Method of making replaceable ink cartridge
First Claim
1. A method of making a container for a replaceable ink cartridge for a bubble jet printer, the method comprising the steps of:
- molding a one-piece container body comprising a front wall, a back wall and a top wall, each of which is elongated, and two side walls which provide major surfaces of said replaceable ink cartridge, said one-piece container body having an open bottom and a partition attached to said side walls, said partition extending from said top wall to a position proximate to said open bottom to divide said one-piece open container body into a first compartment formed by said partition and said back wall, said top wall and said two side walls and a second compartment defined by said partition and said front wall, said top wall and said two side walls;
inserting a sponge-like absorbent material into said second compartment through said open bottom; and
sealing a bottom wall to said one-piece container body to form a first chamber for an ink reservoir and comprising said first compartment and said bottom wall, a second chamber containing said absorbent material and comprising said second compartment and said bottom wall, and a gap between said bottom wall and said partition which provides an opening of between 0.1 mm and 20 mm between said first chamber and said second chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of making a replaceable ink cartridge uses a molded, one-piece container body with an open bottom, elongated front, back and top walls, two side walls providing major surfaces of the cartridge, and a partition attached to the side walls and extending from the top wall toward the open bottom to divide the container body into first and second compartments. A sponge-like absorbent material is inserted into the second compartment through the open bottom, which is then sealed with a bottom wall, so that the cartridge has first and second chambers communicating with each other through an opening formed by a gap between the partition and the bottom wall.
141 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of making a container for a replaceable ink cartridge for a bubble jet printer, the method comprising the steps of:
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molding a one-piece container body comprising a front wall, a back wall and a top wall, each of which is elongated, and two side walls which provide major surfaces of said replaceable ink cartridge, said one-piece container body having an open bottom and a partition attached to said side walls, said partition extending from said top wall to a position proximate to said open bottom to divide said one-piece open container body into a first compartment formed by said partition and said back wall, said top wall and said two side walls and a second compartment defined by said partition and said front wall, said top wall and said two side walls; inserting a sponge-like absorbent material into said second compartment through said open bottom; and sealing a bottom wall to said one-piece container body to form a first chamber for an ink reservoir and comprising said first compartment and said bottom wall, a second chamber containing said absorbent material and comprising said second compartment and said bottom wall, and a gap between said bottom wall and said partition which provides an opening of between 0.1 mm and 20 mm between said first chamber and said second chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of making a container for a replaceable ink cartridge for a bubble jet printer, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a one-piece container body comprising a front wall, a back wall and a top wall, each of which is elongated, and two side walls which provide major surfaces of said replaceable ink cartridge, said one-piece container body having an open bottom and a partition attached to said side walls, said partition extending from said top wall to a position proximate to said open bottom to divide said one-piece open container body into a first compartment formed by said partition and said back wall, said top wall and said two side walls and a second compartment defined by said partition and said front wall, said top wall and said two side walls; inserting a sponge-like absorbent material into said second compartment through said open bottom; and sealing a bottom wall to said one-piece container body to form a first chamber for an ink reservoir and comprising said first compartment and said bottom wall, a second chamber containing said absorbent material and comprising said second compartment and said bottom wall, and a gap between said bottom wall and said partition which provides an opening of between 0.1 mm and 20 mm between said first chamber and said second chamber. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An ink cartridge making method comprising the steps of:
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molding a one-piece container body comprising a front wall, a back wall and a top wall, each of which is elongated, and two side walls which provide major surfaces of said replaceable ink cartridge, said one-piece container body having an open bottom and a partition attached to said side walls, said partition extending from said top wall to a position proximate to said open bottom to divide said one-piece open container body into a first compartment formed by said partition and said back wall, said top wall and said two side walls and a second compartment defined by said partition and said front wall, said top wall and said two side walls; inserting a sponge-like absorbent material into said second compartment through said open bottom; sealing a bottom wall to said one-piece container body to form a first chamber comprising said first compartment and said bottom wall, said first chamber having a sealable access opening, a second chamber containing said absorbent material and comprising said second compartment and said bottom wall, said second chamber having an ink supply outlet for supplying ink to said bubble jet printer and an air vent hole for admitting ambient air into said second chamber, and a gap between said bottom wall and said partition which provides an opening of between 0.1 mm and 20 mm between said first chamber and said second chamber; introducing liquid ink into said first chamber through said access opening, whereby an ink reservoir is provided in said first chamber; and thereafter sealing said access opening. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An ink cartridge making method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a one-piece container body comprising a front wall, a back wall and a top wall, each of which is elongated, and two side walls which provide major surfaces of said replaceable ink cartridge, said one-piece container body having an open bottom and a partition attached to said side walls, said partition extending from said top wall to a partition proximate to said open bottom to divide said one-piece open container body into a first compartment formed by said partition and said back wall, said top wall and said two side walls and a second compartment defined by said partition and said front wall, said top wall and said two side walls; inserting a sponge-like absorbent material into said second compartment through said open bottom; sealing a bottom wall to said one-piece container body to form a first chamber comprising said first compartment and said bottom wall, said first chamber having a sealable access opening, a second chamber containing said absorbent material and comprising said second compartment and said bottom wall, said second chamber having an ink supply outlet for supplying ink to said bubble jet printer and an air vent hole for admitting ambient air into said second chamber, and a gap between said bottom wall and said partition which provides an opening of between 0.1 mm and 20 mm between said first chamber and said second chamber; introducing liquid ink into said first chamber through said access opening, whereby an ink reservoir is provided in said first chamber; and thereafter sealing said access opening. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of filling with ink a replaceable ink cartridge for a bubble jet printer, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining an ink container made by (1) molding a one-piece container body comprising a front wall, a back wall and a top wall, each of which is elongated, and two side walls which provide major surfaces of said replaceable ink cartridge, said one-piece container body having an open bottom and a partition attached to said side walls, said partition extending from said top wall to a position proximate to said open bottom to divide said one-piece open container body into a first compartment formed by said partition and said back wall, said top wall and said two side walls and a second compartment defined by said partition and said front wall, said top wall and said two side walls, (2) inserting a sponge-like absorbent material into said second compartment through said open bottom, and (3) sealing a bottom wall to said one-piece container body to form a first chamber comprising said first compartment and said bottom wall, said first chamber having a sealable access opening, a second chamber containing said absorbent material and comprising said second compartment and said bottom wall, said second chamber having an ink supply outlet for supplying ink to said bubble jet printer and an air vent hole for admitting ambient air into said second chamber, and a gap between said bottom wall and said partition which provides an opening of between 0.1 mm and 20 mm between said first chamber and said second chamber; introducing liquid ink into said first chamber through said access opening, whereby an ink reservoir is provided in said first chamber; and thereafter sealing said access opening. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification