INK FILL PORT FOR INKJET INK TANK

• US 20110148999A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Moore, Steven L., O'Leary, Kevin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,240,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17506 Refilling of the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure

Abstract

A detachably mountable ink tank for an inkjet printhead, the ink tank includes a housing for enclosing a reservoir for liquid ink; a rim extending outwardly from the housing; an ink supply port enclosed within the rim; and an ink fill port enclosed within the rim, wherein the ink fill port is configured to receive an ink fill tube to provide liquid ink to the reservoir.

Claims

1. A detachably mountable ink tank for an inkjet printhead, the ink tank comprising:

(a) a housing for enclosing a reservoir for liquid ink;

(b) a rim extending outwardly from the housing;

(c) an ink supply port enclosed within the rim; and

(d) an ink fill port enclosed within the rim, wherein the ink fill port is configured to receive an ink fill tube to provide liquid ink to the reservoir.

2. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the rim includes a face that is configured to be sealingly fitted against a gasket in the printhead when the ink tank is installed in the printhead.

3. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the ink supply port further includes a printhead interface member that is configured to contact an ink inlet port of the printhead when the ink tank is installed on the printhead.

4. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 3, wherein the printhead interface member is a capillary medium.

5. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 4, the capillary medium including a first face and a second face opposite the first face, wherein the first face is configured to contact the ink inlet port of the printhead, and wherein a mesh screen is disposed adjacent the second face of the capillary medium.

6. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1 further comprising a plug that is configured to seal the ink fill port after the liquid ink is provided to the reservoir.

7. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 6, wherein the plug is a ball.

8. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 7, wherein the ball is formed of a compliant material.

9. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 7, wherein the ball is press fitted into the ink fill port.

10. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the ink fill port includes a septum.

11. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the reservoir includes a flexible wall.

12. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 11, wherein the reservoir further includes a substantially rigid wall that is opposite a portion of the flexible wall.

13. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 12, wherein the reservoir contains ink between the flexible wall and the substantially rigid wall.

14. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 11, wherein the reservoir contains a spring between the flexible wall and the substantially rigid wall.

15. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a first and second wall, wherein the rim extends outwardly from the first wall and a pedestal extends outwardly from the second wall and an electrical device is mounted on the pedestal.

16. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the rim is oblong-shaped.

17. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the reservoir includes a holding capacity of 50 mL or less.

18. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein rim extends outwardly from the housing by 1 cm or less.

19. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 1, wherein the rim, the ink supply port, and the ink fill port are provided by a molded component that is fixedly attached to the housing.

20. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 19, wherein the molded component includes:

(a) a first compartment including the ink supply port;

(b) a second compartment including the ink fill port; and

(c) a wall separating the first compartment from the second compartment.

21. The detachably mountable ink tank of claim 20 further comprising an air tight seal between the first compartment and the second compartment of the fixedly attached molded component.

22. An inkjet printhead assembly comprising:

a) one or more detachably mountable ink tanks, the ink tank comprising

i) a housing for enclosing a reservoir for liquid ink;

ii) a rim extending outwardly from the housing;

iii) an ink supply port enclosed within the rim; and

iv) an ink fill port enclosed within the rim, wherein the ink fill port is configured to receive an ink fill tube to provide liquid ink to the reservoir; and

b) an inkjet printhead comprising;

i) an ink tank holding receptacle that receives one or more detachably mountable ink tanks;

ii) one or more ink inlet ports configured to contact the ink supply port within the rim of the ink tank.

23. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 22, wherein the inkjet printhead further comprises a compliant gasket disposed around the one or more ink inlet ports, wherein the compliant gasket is configured to seal against a face of the rim of the ink tank when the ink tank is installed in the ink tank holding receptacle of the inkjet printhead.

24. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 22, the ink tank further comprising a pedestal and an electrical device mounted on the pedestal, wherein the ink tank holding tank receptacle of the inkjet printhead further includes a hole into which the pedestal extends when the ink tank is installed in the ink tank holding receptacle of the inkjet printhead.