Ink interconnect between print cartridge and carriage
First Claim
1. A printing system, comprising:
- a print cartridge having a first side and a second side opposite said first side, said print cartridge comprising;
contact pads on said first side for electrically contacting corresponding electrodes on a scanning carriage when said print cartridge is inserted into said scanning carriage; and
a fluid interconnect on said second side.
1 Assignment
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 one side of 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. The print cartridge has contact pads on another side. The contact pads electrically contact electrodes on the carriage when the print cartridge is placed in the stall. With the fluid interconnect and the contact pads on opposing sides of the print cartridge, the distance between the electrical contact and the flow of ink from the carriage to the print cartridge is maximized.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A printing system, comprising:
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a print cartridge having a first side and a second side opposite said first side, said print cartridge comprising;
contact pads on said first side for electrically contacting corresponding electrodes on a scanning carriage when said print cartridge is inserted into said scanning carriage; and
a fluid interconnect on said second side. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of providing ink to a print cartridge mounted in a carriage, said print cartridge having a first side of a housing having electrical contact pads for coupling said print cartridge to controller electronics on said carriage, said method comprising:
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supplying ink from an in ink source to a conduit connected to an ink outlet on said carriage, the ink source mounted in a fixed location relative to the carriage, said fixed location above the carriage;
inserting said print cartridge into said carriage to engage a fluid interconnect on said print cartridge to said ink outlet on said carriage, said fluid interconnect being on a second side on said housing, opposite said first side, such that ink flows through said ink outlet and into said fluid interconnect along a flow path separated from said electrical contact pads by said housing; and
allowing ink to flow from said fluid interconnect and into an internal chamber in said print cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An ink delivery system for an inkjet printing system, in which a print cartridge having a printhead is removably mounted on a carriage that scans across a print zone to eject droplets of ink onto media in response to electric signals received on electrical contact pads, said carriage having a first interconnect member for receiving ink from a fixed supply station, said first interconnect member for making a releasable airtight fluid connection to a second interconnect member on a print cartridge that contains said printhead, said system comprising:
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an off-carriage ink supply containing a reservoir, said ink supply being adapted to be removably mounted to said supply station;
a discharge port in fluid communication with said reservoir;
ink-contained in said reservoir which passes out of said discharge port, through a conduit and said first interconnect member and into said second interconnect member; and
said print cartridge having said electrical contact pads and said second interconnect member on opposing sides of said print cartridge to maximize a distance between said electrical contact pads and the flow of ink through said first interconnect member and into said second interconnect member. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification