PARTIAL FILL INK CARTRIDGES

• US 20110122208A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,609 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge

Abstract

In one embodiment, an ink cartridge comprises an outer housing that defines an interior space adapted to contain ink and an air vent adapted to enable air to pass into and out of the interior space and a dividing wall provided within the interior space, the dividing wall separating the interior space into a first chamber and a second chamber, the dividing wall defining a passage through which air within the first chamber can pass into the second chamber and out of the cartridge through the air vent when the air within the first chamber expands.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge comprising:

an outer housing that defines an interior space adapted to contain ink and an air vent adapted to enable air to pass into and out of the interior space; and

a dividing wall provided within the interior space, the dividing wall separating the interior space into a first chamber and a second chamber, the dividing wall defining a passage through which air within the first chamber can pass into the second chamber and out of the cartridge through the air vent when the air within the first chamber expands.

2. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first chamber contains no ink so as to decrease the volume of ink contained by the cartridge.

3. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the second chamber contains an ink retaining element that is filled with ink and wherein the air that passes out through the air vent circumvents the ink retaining element.

4. The ink cartridge of claim 3, wherein the ink retaining element comprises a mass of fibrous material or a foam member.

5. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the dividing wall extends from a bottom wall of the interior space to a top wall of the interior space and comprises an opening through which the air passes.

6. The ink cartridge of claim 5, wherein the opening is provided at a top end of the dividing wall.

7. The ink cartridge of claim 6, wherein the opening is formed as a notch provided in the top end of the dividing wall.

8. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the dividing wall does not extend to a bottom surface of the interior space so as to form the passage through which the air can pass from the first chamber into the second chamber.

9. The ink cartridge of claim 8, wherein the dividing wall comprises a groove facing the second chamber that extends from a bottom end of the wall and the passage to a top end of the wall through which the air can flow to the air vent.

10. The ink cartridge of claim 8, wherein the dividing wall comprises a narrowed portion that forms a gap through which the air can flow to the air vent.

11. An ink cartridge comprising:

an outer housing that defines an interior space adapted to contain ink and an air vent provided on a top side of the housing adapted to enable air to pass into and out of the interior space; and

a dividing wall provided within the interior space, the dividing wall separating the interior space into a front chamber and a rear chamber, the front chamber containing no ink and the rear chamber containing an ink retaining element that is filled with ink, the dividing wall defining a passage through which the air within the first chamber can pass into the second chamber, circumvent the ink retaining element, and pass out of the cartridge through the air vent when the air within the first chamber expands.

12. The ink cartridge of claim 11, wherein the dividing wall comprises a groove facing the ink retaining element that extends from a bottom end of the wall and the passage to a top end of the wall through which the air can flow to the air vent.

13. The ink cartridge of claim 11, wherein the dividing wall comprises a narrowed portion that forms a gap between the dividing wall and the ink retaining element through which the air can flow to the air vent.

14. An ink cartridge comprising:

an outer housing that defines an interior space adapted to contain ink and an air vent adapted to enable air to pass into and out of the interior space; and

a dividing wall provided within the interior space, the dividing wall separating the interior space into a first chamber and a second chamber so that air contained within the first chamber cannot pass to the second chamber, wherein only the second chamber contains ink.

15. The ink cartridge of claim 14, wherein the second chamber contains an ink retaining element that is filled with ink.