Printing system with flexible conduit portion between ink supply and print cartridge and methods for supplying ink to printing structure

• US 6,779,875 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Marler, Jaren D., Pawlowski, Norman E. Jr., Lee, Ted, Childers, Winthrop D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Raquel Yvette
• Application Number:
  US10/165,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 347/50, 347/20, 347/5, 347/9, 347/84-87, 347/104, 347/105, 347/12, 347/13, 347/40-43, 347/47, 347/63, 347/106, 347/101, 347/95, 347/100, 347/37, 399/202, 400/174, 400/175
• US Class Current: 347/50
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14145 Structure of the manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17533 Storage or packaging of ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• 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 2002/14387 Front shooter
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17516 comprising a collapsible ink holder, e.g. a flexible bag
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/003 with a probe suspended by rotatable arms with floats G01F23/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/72 using magnetically actuated indicating means

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.

Claims

1. A color printing system, comprising:

a plurality of printheads for ejecting droplets of ink of different colors;

a media handling apparatus;

a scanning carriage for scanning across a print zone of a printer, said plurality of printheads mounted in said carriage;

a supply station mounted above said scanning carriage and in a fixed location relative to said scanning carriage;

a plurality of replaceable ink supply cartridges releasably mounted in said supply station; and

a fluid conduit system passing between said plurality of ink supply cartridges and said plurality of printheads to provide a plurality of ink flow paths between said plurality of cartridges and said plurality of printheads, said conduit structure including a flexible conduit portion to permit the flexible conduit portion to flex as the carriage is scanned across the print zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said scanning carriage moves along a scanning axis, and said plurality of ink supply cartridges are arranged in said supply station along a supply station axis which is generally parallel to said scanning axis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of ink supply cartridges are disposed in a horizontal arrangement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said each of said plurality of printheads ejects droplets of ink in a vertical direction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible conduit portion includes a set of flexible tubes.

6. A method of providing ink of different colors to a plurality of printing structures mounted in a scanning carriage of a color printing system, comprising:

supplying ink of different colors from a plurality of ink sources into a set of flexible conduits connected to the plurality of printing structures mounted on said scanning carriage, the plurality of ink sources mounted in a fixed location relative to the carriage, said fixed location above the carriage; and

allowing ink of said different colors to flow from said ink sources and into respective internal chambers in said plurality of printing structures while said carriage is scanning along a scan axis during printing operations.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of ink sources are disposed in a horizontal arrangement in a supply station fixed above said scanning carriage and generally parallel to a scan axis of the scanning carriage.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of said printing structures comprises a printhead for ejecting droplets of ink in a vertical direction.

9. The method of claim further comprising:

supplying ink of said different colors to said plurality of ink sources.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said supplying ink of said different colors to said plurality of ink sources comprises:

releasably mounting a plurality of replaceable ink supplies in fluid communication with said set of flexible conduits.