Electrical and fluidic interface for an ink supply

• US 6,793,329 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, James E., Underwood, John A., Battey, Robert L., Hmelar, Susan M., Merrill, David O., Gast, Paul David, Barinaga, John A., Bullock, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGHIEM, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US09/812,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20010010532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 347/49, 347/50, 347/85-87
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• 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 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/105 Detection or control means for the toner concentration
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1652 Electrical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1882 details of the communication with memory, e.g. wireless communication, protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1639 for the fixing unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1663 having lifetime indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1823 : Cartridges having electronically readable memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1838 : Autosetting of process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 : Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 : Architecture adapted for a particular function

Abstract

The present invention is a replaceable ink container for use in an off-axis printing system. The printing system is responsive to electrical signals from the replaceable ink container for controlling printer parameters. The ink container has a leading edge and a trailing edge relative to the direction of insertion into the printing system. The replaceable ink container includes a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the leading edge toward a first side. The plurality of electrical contacts are configured for engaging corresponding electrical printer contacts associated with the printing system. Also included is a fluid outlet disposed on the leading edge toward a second side opposite the first side and spaced from the plurality of electrical contacts. The fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the replaceable ink container. The fluid outlet is configured for engaging a fluid inlet associated with the printing system.

Claims

1. A replaceable ink container for use in an off axis printing system, the printing system being responsive to electrical signals produced by the replaceable ink container for controlling printing system narameters, the replaceable ink container having a leading edge defined as that edge of the replaceable ink container first received by the printing system, the replaceable ink container comprising:

a plurality of electrical contacts on a first half of the leading edge at a first side of the leading edge, the plurality of electrical contacts configured for engaging a plurality of corresponding electrical printer contacts of the printing system;

a fluid outlet on a second half of the leading edge at a second side of the leading edge, wherein the first side and the second side are positioned adjacent opposite ends of the leading edge, such that the fluid outlet is separated from the plurality of electrical contacts, the fluid outlet being in fluid communication with the replaceable ink container and configured for engaging a fluid inlet of the printing system;

an information storage device electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contacts; and

a latch feature, the replaceable ink container having an unlatched position and a latched position, wherein the latch feature is in engagement with corresponding engagement features of the printing system, the plurality of electrical contacts of the replaceable ink container are in engagement with the plurality of corresponding electrical printer contacts, and the fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet of the printing system.

2. The replaceable ink container of claim 1 wherein the latch feature is a pair of latch features, and wherein one latch feature of the pair of latch features is on the replaceable ink container adjacent to the first side and another latch feature of the pair of latch features is on the replaceable ink container adjacent to the second side.

3. A replaceable ink container for use with a printing portion of an off axis printing system, the replaceable ink container having a docked position, wherein the replaceable ink container is mounted to the printing portion so as to provide ink to the printing portion, and to provide the printing portion with electrical signals for controlling printing system parameters, the replaceable ink container comprising:

a fluid outlet portion for providing fluid to the printing portion, wherein the fluid outlet portion is mounted rigidly to the ink container and is configured for engaging corresponding guiding features of the printing portion that align the fluid outlet portion with corresponding fluid inlet portions of the printing portion; and

an electrical interface portion defined by a cavity within an outer surface of the replaceable ink container, the cavity having a first inner surface defining an engagement portion and a second inner surface having a plurality of electrical contacts thereon for transferring the electrical signals between the replaceable ink container and the printing portion, the engagement portion being separated from and positioned opposite to the plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the electrical interface portion in the docked position engages guiding features of the printing portion to position electrical contact portions of the printing portion between the engagement portion and the plurality of electrical contacts to electrically engage the replaceable ink container with the printing portion without applying a force to the replaceable ink container that would affect engagement of the fluid outlet portion with the corresponding fluid inlet portions of the printing portion.

4. The replaceable ink container of claim 3 wherein the fluid outlet portion is disposed on the outer surface of the replaceable ink container.

5. The replaceable ink container of claim 4 wherein the outer surface of the replaceable ink container is a leading edge defined as that edge of the replaceable ink container first received by the printing portion.

6. The replaceable ink container of claim 5 wherein the leading edge has a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis bisects the fluid outlet portion and the cavity defining the electrical interface portion.

7. The replaceable ink container of claim 6 wherein the fluid outlet portion is at a first end of the longitudinal axis and the cavity defining the electrical interface portion is at a second end of the longitudinal axis opposite the first end.

8. A replaceable ink container for use in an off axis printing system, the printing system being responsive to electrical signals produced by the replaceable ink container for controlling printing system parameters, the replaceable ink container comprising:

a leading edge defined as that edge of the replaceable ink container first received by the printing system, the leading edge having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

an electrical interface portion having a plurality of electrical contacts for transferring the electrical signals between the replaceable ink container and the printing system, wherein the electrical interface portion is a cavity within the leading edge of the replaceable ink container, the cavity being bisected by the longitudinal axis and having an inner surface with the plurality of electrical contacts thereon such that the plurality of electrical contacts are configured for engaging a plurality of corresponding electrical printer contacts of the printing system; and

a fluid outlet on the leading edge such that the longitudinal axis bisects the fluid outlet, wherein the fluid outlet is separated from the cavity defining the electrical interface portion, with the fluid outlet being in fluid communication with the replaceable ink container and configured for engaging a fluid inlet of the printing system.

9. The replaceable ink container of claim 8, and further including:

an information storage device electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contacts.

10. The replaceable ink container of claim 8 wherein the fluid outlet is configured to receive fluid inlet of the printing system along a fluid interconnect axis, and wherein interengagement of the electrical interface portion with the corresponding electrical printer contacts of the printing system is free from any forces acting on the replaceable ink container in a direction perpendicular to the fluid interconnect axis.

11. The replaceable ink container of claim 8 wherein the electrical interface portion is fixed to the replaceable ink container and the corresponding electrical printer contacts of the printing system float on the printing system.

12. The replaceable ink container of claim 8, and further including:

a latch feature, wherein the replaceable ink container has an unlatched position and a latched position, in the latched position the latch feature is in engagement with corresponding engagement features of the printing system, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts of the electrical interface portion engage the corresponding electrical printer contacts of the printing system, and wherein the fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet of the printing system.