Fluid reservoir and ink pen assembly

• US 20060125887A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hwang, Peter G.
• Application Number:
  US11/013,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure

Abstract

In one embodiment, a reservoir for holding a fluid includes a housing defining an enclosed tank having a first corner between first walls that intersect at an angle less than 90° and a second corner between second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°. The second corner is located opposite the first corner across the tank. A first opening in the housing is located at or near the first corner of the tank and a second opening in the housing is located at or near the second corner of the tank.

Claims

1. A reservoir for holding a fluid, comprising a housing defining an enclosed tank having a first corner between first walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°

and a second corner between second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°

, the second corner located opposite the first corner across the tank, and the housing having a first opening therein at or near the first corner of the tank and a second opening therein at or near the second corner of the tank.

2. The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the first walls and the second walls comprise rectilinear walls.

3. The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the first walls intersect at an angle in the range of 70°

-84°

.

4. The reservoir of claim 1, wherein the first walls intersect at an angle in the range of 70°

-84° and

the second walls intersect at an angle in the range of 70°

-84°

.

5. A reservoir for holding a fluid, comprising a housing defining an enclosed tank having a first corner between first and second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°

and a second corner between the first and second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°

, the second corner located opposite the first corner across the tank, and the housing having a first opening therein at or near the first corner of the tank and a second opening therein at or near the second corner of the tank.

6. The reservoir of claim 5, wherein the first walls and the second walls comprise curvilinear walls.

7. A reservoir for holding a fluid, comprising an enclosed tank having a vent and an outlet, the tank characterized by:

a first wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in a first orientation and a second wall opposite the first wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the first orientation; and

a third wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in a second orientation rotated 90°

from the first orientation and a fourth wall opposite the third wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the second orientation.

8. The reservoir of claim 7, wherein the first and second walls comprise rectilinear walls that slope at an angle in the range of 3°

-10°

relative to horizontal when the tank is in the first orientation and the third and fourth walls comprise rectilinear walls that slope at an angle in the range of 3°

-10°

relative to horizontal when the tank is in the second orientation.

9. A reservoir for holding a fluid, comprising an enclosed tank having a vent and an outlet, the tank characterized by:

a first curvilinear wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in a first orientation and down toward the outlet when the tank is in a second orientation rotated 90°

from the first orientation; and

a second curvilinear wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the first orientation and up toward the vent when the tank is in the second orientation.

10. An ink pen assembly, comprising:

an ink pen having an ink reservoir and a print head operatively connected to the ink reservoir; and

a supply cartridge removably connected to the ink pen so that ink may flow from the supply cartridge to the ink reservoir, the supply cartridge comprising

a housing defining an enclosed tank having a first corner between first walls that intersect at an angle less than 90° and

a second corner between second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°

, the second corner located opposite the first corner across the tank, and the housing having a first opening therein at or near the first corner of the tank and a second opening therein at or near the second corner of the tank.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the first walls and the second walls comprise rectilinear walls.

12. An ink pen assembly, comprising:

an ink pen having an ink reservoir and a print head operatively connected to the ink reservoir; and

a supply cartridge removably connected to the ink pen so that ink may flow from the supply cartridge to the ink reservoir, the supply cartridge comprising

a housing defining an enclosed tank having a first corner between first and second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90° and

a second corner between the first and second walls that intersect at an angle less than 90°

, the second corner located opposite the first corner across the tank, and the housing having a first opening therein at or near the first corner of the tank and a second opening therein at or near the second corner of the tank.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the first walls and the second walls comprise curvilinear walls.

14. An ink pen assembly, comprising:

an ink pen having an ink reservoir and a print head operatively connected to the ink reservoir; and

a supply cartridge removably connected to the ink pen so that ink may flow from the supply cartridge to the ink reservoir, the supply cartridge comprising an enclosed tank having a vent and an outlet, the tank characterized by;

a first wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in a first orientation and a second wall opposite the first wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the first orientation; and

a third wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in a second orientation rotated 90°

from the first orientation and a fourth wall opposite the third wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the second orientation.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the first and second walls comprise rectilinear walls that slope at an angle in the range of 3°

-10°

relative to horizontal when the tank is in the first orientation and the third and fourth walls comprise rectilinear walls that slope at an angle in the range of 3°

-10°

relative to horizontal when the tank is in the second orientation.

