Ink cartridge having porous insert for use in a mobile device

• US 7,360,880 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Anh T. N.
• Application Number:
  US11/124,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 347/19, 347/86, 347/87, 347/109, 347/42
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure

Abstract

An ink cartridge for use in a mobile device, the ink cartridge including: at least one ink reservoir for holding ink; at least one baffle dividing the at least one ink reservoir into a plurality of sections, each of the sections in each ink reservoir being in fluid communication with each of the other sections in that ink reservoir via an aperture; and at least one porous insert in each of the at least one reservoirs, such that substantially all of each ink reservoir is filled with the at least one porous insert.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge for use in a mobile device, the ink cartridge including:

at least one ink reservoir for holding ink;

at least one baffle dividing the at least one ink reservoir into a plurality of sections, each of the sections in each ink reservoir being in fluid communication with each of the other sections in that ink reservoir via an aperture;

at least one porous insert in each of the at least one reservoirs, such that substantially all of each ink reservoir is filled with the at least one porous insert;

a pagewidth printhead for printing ink to a media substrate; and

,

an ink distribution arrangement mounting the pagewidth printhead to the at least one reservoir and configured for distributing ink from the porous insert to a plurality of points along the pagewidth printhead length.

2. An ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein each reservoir includes a single porous insert including at least one recessed portion, each recessed portion being configured to engage one of the baffles in the reservoir.

3. An ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein a surface of each porous insert around the recessed portion sealingly engages a surface of its corresponding baffle.

4. An ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the porous insert is an unitary construction.

5. An ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the porous insert is formed from open-celled foam.

6. An ink cartridge according to claim 2, further including a wick that extends along an edge of the at least one porous insert, the wick being configured to transport ink from the at least one porous insert to the ink distribution arrangement.

7. An ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the ink distribution arrangement includes a plurality of ink ducts.

8. An ink cartridge according to claim 1, configured such that ink within the at least one reservoir is held at a negative pressure with respect to ambient air pressure.

9. An ink cartridge according to claim 1, further including a plurality of the ink reservoirs, the ink reservoirs containing relatively different colored inks.

10. An ink cartridge according to claim 1, comprising:

a print media feed path for directing a print medium past the printhead in a feed direction during printing; and

a drive mechanism for driving the print medium past the inkjet printhead for printing.

11. A cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the drive mechanism is a passive mechanism, including a media roller for engaging the print medium to drive the print medium past the inkjet printhead.

12. A cartridge according to claim 11, further including a drive roller configured to be driven by a complementary drive mechanism in the mobile device when the cartridge is installed therein.

13. A cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the media roller is coaxial with the drive roller.

14. A cartridge according to claim 13, wherein the media roller is positioned in the print media path upstream of the printhead.

15. A cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the cartridge is configured such that, in use, the media roller drives the print medium such that a trailing edge of the print medium passes the printhead after having disengaged from the media roller.

16. A cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the drive roller is a cog.

17. A cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the drive roller includes a resilient peripheral edge.

18. A cartridge according to claim 1, comprising a capping mechanism for capping the printhead when it is not in use.

19. A cartridge according to claim 18, wherein the capping mechanism includes a capper moveable between:

a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead; and

an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print medium, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead;

wherein the capper is moved between the capped and uncapped position by an edge of the print medium as the print medium is driven through the print media path.

20. A cartridge according to claim 1, comprising a sensor for sensing coded data on the print medium as the print medium is being printed.