute.

15. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit incorporates an array of printing fluid ejecting nozzles configured as a pagewidth printhead arranged to print on sheets of print media by ejecting drops of printing fluid across the width of the sheets at a rate of at least 500 million drops per second.

16. The dispensing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing fluid refill cartridge is arranged for use in an inkjet printer comprising:

a media input tray for supplying print media for printing;

a print engine for printing an image on said print media; and

a media output tray for collecting the printed media;

wherein the print engine comprises a removable inkjet cartridge of a type having a pagewidth printhead and an ink supply and a cradle having a body adapted to receive the removable inkjet cartridge and to control the operation of the printhead for printing.

17. The dispensing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing fluid refill cartridge is arranged for use with a print engine comprising:

a removable inkjet cartridge of a type having a pagewidth printhead and an ink supply; and

a cradle having a body adapted to receive the removable inkjet cartridge and to control the operation of the printhead for printing;

wherein the cradle is configured to be secured to the inkjet printer to receive print media from a media input tray and to deliver printed media to a media output tray.

18. The dispensing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing fluid refill cartridge is arranged for use with an inkjet cartridge unit comprising:

a body portion having one or more ink storage compartments; and

a pagewidth printhead assembly mountable to said body and configured to receive ink from the one or more compartments and to distribute the ink along the length of the printhead assembly.

19. The dispensing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing fluid refill cartridge is arranged for use with an inkjet cartridge unit comprising:

a body portion having one or more ink storage compartments;

a pagewidth printhead assembly mountable to said body portion and configured to receive ink from the one or more compartments for printing; and

a capper unit mountable to said body portion so as to extend along the length of the printhead assembly, the capper unit housing a capping element which is movable with respect to the capper unit to contact a surface of the printhead assembly.

20. The dispensing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing fluid refill cartridge is arranged for use with an inkjet cartridge unit comprising:

a body portion housing one or more ink storage compartments;

a pagewidth printhead assembly configured to receive ink from the one or more ink storage compartments and having a plurality of nozzles arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and

an electrical connector in electrical communication with the nozzles of the printhead assembly and disposed along the length of the printhead assembly for mating with a corresponding connectors of the inkjet printer to control operation of the nozzles.