Automated system for refilling ink jet cartridges
First Claim
1. An automated system for refilling ink jet cartridges in an ink jet printing system wherein a printhead and associated ink supply reservoir comprising the cartridge are moved on a carriage through a print zone with ink being ejected from nozzles formed in a nozzle face of the printhead, the system further including:
- means for moving said cartridge to a refill station located outside of said print zone,means at said refill station for sealingly engaging an ink refill container with said nozzle face,means to force ink from said refill container through said printhead nozzles and into the associated ink supply reservoir thereby refilling said reservoir andmeans for moving said cartridge out of said refill station.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for refilling an ink reservoir associated with an ink jet printhead. The printhead is mounted on a movable carriage which, when refill is needed, and in a first embodiment, is automatically moved to a refill station. At the refill station, a refill ink source is brought into sealing engagement with the front nozzle face of the printhead. Ink from a refill container is forced into the printhead nozzles and flows through the nozzle channels back into the reservoir. The refill operation is then enabled by establishing a pressure gradient against the refill ink container forcing it through a pressure regulating drive seal, or a filter, into the nozzles. Alternatively, a vacuum is established through a vent tube connecting into the cartridge reservoir creating a negative differential at the vent hole and causing the ink from the refill container to pass through the nozzles into the supply reservoir. In another embodiment, a maintenance station wherein the printhead nozzles are periodically primed is selectively converted into a refill station under control of a system controller.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. An automated system for refilling ink jet cartridges in an ink jet printing system wherein a printhead and associated ink supply reservoir comprising the cartridge are moved on a carriage through a print zone with ink being ejected from nozzles formed in a nozzle face of the printhead, the system further including:
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means for moving said cartridge to a refill station located outside of said print zone, means at said refill station for sealingly engaging an ink refill container with said nozzle face, means to force ink from said refill container through said printhead nozzles and into the associated ink supply reservoir thereby refilling said reservoir and means for moving said cartridge out of said refill station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6)
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5. A method for automatically refilling an ink reservoir located within a printhead cartridge, the cartridge mounted on a carriage which is moved through a print zone, the method including the steps of:
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moving the carriage to a refill station outside the print zone, establishing a sealing interface between a source of refill ink and the nozzle face of said printhead, forcing the ink from said refill ink source through the printhead nozzles and into said reservoir for a period of time sufficient to refill the reservoir and moving the carriage out of the refill station.
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Specification