Inkjet printer for printing on goods

• US 20060012659A1
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Videojet Technologies GmbH (Veralto Corp.)
• Original Assignee: EBS GmbH
• Inventors: Slomianny, Jan, Slomianny, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,434,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/105
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer for printing on goods, wherein said printer comprises a computer for controlling the operation process, at least one replaceable tank in the shape of a bottle filled with a previously known quantity of a liquid, an intermediate container arranged in the printer and filled with the liquid from the tank as well as a device also arranged in the printer for detecting the quantity of liquid drawn from the taken. The invention is characterized in that the tank includes an identification element comprising a coded piece of information related to the liquid it contains. The identification elements is inputted into the computer when a new tank is mounted, while said computer comprises a verification program for checking the inputted identification element and for authorizing normal operation of the inkjet printer only when one at least selected verification criterion is correct, such as the use-by date.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer for printing on goods comprising:

a computer for controlling an operational process of the printer;

at least one exchangeable reservoir bottle filled initially with a previously known quantity of a fluid;

an intermediate container that is rechargeable with fluid from the reservoir bottle;

a suction pipe and a pump for recharging fluid from the reservoir bottle to the intermediate container;

a sensor arrangement for detecting the quantity of fluid drawn from the reservoir bottle to sense depletion of fluid in the reservoir bottles;

an externally visible label provided on the reservoir bottle which carries coded information about the fluid contained in the reservoir bottle;

means for feeding the label information into the computer when the reservoir bottle is inserted into the printer; and

a test program provided in the computer that checks the label information and that only allows normal operation of the inkjet printer when at least one selected test criterion is acceptable;

wherein an output signal of the sensor arrangement for detecting the quantity of fluid drawn from the reservoir bottle is fed into the computer and the computer compares the quantity of fluid drawn from the reservoir bottle with the previously known quantity of fluid and emits a “

reservoir bottle empty”

signal when the previously known quantity of fluid has been drawn from the reservoir bottle indicating that the reservoir bottle is empty, the intermediate container being however at least partially still full such that operation of the printer can continue to run during a period of time sufficient to exchange a new reservoir bottle for the depleted reservoir bottle.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein at the same time as the computer emits the signal “

reservoir bottle empty”

, the computer suspends the tapping of fluid from the reservoir bottle and only allows the tapping of fluid from a new reservoir bottle after information from a new coded label has been input, which new reservoir bottle is installed to replace the now empty reservoir bottle.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the reservoir bottle is greater than the volume of the intermediate container.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the volume of the reservoir bottle is more than six times the volume of the intermediate container.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 3, wherein the volume of the reservoir bottle is more than ten times the volume of the intermediate container.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the computer has a time unit that produces an internal date and this internal date is compared with the date indicated on the label.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the computer is provided with a memory in which the information from the label is stored.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the label information is one of the expiration date, the kind of fluid, the quantity of fluid and the viscosity of fluid.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the computer is provided with a memory in which the information from the label is stored and wherein the information stored in the memory is deleted when a new reservoir bottle is inserted into the printer.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the least one selected test criterion is the expiration date.

11. An inkjet printer for printing on goods comprising in combination:

a computer for controlling an operational process of the printer;

two exchangeable reservoir bottles, each reservoir bottle filled initially with a previously known quantity of a fluid, the fluids in the two bottles being different;

an intermediate container that is recharged with fluid from at least one of the reservoir bottles;

a suction pipe and a pump for recharging fluid from each one of the reservoir bottles to the intermediate container;

a sensor arrangement for detecting the quantity of fluid drawn from each one of the reservoir bottles to sense depletion of fluid in the reservoir bottles;

an externally visible label provided on each one of the reservoir bottles which carries coded information about the fluid contained in the respective reservoir bottle;

means for feeding the label information into the computer when the reservoir bottles are inserted into the printer; and

a test program provided in the computer that checks the input label information and that only allows normal operation of the inkjet printer when at least one selected test criterion is acceptable;

wherein an output signal of the sensor arrangement is fed into the computer and the computer compares the quantity of fluid drawn from the reservoir bottle with the previously known quantity of fluid and emits a “

reservoir bottle empty”

signal when the previously known quantity of fluid has been drawn from one of the reservoir bottles indicating that the reservoir bottle is empty, the intermediate container being however at least partially still full such that operation of the printer can continue to run during a period of time sufficient to exchange a new reservoir bottle for the depleted reservoir bottle.

12. The inkjet printer according to claim 11, wherein one reservoir bottle is filled with a solvent and the other reservoir bottle is filled with pigment.