Ink container having electronic and mechanical features enabling plug compatibility between multiple supply sizes

• US 5,956,057 A
• Filed: 06/04/1997
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gast, Paul D., Childers, Winthrop D., Clark, James E., Underwood, John A., Barinaga, John A., Bullock, Michael L., Cowger, Bruce, Hmelar, Susan M., Merrill, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghatt, Dave A.
• Application Number:
  US08/869,152
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 347/19, 347/20, 347/21, 347/84, 347/85, 347/86, 347/7, 347/49
• US Class Current: 347/49
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1755 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17569 based on the amount printed or to be printed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17573 using optical means for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17576 using a floater for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/105 Detection or control means for the toner concentration
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 : Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 : Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 : for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1639 : for the fixing unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1663 : having lifetime indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1823 : Cartridges having electronically readable memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1838 : Autosetting of process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 : Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 : Architecture adapted for a particular function

Abstract

The present invention is an ink container for use in an ink jet printing system. The printing system has a printhead under control of printing system electronics and an ink container receiving station for providing ink to the printhead. The replaceable ink container includes a plurality of container interfacing features positioned on the ink container to engage corresponding ink container receiving station interfacing features. The ink container interfacing features are disposed and arranged to allow a plurality of different sizes of the ink container to be installed at a particular location of the receiving station. The ink container also includes an information storage device that provides information indicative of a volume of ink contained in said ink container.

Claims

1. A replaceable ink container to be installed at a particular location in a receiving station of an ink jet printing system, said receiving station providing ink from said replaceable ink container to a printhead, said replaceable ink container comprising:

a housing having an axis of elongation perpendicular to a direction of insertion of said replaceable ink container into said receiving station;

an ink supply within said housing, said ink supply containing a volume of ink;

a fluid outlet on said housing along said axis of elongation, said fluid outlet being connected to said ink supply such that when said replaceable ink container is fully installed at said particular location in said receiving station, said fluid outlet engages a corresponding fluid inlet at said particular location in said receiving station to allow ink to flow from said ink supply of said replaceable ink container to said printhead;

an information storage device on said housing, said information storage device storing information indicative of said volume of ink within said ink supply;

a plurality of container electrical contacts on said housing along said axis of elongation, said plurality of container electrical contacts being connected to said information storage device such that when said replaceable ink container is fully installed at said particular location in said receiving station, said plurality of container electrical contacts engage corresponding receiving station electrical contacts to electrically couple said information storage device to said ink jet printing system, wherein said fluid outlet and said plurality of container electrical contacts are positioned on said axis of elongation to allow said replaceable ink container to be fully installed at said particular location in said receiving station.

2. The replaceable ink container of claim 1, and further including:

a plurality of container positioning features on said housing, said plurality of container positioning features engaging corresponding receiving station positioning features to position said replaceable ink container at said particular location in said receiving station to provide a reliable fluidic connection between said fluid outlet and said corresponding fluid inlet, and a reliable electrical connection between said plurality of container electrical contacts and said corresponding receiving station electrical contacts.

3. The replaceable ink container of claim 1, wherein said axis of elongation substantially bisects said fluidic connection.

4. The replaceable ink container of claim 1, wherein said axis of elongation passes through said fluidic connection, and wherein an outer surface of said housing is substantially symmetrical with respect to said axis of elongation.

5. The replaceable ink container of claim 1, wherein said housing has first and second sides on said axis of elongation, and wherein said plurality of container positioning features are on said first and second sides.

6. The replaceable ink container of claim 5, wherein said first and second sides are substantially aligned with said direction of insertion.

7. The replaceable ink container of claim 5, wherein said receiving station has opposing walls, wherein said corresponding receiving station positioning features include guiding channels on said opposing walls, and wherein said plurality of container positioning features include outwardly extending aligning features that extend into said guiding channels.

8. The replaceable ink container of claim 7, wherein said aligning features are positioned to align said replaceable ink container such that said axis of elongation is substantially centered within said guiding channels when said replaceable ink container is fully installed at the particular location in said receiving station.

9. The replaceable ink container of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of container electrical contacts face toward said axis of elongation.

10. The replaceable ink container of claim 1, wherein said information indicative of the volume of ink within the ink supply includes at least one parameter indicative of a calculated volume of available ink contained in said ink supply.

11. The replaceable ink container of claim 10, wherein said at least one parameter includes first and second parameters, wherein said first parameter is indicative of a calculated initial volume of available ink in said ink supply, and wherein said second parameter is indicative of a calculated volume of ink remaining in said ink supply.

12. The replaceable ink container of claim 11, wherein said calculated volume of ink remaining in said ink supply is less than or equal to said calculated initial volume of available ink in said ink supply.

