Replaceable ink container with fluid interconnect for coupling to an ink-jet printer

• US 6,015,209 A
• Filed: 04/01/1998
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Ngoc-Diep, Clark, James E., Otis, David R. Jr., Barinaga, John A., Merrill, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US09/053,556
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/86, 347/87
• 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 2/1755 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 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• 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

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention is a removable ink supply for forming a fluid connection with a fluid inlet of an ink-jet printer into which the ink supply can be installed. The ink-jet printer has a fluid conduit for supplying liquid ink to an ink-jet printhead. The removable ink supply includes a quantity of liquid ink and a fluid outlet. The fluid outlet includes (i) a hollow boss having a first end in fluid communication with the quantity of liquid ink, a neck formed in a second end of the boss, the neck defining a scaling surface and an opening; (ii) a sealing member positioned within the boss, the sealing member being movable between a first position in which the sealing member seals the opening and a second position in which liquid ink can flow through the boss opening; and (iii) a biasing structure for biasing the sealing member toward the first position. The ink supply is adapted for installation in the fluid inlet of the ink-jet printer. Upon installation the sealing member is engaged and displaced from the first position to the second position such that the sealing surface engages against a structure of the fluid inlet to create an ink seal.

Claims

1. A removable ink supply for forming a fluid connection with an ink-jet printer into which the ink supply is removably installed, the ink-jet printer having a fluid inlet and a fluid conduit for supplying liquid ink to an ink-jet printhead, the removable ink supply comprising:

a quantity of liquid ink;

a fluid outlet comprising (i) a hollow boss having a first end in fluid communication with the quantity of liquid ink, and a second end forming a neck, the neck defining a sealing surface and an opening;

(ii) a first sealing member positioned within the neck of the boss, the first sealing member defining a slit, the slit having a closed orientation wherein liquid ink is prevented from flowing through the slit and the opening and an open orientation wherein liquid ink flows through the slit and the opening;

(iii) a second sealing member positioned within the boss, the second sealing member being movable between a first position in which the second sealing member prevents liquid ink from flowing to the slit, and a second position in which liquid ink flows to the slit; and

(iv) a biasing structure for biasing the second sealing member toward the first position; and

wherein the ink supply fluid outlet is removably connectable with the fluid inlet of the ink-jet printer, such that the first sealing member is engageable with the fluid inlet and displaced from the first orientation to the second orientation by the fluid inlet, the second sealing member is engageable with the fluid inlet and displaced from the first position to the second position by the fluid inlet, and the sealing surface is engageable against the fluid inlet to create an ink seal.

2. The removable ink supply of claim 1 wherein the biasing structure includes a spring.

3. The removable ink supply of claim 1 wherein the second sealing member is a spherical member.

4. The removable ink supply of claim 1 wherein the biasing structure has a first end and a second end and the hollow boss has a retaining surface, and wherein the biasing structure is positioned within the hollow boss with the first end of the biasing structure engaging the retaining surface of the boss and the second end of the biasing structure engaging the second sealing member.

5. The removable ink supply of claim 1 wherein the sealing surface is a raised annular rib surrounding the opening and extending from the neck.

6. A removable ink supply for forming a fluid connection with a fluid inlet of an ink-jet printer into which the ink supply is removably installed, the ink-jet printer having a fluid conduit coupled to the fluid inlet for supplying liquid ink to an ink-jet printhead, the fluid inlet including a stud having a base and a top, the stud defining a blind bore open at the base and closed at the top, the base of the stud being in fluid communication with the fluid conduit, the stud further defining a lateral hole intersecting the blind bore near the top, and a sealing collar encircling the stud, the sealing collar having a top surface and an inner surface in contact with the stud, the sealing collar being movable from a first position in which the inner surface seals the lateral hole and the top surface is adjacent the top of the stud to a second position in which the lateral hole is exposed, the removable ink supply comprising:

a quantity of liquid ink within the removable ink supply;

a fluid outlet engageable with the fluid inlet when the removable ink supply is inserted into the ink-jet printer, the fluid outlet comprising (i) a hollow boss having a first end in fluid communication with the quantity of liquid ink, and a second end forming a neck, the neck defining a sealing surface and an opening;

