Ink reservoirs

• US 6,969,165 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Olsen, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Anh T. N.
• Application Number:
  US10/373,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/86, 347/87, 428/315.2, 96/13, 222/524, 604/256, 521/50
• US Class Current: 347/87
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0031 by filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0088 Physical treatment with compounds, e.g. swelling, coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/02 characterised by their properties
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure

Abstract

An ink reservoir having a body and a cover disposed on the body is provided. A vent is disposed in the cover. The vent has a vent hole passing through the cover and an elongated vent path that communicatively couples the vent hole to an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir. An oleophobically treated, porous membrane is disposed over the vent hole for acting to repel ink therefrom and for allowing airflow through the porous membrane and the vent.

Claims

1. An ink reservoir comprising:

a body;

a cover disposed on the body;

a vent disposed in the cover, the vent comprising a vent hole passing through the cover and an elongated vent path that communicatively couples the vent hole to an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir, wherein the elongated vent path remains open to the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir; and

an oleophobically treated, porous membrane disposed over the vent hole for acting to repel ink therefrom and for allowing airflow through the porous membrane and the vent.

2. The ink reservoir of claim 1, wherein the porous membrane is adapted to repel ink having a surface tension of less than or equal to about 30 dynes/cm.

3. The ink reservoir of claim 1, further comprising a porous medium located within the body for containing ink and acting to prevent the ink from leaking through an outlet passing through the body.

4. The ink reservoir of claim 1, further comprising a seal disposed over an outlet port passing through the body.

5. The ink reservoir of claim 1, wherein the elongated vent path has a serpentine shape.

6. The ink reservoir of claim 1, wherein the elongated vent path comprises a groove disposed in an exterior surface of the cover covered by a seal.

7. The ink reservoir of claim 6, wherein the seal closes the vent hole opposite the porous membrane.

8. An ink reservoir comprising:

a body having an outlet port passing therethrough;

a cover disposed on the body;

a vent disposed in the cover, the vent comprising a vent hole passing through the cover and an elongated vent path that communicatively couples the vent hole to an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir, wherein the elongated vent path comprises a groove disposed in an exterior surface of the cover covered by a seal, wherein the seal closes the vent hole at the exterior surface, and wherein a portion of the groove remains open to the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir;

a porous medium located within the body for containing ink and acting to prevent the ink from leaking through the outlet port;

an oleophobically treated, porous membrane disposed over the vent hole opposite the seal for acting to repel the ink therefrom and for allowing airflow through the porous membrane and the vent.

9. The ink reservoir of claim 8, further comprising a seal disposed over the outlet port.

10. The ink reservoir of claim 8, wherein the elongated vent path has a serpentine shape.

11. An ink reservoir comprising:

means for directing air through a cover of the ink reservoir;

means disposed in the cover for directing air along the cover between an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir and the means for directing air through the cover, wherein the means disposed in the cover for directing air along the cover remains open to the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir; and

means having an oleophobic treatment and disposed within the ink reservoir and over the means for directing air through the cover for repelling ink contained in the reservoir and for allowing the air to flow between the ink reservoir and the atmosphere via the means for directing air through the cover and the means for directing the air along the cover.

12. The ink reservoir of claim 11, wherein the means for repelling ink contained in the reservoir and for allowing the air to flow between the ink reservoir and the atmosphere is an oleophobically treated, porous membrane.

13. The ink reservoir of claim 11, further comprising means for exerting a capillary force on the ink for preventing the ink from leaking through an outlet port of the ink reservoir.

14. The ink reservoir of claim 11, wherein the means for directing the air along the cover has a serpentine shape.

15. An ink cartridge comprising:

a print head;

an ink reservoir fluidly coupled to the print head, the ink reservoir having a vent comprising a vent hole passing through a cover of the ink reservoir and an elongated vent path that communicatively couples the vent hole to an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink cartridge, wherein the elongated vent path remains open to the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir;

a porous medium located within the ink reservoir for containing ink and acting to prevent the ink from leaking through orifices of the print head; and

an oleophobically treated, porous membrane disposed over the vent hole for acting to repel the ink therefrom and for allowing airflow through the porous membrane and the vent.

16. The ink cartridge of claim 15, wherein the porous membrane is adapted to repel ink having a surface tension of less than or equal to about 30 dynes/cm.

17. The ink cartridge of claim 15, further comprising a seal disposed over the orifices of the print head.

18. The ink cartridge of claim 15, wherein the elongated vent path has a serpentine shape.

19. The ink cartridge of claim 15, wherein the elongated vent path comprises a groove disposed in an exterior surface of the cover covered by a seal.

20. The ink cartridge of claim 19, wherein the seal closes the vent hole opposite the porous membrane.

21. An ink deposition system comprising:

a print head;

an ink reservoir fluidly coupled to the print head, the ink reservoir having a vent comprising a vent hole passing through a cover of the ink reservoir and an elongated vent path that communicatively couples the vent hole to an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir, wherein the elongated vent path remains open to the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir;

a porous medium located within the ink reservoir for containing ink and acting to prevent the ink from leaking through orifices of the print head; and

an oleophobically treated, porous membrane disposed over the vent hole for acting to repel the ink therefrom and for allowing airflow through the porous membrane and the vent.

22. The ink deposition system of claim 21, wherein the porous membrane is adapted to repel ink having a surface tension of less than or equal to about 30 dynes/cm.

23. The ink deposition system of claim 21, further comprising a seal disposed over the orifices of the print head.

24. The ink deposition system of claim 21, wherein the elongated vent path has a serpentine shape.

25. The ink deposition system of claim 21, wherein the elongated vent path comprises a groove disposed in an exterior surface of the cover covered by a seal.

26. The ink deposition system of claim 25, wherein the seal closes the vent hole opposite the porous membrane.

27. A method for venting an ink reservoir, the method comprising:

passing a vent hole through a cover of the ink reservoir;

disposing an elongated vent path in the cover between an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir and the vent hole for communicatively coupling the vent hole to the atmosphere;

covering a portion of the elongated vent path with a seal and leaving a remaining portion of the elongated vent path open to the atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir; and

disposing an oleophobically treated, porous membrane over the vent hole for repelling the ink from the porous membrane and for allowing airflow between an interior of the ink reservoir and the atmosphere via the porous membrane, the vent hole, and the elongated vent path.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein repelling the ink from the porous membrane comprises repelling an ink having a surface tension of less than or equal to about 30 dynes/cm.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein disposing an elongated vent path in the cover comprises disposing a serpentine elongated vent path in the cover.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein disposing an elongated vent path in the cover comprises forming a groove in an external surface of the cover.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising covering the vent hole with the seal opposite the porous membrane.

32. A method of dispensing ink, the method comprising:

supplying ink to a print head from an ink reservoir, having a vent comprising a vent hole passing through a cover of the ink reservoir and an elongated vent path, disposed in the cover, that communicatively couples the vent hole to an atmosphere surrounding an exterior of the ink reservoir, wherein the elongated vent path remains open to the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir;

expelling the ink from print head;

replacing the expelled ink in the ink reservoir with air, wherein the air flows from the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the ink reservoir through the elongated vent path, through the vent hole, through an oleophobically treated, porous membrane disposed over the vent hole, and into the ink reservoir, wherein the oleophobically treated, porous membrane is adapted to repel the ink therefrom.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising adding a surfactant to the ink for reducing a surface tension of the ink.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein adding the surfactant to the ink for reducing the surface tension of the ink reduces the surface tension to less than or equal to about 30 dynes/cm.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising exerting a capillary force on the ink using a porous medium disposed within the ink reservoir.