Inkjet printing system with off-axis ink supply having ink path which does not extend above print cartridge
First Claim
1. A printing system for depositing ink onto a printing medium, said printing system having a bottom surface when supported on a planar surface for printing, comprising:
- a scanning carriage having a first interconnect member;
an ink source external to said carriage;
a flexible tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said ink source and said second end connected to said carriage, said flexible tube providing a fluid connection between said ink source and said carriage;
a print cartridge, supported by and removably installed in said carriage, having a printhead for ejecting droplets of ink in a direction toward said bottom surface and onto the printing medium, said printhead extending in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom surface, said print cartridge also having a second interconnect member in fluid communication with said first interconnect member, said second interconnect member being spaced farther away from said bottom surface than said printhead, said print cartridge also having an ink chamber in fluid communication with said printhead, and an ink channel leading from said second interconnect member to said ink chamber, said second interconnect member and said ink channel forming a path of ink from said first interconnect member to said chamber, wherein said path of ink does not extend to a height above said print cartridge.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In the preferred embodiment, an inkjet printer includes a replaceable print cartridge which is inserted into a scanning carriage. An ink tube extends from the scanning carriage to a separate ink supply located within the printer. A fluid interconnect on the print cartridge connects to a fluid interconnect on the carriage when the print cartridge is inserted into the carriage to complete the fluid connection between the external ink supply and the print cartridge. In one embodiment, the fluid interconnection is made between the print cartridge and the ink tube simply by placing the print cartridge into a stall in the scanning carriage. A pressure regulator, which may be internal or external to the print cartridge, regulates the flow of ink from the external ink supply to the print cartridge. The external ink supply may be pressurized or non-pressurized.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A printing system for depositing ink onto a printing medium, said printing system having a bottom surface when supported on a planar surface for printing, comprising:
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a scanning carriage having a first interconnect member; an ink source external to said carriage; a flexible tube having a first end and a second end, said first end connected to said ink source and said second end connected to said carriage, said flexible tube providing a fluid connection between said ink source and said carriage; a print cartridge, supported by and removably installed in said carriage, having a printhead for ejecting droplets of ink in a direction toward said bottom surface and onto the printing medium, said printhead extending in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom surface, said print cartridge also having a second interconnect member in fluid communication with said first interconnect member, said second interconnect member being spaced farther away from said bottom surface than said printhead, said print cartridge also having an ink chamber in fluid communication with said printhead, and an ink channel leading from said second interconnect member to said ink chamber, said second interconnect member and said ink channel forming a path of ink from said first interconnect member to said chamber, wherein said path of ink does not extend to a height above said print cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An ink system for an inkjet printing system having a print zone for depositing ink on a printing medium and a rigid frame including a fixed supply station, said printing system having a bottom surface when supported on a planar surface for printing, said printing system having a carriage for scanning across the print zone, said carriage having an upper surface and a first fluid interconnect extending upward from said upper surface, said printing system also having a print cartridge removably mounted on said carriage, said cartridge having a second fluid interconnect coupled to said first fluid interconnect and a printhead for ejecting ink in a first direction toward said bottom surface and onto the printing medium, said printhead extending in a plane substantially parallel to said bottom surface, said second fluid interconnect being spaced farther away from said bottom surface than said printhead and extending in said first direction, said print system also having an ink conduit coupled between said first fluid interconnect and said fixed supply station, said ink system comprising:
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an off-carriage ink supply, with a rigid shell removably mountable on said fixed supply station, said ink supply having a discharge port; an ink reservoir in said ink supply in fluid communication with said discharge port; and ink contained in the reservoir that passes out of the discharge port, through said conduit, to said first fluid interconnect on said carriage, and into the cartridge through said second fluid interconnect in a second direction that is opposite to said first direction of ink ejected from said printhead, when the off-carriage ink supply is removably mounted on the supply station. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of using a printing system having a bottom surface when supported on a planar surface for printing, said method comprising the steps of:
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inserting a print cartridge into a scanning carriage, said scanning carriage having an upper surface and a first fluid interconnect extending upward from said upper surface, said print cartridge having a second fluid interconnect, said second fluid interconnect forming a fluid connection with said first fluid interconnect, said print cartridge further including an ink chamber in fluid communication with said second fluid interconnect and a printhead for ejecting ink in a first direction toward the bottom surface, said printhead extending in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface, said second fluid interconnect being spaced farther away from said bottom surface than said printhead; supplying ink from an ink source, said ink source connected by a flexible tube to said first fluid interconnect mounted on said scanning carriage to allow said ink to flow from said ink source to said flexible tube and into said first fluid interconnect mounted on said carriage; and channeling said ink into said second fluid interconnect such that a flow of ink between said first fluid interconnect and said ink chamber does not extend to a height above said print cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification