High performance ink container with efficient construction
First Claim
1. An off-carriage ink container for an inkjet printing system, the printing system including a traversing carriage including at least one printhead, and an ink supply station into which the ink container is removably attached, the ink container comprising:
- a pressure vessel having a gas inlet for receiving a pressurized source of gas and a fluid outlet for delivering pressurized ink in response to pressurization, said pressure vessel devoid of container keying physical features; and
a first cap attached to an end of said pressure vessel, said first cap fabricated as a separate structure distinct from said pressure vessel, said first cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for said ink container, said mechanical functions including a keying function or a latching function.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ink container for an inkjet printing system is described, including an assembly of a simple housing with caps bearing indicia and protective surfaces to enable effective handling, aligning, keying and latching of the ink container. The ink container includes an ink container housing, the housing including an ink reservoir and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said reservoir. The fluid outlet is for providing ink to the inkjet printhead. The container further includes a separately fabricated first cap attached to an end of the housing, the first cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for the ink container. The end of the housing is a leading end relative to a direction of insertion of the ink container into the printing system. The mechanical functions can include positioning the ink container relative to the supply station, a keying function for preventing installation of an ink container in the supply station without a cap providing the keying function. The mechanical features can include a boss for protecting a leading surface of the ink container and the fluid outlet from physical damage. The trailing end of the housing has attached to it a second cap having a latch feature for latching the ink container in the supply station, and an oversized handle that prevents backwards insertion. The housing includes a pressure vessel that surrounds the ink reservoir, and the first cap is secured to the pressure vessel.
141 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An off-carriage ink container for an inkjet printing system, the printing system including a traversing carriage including at least one printhead, and an ink supply station into which the ink container is removably attached, the ink container comprising:
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a pressure vessel having a gas inlet for receiving a pressurized source of gas and a fluid outlet for delivering pressurized ink in response to pressurization, said pressure vessel devoid of container keying physical features; and a first cap attached to an end of said pressure vessel, said first cap fabricated as a separate structure distinct from said pressure vessel, said first cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for said ink container, said mechanical functions including a keying function or a latching function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An off-carriage ink container for an inkjet printing system, the printing system including a traversing carriage including at least one printhead, and an ink supply station into which the ink container is removably attached, the ink container comprising:
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an ink container housing, the housing including an ink reservoir and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said reservoir, said fluid outlet for providing ink to said printhead; a first cap attached to a leading end of said housing, said first cap fabricated as a separate structure distinct from said housing, said first cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for said ink container; a second cap attached to a trailing end of said housing, said second cap fabricated as a separate structure distinct from the housing.
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14. An ink container for an inkjet printing system including an ink supply station, the container removably connectable to a supply station bay to supply ink to the printing system from an ink reservoir, the ink container comprising:
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a pressure vessel for defining an interior pressure chamber, said vessel having a opening defamed therein; a collapsible ink reservoir for holding a supply of liquid ink, said reservoir disposed within said pressure chamber; apparatus for providing an ink path from outside said pressure vessel to said ink reservoir, said apparatus providing an ink tower protruding from the opening for connection at the supply station to the printing system; and a leading end cap secured to a leading end of said vessel, said cap including a protective wall structure protruding from a leading surface of said apparatus and surrounding the ink tower for protecting the ink tower from physical damage while permitting access to the tower for connection at the ink supply station. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An ink container for an inkjet printing system including an ink supply station, the container removably connectable to a supply station bay to supply ink to the printing system from an ink reservoir, the ink container comprising:
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a pressure vessel for defining an interior pressure chamber, said vessel having a leading vessel end and a trailing vessel end; a collapsible ink reservoir for holding a supply of liquid ink, said reservoir disposed within said pressure chamber; a leading end cap secured to said leading end of said vessel; and a trailing end cap secured to said trailing end of the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of assembling an ink container to be installed in an inkjet printing system, said inkjet printing system having a printhead for ejecting ink on media, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a pressure vessel having a gas inlet for receiving a pressurized source of gas and a fluid outlet for delivering pressurized ink in response to pressurization, said pressure vessel devoid of container keying physical features; and (b) attaching a mechanical cap to an end of said pressure vessel, said cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for said ink container, said mechanical functions including a keying function or a latching function. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for assembling an ink container to be installed in an inkjet printing system, the method comprising a sequence of the following steps:
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providing a pressure vessel having an opening at a leading end of the pressure vessel, the vessel enclosing an ink reservoir holding a supply of ink, the pressure vessel having an ink tower extending from an external surface, and an ink path extending between the ink reservoir and the ink tower; and attaching a leading end cap to the leading end of the pressure vessel, the leading end cap including a protective wall structure surrounding the ink tower while permitting interconnection access to the ink tower while the ink container is installed in the inkjet printing system. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. An off-carriage ink container for an inkjet printing system, the printing system including a traversing carriage including at least one printhead, and an ink supply station into which the ink container is removably attached, the ink container comprising:
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an ink container housing, the housing including an ink reservoir and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said reservoir, said fluid outlet for providing ink to said printhead; and a first cap attached to an end of said housing, said first cap fabricated as a distinct structure separate from said housing, said first cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for said ink container, wherein said end of said housing is a leading end relative to a direction of insertion of said ink container into said printing system, wherein said plurality of mechanical features include a protruding boss protruding from a leading surface of the cap and formed integrally with the cap, said boss surrounding said fluid outlet for protecting a leading surface of said ink container and said fluid outlet from physical damage.
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Specification