(ii) a first sealing member positioned within the neck of the boss, the first sealing member defining a slit, the slit having a closed orientation wherein liquid ink is prevented from flowing through the slit and the opening and an open orientation wherein liquid ink flows through the slit and the opening; and

(iii) a second sealing member positioned within the boss, the second sealing member being movable within the boss between a first position in which the second sealing member prevents liquid ink from flowing to the slit, and a second position in which liquid ink flows from the quantity of liquid ink to the slit; and

wherein the ink supply is removably installable into the ink-jet printer, such that as the ink supply is partially inserted into the ink-jet printer the top surface of the sealing collar engages the sealing surface to form a seal between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the seal leaving no substantial space between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and wherein as the ink supply is further inserted into the ink-jet printer, the boss moves the sealing collar from the first position to the second position to expose the lateral hole and the stud enters the opening to displace the first sealing member from the first orientation to the second orientation and to move the second sealing member from the first position to the second position, to allow the flow of liquid ink through the opening and into the lateral hole.

7. The removable ink supply of claim 6, further comprising a biasing structure for biasing the second sealing member toward the first position.

8. The removable ink supply of claim 7 wherein the biasing structure includes a spring.

9. The removable ink supply of claim 7 wherein the biasing structure has a first end and a second end and the hollow boss has a retaining surface and wherein the biasing structure is positioned within the hollow boss with the first end of the biasing structure engaging the retaining surface of the boss and the second end of the biasing structure engaging the second sealing member.

10. The removable ink supply of claim 6 wherein the second sealing member is a spherical member.

11. The removable ink supply of claim 6 wherein the sealing surface is a raised annular rib surrounding the opening and extending from the neck.

12. A fluid container for providing fluid to an ink-jet printer including a fluid inlet having a housing, the fluid container having a fluid outlet configured for connection to the fluid inlet of the ink-jet printer, the fluid outlet comprising:

an engagement member extending from the fluid container, the engagement member being sized sufficiently small to fit within a cylindrical opening of the housing, the housing enclosing a hollow needle having distal and proximal ends and a sliding sealing member movably mounted on the hollow needle to move between a closed position wherein a needle opening toward the distal end of the needle is occluded and an open position wherein the needle opening allows fluid flow through the needle opening into the hollow needle, the engagement member configured to engage the sliding sealing member and move the sliding sealing member from the closed to the open position; and

a fluid fitting portion coupled to the engagement member and configured for providing fluid through the needle opening in the hollow needle with the hollow needle in the open position, the fluid fitting portion including;

a fluid conduit;

a first sealing element disposed on the fluid conduit; and

a second sealing element movably disposed within the fluid conduit, wherein with the hollow needle inserted into the fluid conduit, the hollow needle extends through the first sealing element and displaces the second sealing element.

13. The fluid container of claim 12 wherein with the hollow needle inserted into the fluid conduit, and with the hollow needle extending through the first sealing element and displacing the second sealing element, the first sealing element is positioned between the needle opening and the proximal end of the hollow needle such that the first sealing element forms a fluid seal between the fluid conduit and the hollow needle to allow fluid flow from the fluid container, past the second sealing element, and into the hollow needle.

14. The fluid container of claim 12 wherein the engagement member has a shape that is complementary to the cylindrical opening in the housing and the engagement member is sized sufficiently large that the engagement member interacts with the housing to guide the fluid fitting portion into alignment with the hollow needle.

15. The fluid container of claim 12 wherein the engagement member has an extension associated therewith that is sufficient to displace the sliding sealing member from the needle opening in the hollow needle when properly inserted into the housing.

16. The fluid container of claim 12 wherein the needle opening in the hollow needle is recessed a first distance from the cylindrical opening and wherein the engagement member extends a distance at least as great as the first distance to ensure the sliding sealing member is moved completely from the closed position to the open position upon insertion of the engagement member into the housing.

17. The fluid container of claim 12 further including a quantity of ink wherein ink is provided from the fluid fitting portion of the fluid container through the needle opening in the hollow needle associated with the ink-jet printer with the hollow needle in the open position.