16. An ink pen assembly, comprising:

an ink pen having an ink reservoir and a print head operatively connected to the ink reservoir; and

a supply cartridge removably connected to the ink pen so that ink may flow from the supply cartridge to the ink reservoir, the supply cartridge comprising an enclosed tank having a vent and an outlet, the tank characterized by;

a first curvilinear wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in a first orientation and down toward the outlet when the tank is in a second orientation rotated 90°

from the first orientation; and

a second curvilinear wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the first orientation and up toward the vent when the tank is in the second orientation.

17. A reservoir for holding a fluid, comprising an enclosed tank having a vent and an outlet, the tank characterized by a means for positioning the vent at an upper extreme of the tank when the tank is in a first orientation and when the tank is in a second orientation rotated 90°

from the first orientation and for positioning the outlet at a lower extreme of the tank when the tank is in the first orientation and when the tank is in the second orientation.

18. The reservoir of claim 17, where the positioning means comprises a first wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in the first orientation, a second wall opposite the first wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the first orientation, a third wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in the second orientation and a fourth wall opposite the third wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the second orientation.

19. The reservoir of claim 17, where the positioning means comprises a first curvilinear wall that slopes up toward the vent when the tank is in the first orientation and down toward the outlet when the tank is in the second orientation and a second curvilinear wall that slopes down toward the outlet when the tank is in the first orientation and up toward the vent when the tank is in the second orientation.

20. A fluid reservoir for use in differently configured printing systems, the fluid reservoir comprising:

a housing forming a tank therein for holding fluid, the housing being shaped to provide a vent area and an outlet area within the tank, such that when the housing is positioned in an initial orientation the vent area is substantially a highest point within the tank and the outlet area is substantially a lowest point within the tank, and when the housing is rotated from the initial orientation to a different orientation the vent area is again substantially the highest point within the tank and the outlet area is again substantially the lowest point within the tank;

a vent opening extending through the housing in the vent area; and

a fluid outlet extending through the housing in the outlet area.

21. The fluid reservoir of claim 20, wherein the vent and outlet areas are at or near different corners of the tank as formed by the housing.

22. The fluid reservoir of claim 20, wherein the housing is rotated approximately ninety degrees from the initial orientation to the different orientation.

23. The fluid reservoir of claim 20, wherein the housing has at least one rectilinear wall forming a part of the tank.

24. The fluid reservoir of claim 20, wherein the housing has at least one curvilinear wall forming a part of the tank.

25. The fluid reservoir of claim 20, wherein the fluid outlet includes a drain well.

26. An ink pen assembly, comprising:

an ink pen having an ink reservoir and a print head operatively connected to the ink reservoir; and

a supply cartridge removably connected to the ink pen so that ink may flow from the supply cartridge to the ink reservoir, the supply cartridge comprising

a housing forming a tank therein for holding fluid, the housing being shaped to provide a vent area and an outlet area within the tank, such that when the housing is positioned in an initial orientation the vent area is substantially a highest point within the tank and the outlet area is substantially a lowest point within the tank, and when the housing is rotated from the initial orientation to a different orientation the vent area is again substantially the highest point within the tank and the outlet area is again substantially the lowest point within the tank,

a vent opening extending through the housing in the vent area, and

a fluid outlet extending through the housing in the outlet area.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the vent and outlet areas are at or near different corners of the tank as formed by the housing.

28. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the housing is rotated approximately ninety degrees from the initial orientation to the different orientation.

29. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the housing has at least one rectilinear wall forming a part of the tank.

30. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the housing has at least one curvilinear wall forming a part of the tank.

31. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the fluid outlet includes a drain well.