Ink cartridge for ink-jet printing apparatus

• US 6,908,184 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Usui, Minoru, Seino, Takeo, Naka, Takahiro, Toba, Koichi, Shinada, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/465,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 347/7, 347/19, 347/49, 347/50, 347 85- 87
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves

Abstract

An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing apparatus having a printhead which ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium and an ink supply needle introducing ink to the printhead, the ink cartridge having a substantially rectangular housing containing ink therein, the housing having a first outer wall and a second outer wall which is substantially perpendicular to the first outer wall; an ink supply port formed in the first wall for directing ink in the housing to the printhead; a valve mechanism arranged in the ink supply port including a valve seat allowing the ink supply needle to pass therethrough; a valve body movable along the axis of the ink supply port; and an elastic member biasing the valve body against the valve seat, and a memory device for storing information relating to ink mounted on the second wall of the housing and substantially in parallel therewith, the memory device being formed in the vicinity of the ink supply port, which wall directing in parallel with a direction along which the ink supply needle is inserted into the valve seat.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge for detachable mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus having a printhead and an ink supply needle connecting to the printhead, the ink cartridge comprising:

a housing defining an ink chamber containing ink therein;

an ink supply port formed in a wall of said housing for communicating said ink chamber with the printhead through the ink supply needle inserted along a direction into the ink supply port;

a porous member disposed in at least a portion of the ink chamber;

a reseal structure that prevents outward flow of ink through the ink supply port when the needle is not present, at least a part of which is disposed in a region of said ink supply port, and

a memory device mounted on a wall of said housing for storing information relating to the ink contained in said ink chamber.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein said porous member is housed in said ink chamber at least in part in the vicinity of said reseal structure.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 further comprising a filter provided upstream of said reseal structure and downstream of said porous member.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein said ink chamber communicates with ambient air through a capillary action formed in a surface of the cartridge body.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein said reseal structure comprising:

a valve seat allowing the ink supply needle to pass therethrough;

a valve body movable along the axis of said ink supply opening; and

an elastic member biasing said valve body against said valve seat.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said memory device comprises a substrate, a plurality of electrode terminals arranged on one surface of said substrate, and a storage device disposed on said substrate.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein a top wall covering an upper opening of said ink chamber is formed with an air hole which communicates with ambient air through fine grooves formed in the surface of said top wall.

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein said reseal structure opens and closes said ink supply port in conjunction with the ink supply needle.

9. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said memory device comprises a substrate, a plurality of electrode terminals arranged on one surface of said substrate, and a storage device disposed on said substrate.

10. The ink cartridge according to claim 9 wherein the length of a selected one of said plurality of electrode terminal along the direction of insertion of the ink supply needle into said valve seat is longer than the maximum length of entry of the ink supply needle into said ink supply port from said valve seat, subtracted by a length that the ink supply needle is pushed back by a resilient force of said elastic member as a reactive force thereof generated by urging said valve body.

11. The ink cartridge according to claim 9 wherein the length of a selected one of said plurality of electrode terminals along the direction of insertion of the ink supply needle into said valve seat is longer than the length that the ink supply needle slides into said housing while pushing said valve body against said elastic member.

12. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said wall of said ink chamber is formed with an air hole which communicates with ambient air through line grooves formed in the surface of said wall.

13. The ink cartridge according to claim 12 wherein the length of a selected one of said plurality of electrode terminals in a direction in which the ink supply needle comes into engagement with said ink supply opening is longer than the widthwise direction of said terminal.

14. An ink cartridge for detachable mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical packing in an ink supply port thereof for communicating an ink chamber with a printhead through an ink supply needle;

a valve body disposed at an upstream side of the cylindrical packing, and always urged by a spring to seal the cylindrical packing to prevent outward flow of ink;

a memory means storing information relating to the ink contained in the ink cartridge, disposed on a wall of the ink cartridge, which wall being in parallel with an insertion direction of the ink supply needle; and

a porous member housed in said ink chamber at least in the vicinity of said valve body.

15. The ink cartridge according to claim 14 further comprising a filter provided upstream of said valve body.

16. The ink cartridge according to claims 14 or 15, further comprising a cover plate for sealing an upper part of said ink chamber, said cover plate being formed with an air hole which communicates with ambient air through fine grooves formed in the surface of the cover plate.

17. An ink cartridge for detachable mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical packing in an ink supply port thereof for communicating an ink chamber with a print head through an ink supply needle;

a valve body disposed at an upstream side of the cylindrical packing, and always urged by a spring to seal the cylindrical packing to prevent outward flow of ink;

a memory device storing information relating to the ink contained in the ink cartridge, disposed on a wall of the ink cartridge, which wall being in parallel with an insertion direction of the ink supply needle; and

a porous member housed in said ink chamber at least in the vicinity of said valve body.

18. The ink cartridge according to claim 17, further comprising a filter provided upstream of said valve body.

19. The ink cartridge according to claims 17 or 18, further comprising a cover plate for sealing an upper part of said ink chamber, said cover plate being formed with an air hole which communicates with ambient air through fine grooves formed in the surface of the cover plate.