13. The replaceable ink container of claim 10, wherein said at least one parameter indicative of a calculated volume of available ink contained in said ink supply is a binary number interpreted by said ink jet printing system to be proportional to a volume of deliverable ink.

14. A system of ink containers for use in a printing system, said printing system having a printhead under control of printing system electronics, said printing system having a receiving station for receiving the system of ink containers, said receiving station having receiving station positioning features, and a fluid inlet in fluid communication with said printhead, said system of ink containers comprising:

a first ink container installable in a particular location of said receiving station, said first ink container containing a first quantity of ink, said first ink container including;

a first housing having a first axis of elongation;

a plurality of first container positioning features on said first housing along said first axis of elongation, said first container positioning features being engageable with said receiving station positioning features to position said first ink container in said particular location of said receiving station;

a first fluid outlet connectable to said fluid inlet in said receiving station; and

a first information storage device electrically connectable to said printing system, said first information storage device storing information indicative of said first quantity of ink; and

a second ink container installable in said particular location of said receiving station, said second ink container containing a second quantity of ink wherein said second quantity of ink is different from said first quantity of ink, said second ink container including;

a second housing having a second axis of elongation;

a plurality of second container positioning features on said second housing along said second axis of elongation, said first container positioning features being engageable with said receiving station positioning features to position said second ink container in said particular location of said receiving station;

a second fluid outlet connectable to said fluid inlet in said receiving station; and

a second information storage device electrically connectable to said printing system, said second information storage device storing information indicative of said second quantity of ink.

15. The system of ink containers of claim 14, wherein said first ink container and said second ink container are of different dimensional sizes.

16. The system of ink containers of claim 15, wherein said first and second ink containers have first and second widths perpendicular to a direction of insertion of said first and second ink containers into said particular location of said receiving station, and wherein said first and second widths are different.

17. The system of ink containers of claim 14, wherein said first quantity of ink is of a first ink type, wherein said second quantity of ink is of a second ink type, and wherein said first ink type is different than said second ink type.

18. A printing system, comprising:

a printhead for selectively depositing ink droplets onto media;

a receiving station for providing ink to said printhead, said receiving station having a plurality of variably spaced receiving station positioning features for accommodating a plurality of ink containers of varying widths;

an ink container adapted for installation in a particular feature of said plurality of variably spaced receiving station positioning features in said receiving station, said ink container including;

a housing;

a plurality of container positioning features on the housing, said container positioning features being engageable with said particular feature of said plurality of variably spaced receiving station positioning features to position said ink container in said receiving station; and

an information storage device in said housing; and

a controller linked to said receiving station of said printing system, said controller reading information indicative of a volume of ink within said housing from said information storage device.

19. The printing system of claim 18, further comprising a further ink container that is engageable with said particular feature.

20. The printing system of claim 19, wherein said ink container contains a first volume of available ink, and wherein said further ink container contains a second volume of available ink that is different than said first volume of available ink.

21. The printing system of claim 19 wherein said ink container contains a first ink type, and wherein said further ink container contains a second ink type that is different than said first ink type.

22. The printing system of claim 18, wherein said printhead is mounted in a scanning carriage and wherein said receiving station is stationary relative to said scanning carriage.

23. A method of providing ink to a printhead in an inkjet printing system, the printhead receiving ink from a fluid inlet in a receiving station, comprising:

a) selecting an ink container from a plurality of ink containers, said plurality of ink containers containing different volumes of deliverable ink, wherein each ink container of said plurality of ink containers includes a housing having an axis of elongation perpendicular to a direction of insertion of said each ink container into said receiving station, an ink supply, a fluid outlet on said housing along said axis of elongation, and a plurality of container electrical contacts on said housing along said axis of elongation;

b) fluidically coupling said fluid outlet of said ink container to said fluid inlet;

c) providing information to said printing system indicative of a volume of deliverable ink within said ink supply; and

d) providing ink from said ink supply to said printhead.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said each ink container of said plurality of ink containers is insertable in a particular location of said receiving station, and wherein said fluid outlet of said each ink container engages said fluid inlet when said each ink container is inserted in said particular location.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said each ink container has an information storage device connected to said plurality of container electrical contacts, said information storage device providing said information indicative of said volume of deliverable ink to said printing system when said each ink container of said plurality of ink containers is inserted in said particular location.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said each ink container of said plurality of ink containers has a different dimensional size.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said each ink container of said plurality of ink containers has a different width.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said plurality of ink containers contain different types of ink.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

uncoupling said fluid outlet of said ink container from said fluid inlet;

refilling said ink supply of said ink container; and

fluidically recoupling said fluid outlet of said ink container to said fluid inlet.