Sensing system for detecting presence of an ink container and level of ink therein

• US 6,409,302 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Carlotta, Michael, Dietl, Steven J., Hubble, Fred F. III, Stevens, Donald M., Altfather, Kenneth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hallacher, Craig A.
• Application Number:
  US09/792,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20010035887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 347/19, 347/86, 347/87, 347/49, 250/573, 250/574, 250/577, 359/524.53, 385/36, 399/13, 349/12, 349/27
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• 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: G01F 23/2922 with light-conducting sensing elements, e.g. prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2927 for several discrete levels, e.g. with more than one light-conducting sensing element

Abstract

A low ink sensing system is combined with an ink cartridge detection system to enable a more efficient ink jet printer. An ink container which supplies ink to an associated printhead is modified by the incorporation of two light directing elements, in the preferred embodiment, a faceted prism and a roof mirror, into a transparent wall of the container housing. The cartridge, comprising the ink container and associated printhead, is mounted on a scan carriage. Periodically, the carriage is conveyed to a sensing station comprising a pair of light sources and a commonly used photosensor. A first light source is energized and a beam of light is directed to a location where the roof mirror, would be positioned if the cartridge is present. If the cartridge is absent, lack of a reflected return signal is sensed, indicating a cartridge has not been inserted. Print operation is halted until a cartridge is inserted. If a cartridge is properly inserted, the roof mirror returns most of the incident light to the photosensor which generates a signal indicating the presence of the cartridge. A second light source is then energized and directed towards the faceted prism, which is either immersed in ink or exposed to air within the interior of the container. If the latter, light is internally reflected by the prism facets back to the photosensor. If a print operation has been in progress, and the ink level has fallen, the common photosensor detects either a strong or weak redirected light component and initiates a status check and generates appropriate displays of low ink level or out of ink warnings.

Claims

1. A sensing system for detecting the presence of an ink container comprising:

light directing means operatively connected to said container,

a light source having output beams directed toward said light directing means when in a container detect mode and

photosensor means for detecting the presence or absence of light from said light directing means and for generating an output signal indicative thereof.

2. A replaceable liquid ink supply container which is insertable into an ink jet printer having at least one printhead to supply liquid ink from said liquid ink supply container to said printhead, which ink jet printer has at least one container mounting position for receiving said liquid ink supply container in the ink jet printer when said liquid ink supply container is inserted in the ink jet printer, which container mounting position provides for the supplying said liquid ink from said liquid ink supply container to said printhead when said liquid ink supply container is correctly mounted in said container mounting position, and wherein said ink jet printer also has an optical presence sensor for optically detecting said correct mounting of said liquid ink supply container in the container mounting position, and a light source for the optical presence sensor, said light source projecting illumination away from said optical sensor;

said replaceable liquid ink supply container comprising a light reflective system integral said replaceable liquid ink supply container positioned to receive said projected illumination from said light source from said ink jet printer and to reflect at least part of said projected illumination from said light source back to said optical docking sensor when said liquid ink supply container is correctly mounted in said container mounting position.

3. The replaceable liquid ink supply container of claim 2, wherein said light reflective system comprises opposing reflective surfaces at different angles to one another.

4. The replaceable liquid ink supply container of claim 2, wherein said light reflective system comprises facing reflective surfaces at equal but opposite angles.

5. The replaceable liquid ink supply container of claim 2, wherein said light reflective system comprises a pair of planar reflective surfaces at equal but opposite angles to one another.

6. A replaceable liquid ink supply container which is insertable into an ink jet printer having at least one printhead to supply liquid ink from said liquid ink supply container to said printhead, which ink jet printer has at least one container mounting position for receiving said liquid ink supply container in the ink jet printer when said liquid ink supply container is inserted in the ink jet printer, which container mounting position provides for the supplying said liquid ink from said liquid ink supply container to said printhead when said liquid ink supply container is correctly mounted in said container mounting position, and wherein said ink jet printer also has an optical presence sensor for optically detecting said correct mounting of said liquid ink supply container in the container mounting position, and a light source for the optical presence sensor, said light source projecting illumination in a first direction away from said optical sensor;

said replaceable liquid ink supply container comprising a first light reflective surface on said replaceable liquid ink supply container positioned to receive said projected illumination from said light source from said ink jet printer and to reflect at least part of said projected illumination from said light source in a second direction, and a second light reflective surface on said replaceable ink supply container positioned to receive said part of said illumination reflected in said second direction, and to reflect at least a part of said reflected illumination back to said optical docking sensor when said liquid ink supply container is correctly mounted in said container mounting position.

7. The replaceable liquid ink supply container of claim 6, wherein said third direction is substantially parallel to said first direction.

8. The replaceable liquid ink supply container of claim 7, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

9. In an ink jet printer having at least one printhead and an ink supply container for supplying ink from the ink supply container to the printhead, when said ink supply container is correctly installed in a container mounting, a method of optically detecting whether the ink supply container is correctly installed in the said container mounting, the method comprising projecting illumination away from an optical sensor, reflecting from a light reflective system said ink supply container at least a portion of said illumination, when the ink supply container is correctly installed, sensing said reflected portion of said illumination, comparing said reflected portion of said illumination with a predetermined threshold, and if said reflected portion of said illumination and if said reflected portion of said illumination exceeds said predetermined threshold, providing an indication that the ink supply container is correctly installed in said container mounting.

10. The method of optically detecting whether an ink supply container is correctly installed in a container mounting of claim 9, wherein the step of reflecting from a light reflective system on said ink supply container comprises reflecting from a first reflective surface toward a second reflective surface on said ink supply container at least a portion of said illumination and reflecting from said second reflective surface at least a portion of said reflected illumination.