Fluid storage container

• US 8,251,500 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yamada, Manabu, Komaki, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Anh T. N.
• Application Number:
  US12/617,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100123756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 347/21, 347/36, 347/86, 347/92
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17533 Storage or packaging of ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/185 Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems

Abstract

A fluid storage container enables the easy removal of recovered fluid and reuse of the container without incurring the added costs of disassembly and replacing an absorbent material. In one exemplary embodiment, an ink cartridge 17 can have an ink storage unit 45 that stores waste ink, an ink inlet/outlet 55 disposed in a frame part 52 that can be the outside wall of the ink storage unit 45, an ink path 53 of which one end 53a communicates with the ink inlet/outlet 55 and the other end 53b is disposed opening into the ink storage unit, wall parts 54 that divide the ink storage unit 45 into an upper air chamber 61 and a lower fluid chamber 62 that communicate with each other through a communication path 58, and an outside air channel 87, of which one end 87a communicates with the air chamber 61 and the other end 87b enables communication with the outside at a position further from the air chamber 61 than the fluid chamber 62. Other embodiments of fluid storage containers are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A fluid storage container comprising:

a fluid storage unit configured to hold fluid;

a fluid opening for disposing fluid in the fluid storage unit or discharging fluid from the fluid storage unit;

a fluid path having a first end that communicates with the fluid inlet/outlet opening and a second end that extends to and opens into the fluid storage unit;

a wall unit that divides the fluid storage unit into a first chamber and a second chamber, the first and second chambers communicating with each other by way of a communication path; and

an outside air channel having a first end adjacent to the first chamber and that communicates with the first chamber and a second end that enables communication with an outside environment, the second end being at a position that is further from the first chamber than the second chamber.

2. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, wherein the first chamber is divided into a plurality of mutually communicating buffer chambers, and a space on a side of the communication path and the outside air channel communicate through the buffer chambers.

3. The fluid storage container described in claim 2, wherein air passage units with which the buffer chambers communicate are disposed in a zigzag pattern.

4. The fluid storage container described in claim 2, wherein a first buffer chamber of the plurality of buffer chambers with which the communication path communicates is rendered so that a cross sectional area connecting corners of walls of the first buffer chamber forming the communication path is greater than or equal to 63 square millimeters.

5. The fluid storage container described in claim 2, wherein a first buffer chamber of the plurality of buffer chambers with which the communication path communicates is larger than the other buffer chambers.

6. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, wherein the second chamber is larger than the first chamber, and the fluid path slopes gradually downward from the first end of the fluid path to the second end of the fluid path and to the second chamber.

7. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, wherein the fluid path is formed in the wall unit.

8. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, further comprising:

an elastic deformable member disposed in the second chamber and configured to increase a capacity of the second chamber by deforming elastically when internal pressure within the second chamber rises.

9. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, wherein formation parts configured to form the fluid path are configured so that a second chamber side of the second end of the fluid path is shorter than a first chamber side of the first end of the fluid path.

10. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, wherein the outside air channel is formed substantially surrounding the first chamber and the second chamber.

11. The fluid storage container described in claim 1, wherein the outside air channel is disposed along a periphery of the fluid storage container.

12. A fluid storage container comprising:

a housing having a first chamber and a second chamber formed therein;

a communication path disposed between the first and second chambers and configured for communication therebetween;

a fluid path disposed between the first and second chambers, the fluid path being configured to receive fluid into the housing and remove fluid from the housing; and

an exit path disposed between the first chamber and an outside environment;

wherein the first and second chambers and the communication path, the fluid path, and the exit paths are configured such that when fluid is received into the housing, the fluid flows into the fluid path and into the second chamber, and air located in the housing is pushed by the fluid, into the communication path, into the first chamber, and out of the housing by way of the exit path.

13. The fluid storage container of claim 12, wherein an internal pressure of the container does not rise, even when fluid flows into the fluid path.

14. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, wherein the fluid path is formed on a top side of a vertical center of the housing.

15. The fluid storage container of claim 12, wherein:

the fluid path has a first end that extends through the housing and to the outside environment and a second end that extends into the housing and to at least one of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the communication path; and

the exit path has a first end configured to communicate with the first chamber and a second end configured to communicate with the outside environment, wherein the second end is more proximal to the second chamber than the first chamber.

16. The fluid storage container described in claim 15, wherein the ink path is configured to slope gradually downward from the first end of the fluid path to the second end of the fluid path.

17. The fluid storage container described in claim 15, further comprising:

a valve located at the first end of the fluid path and configured to control a flow of fluid between the fluid path and the outside environment.

18. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of buffer chambers formed in the first chamber, wherein the buffer chambers are configured to communicate between the communication path and the exit path.

19. The fluid storage container described in claim 18, wherein the plurality of buffers are at a position separated from the communication path.

20. The fluid storage container described in claim 18, wherein a first buffer chamber of the plurality of buffer chambers with which the communication path communicates is rendered so that a cross sectional area connecting corners of walls of the first buffer chamber forming the communication path is greater than or equal to 63 square millimeters.

21. The fluid storage container described in claim 18, wherein a first buffer chamber of the plurality of buffer chambers with which the communication path communicates is larger than the other buffer chambers.

22. The fluid storage container described in claim 18, wherein the plurality of buffer chambers further comprise a plurality of dividers formed substantially parallel with the communication path.

23. The fluid storage container described in claim 22, further comprising:

a plurality of holes formed in the plurality of dividers to assist in communication between the communication path and the exit path, wherein the plurality of holes are formed in the plurality of dividers in a zigzag pattern.

24. The fluid storage container described in claim 22, further comprising:

a plurality of air channels formed in the housing and configured to communicate with one or more buffer chambers.

25. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, wherein the exit path is formed near a periphery of the housing.

26. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, further comprising:

at least one fluid collection chamber formed in the exit path on a side of the housing that is opposite from a side in which fluid enters the fluid path from the outside environment.

27. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, further comprising:

a first wall and a second wall that form the fluid path, wherein the first wall is more proximal to the second chamber than the first chamber and a length of the first wall is shorter than a length of the second wall.

28. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of ribs formed in the second chamber, substantially horizontal to the communication path, each of the plurality of ribs being approximately parallel to each other.

29. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, further comprising:

a film disposed in the housing and configured to form a wall of at least one of the first chamber, the second chamber, the communication path, and the fluid path.

30. The fluid storage container described in claim 12, further comprising:

an elastic deformable member disposed in the second chamber and configured to increase a capacity of the second chamber by deforming elastically when internal pressure within the second chamber rises.