Ink-jet printing apparatus and ink cartridge therefor

• US 7,669,969 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Makoto, Akahane, Fujio, Usui, Minoru, Kobayashi, Takao, Shinada, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Anh T. N.
• Application Number:
  US11/761,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 347/49, 347/50, 347/58, 347/86
• US Class Current: 347/50
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• 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 2/1753 Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17559 Cartridge manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/304 Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/44 Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 2 or 12 of the Periodic Table; Zincates; Cadmates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/44 containing nitrogen and phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 15/667 containing phosphorus in the main chain inorganic polyphosphates D06M11/72

Abstract

An ink jet type printing apparatus in which an ink supply needle is located near one side in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocated directions of a carriage, a circuit board is mounted on a wall of an ink cartridge in the vicinity of the side on which an ink supply port is formed and plural contacts for connecting to external control means are formed on the exposed surface of the circuit board.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge mountable in a receptacle of a printing apparatus to supply ink to a print head of the printing apparatus through an ink supply needle, the ink cartridge comprising:

an ink chamber including a plurality of projections;

an ink supply port, formed on a wall of said ink chamber, the ink supply port being configured to receive the ink supply needle; and

a circuit board, provided at said ink chamber, and having a plurality of contacts for electrical connection to an external controller, said circuit board including a concave portion and a through hole;

wherein the projections respectively engage said concave portion and said through hole of said circuit board.

2. An ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle of the printing apparatus moves during a printing operation.

3. An ink cartridge mountable in a receptacle of a printing apparatus to supply ink to a print head of the printing apparatus through an ink supply needle, the ink cartridge comprising:

an ink chamber including a plurality of projections;

an ink supply port, formed on a wall of said ink chamber, the ink supply port being configured to receive the ink supply needle; and

a circuit board, provided at said ink chamber, and having a plurality of contacts for electrical connection to an external controller, said circuit board including at least one of a concave portion and a through hole;

wherein at least one said projection engages at least a portion of said at least one of said concave portion and said through hole, and said circuit board is joined to said ink chamber by hot riveting.

4. An ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the receptacle of the printing apparatus moves during a printing operation.