Dot matrix printer supply system having ink absorbing member filled under reduced pressure

• US 5,156,472 A
• Filed: 11/30/1990
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Miyazawa, Yoshinori, Matsuzawa, Masanao
• Primary Examiner(s): WIECKING, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/620,483
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 400/124 IW, 400/470, 400/471, 400/471.1, 346/140 R, 346/140 RD, 101/97-98, 101/333, 101/335, 101/364
• US Class Current: 400/124.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/255 Arrangement of the print ends of the wires
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/305 Ink supply apparatus ink ribbons, ink-ribbon mechanisms B41J31/00 - B41J35/00

Abstract

An ink-supply system for a dot matrix printer including an ink-supply tank having an ink-supply delivery port, an ink impregnated member formed of a porous material within the ink-supply tank, and ink impregnated in the ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member.

Claims

1. A dot matrix printer, comprising:

printing means for applying ink in a dot matrix to effect printing; and

an ink supply means for delivering ink to said printing means comprising;

an ink-supply tank;

an ink absorbing member formed of a porous material within said ink-supply tank;

ink impregnated in said ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member; and

means projecting into said ink-supply tank for receiving and transmitting ink from said ink absorbing member for delivery to said dot matrix printer head, whereby air bubbles which would adversely affect operation of the printer are substantially eliminated.

2. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink receiving and transmitting means is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member.

3. The dot matrix printer of claim 2, wherein the ink absorbing member is compressed at least on the region of the ink receiving and transmitting means.

4. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank is filled to the desired capacity of the ink-supply tank, said ink-supply tank including an inner wall surface having projections to provide a space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

5. The dot matrix printer of claim 4, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

6. The dot matrix printer of claim 5, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink receiving and transmitting means is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member, at least a portion of said projections extending from the inner wall surface of said cover means.

7. The dot matrix printer of claim 4, wherein said projections are formed in an inner wall surface of a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink receiving and transmitting means.

8. The dot matrix printer of claim 7, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

9. A dot matrix printer, comprising:

printing means for applying ink in a dot matrix to effect printing; and

an ink supply means for delivering ink to said printing means comprising;

an ink-supply tank having an ink-supply delivery port;

an ink absorbing member formed of a porous material within said ink-supply tank; and

ink impregnated in said ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member, whereby air bubbles which would adversely affect operation of the printer air substantially eliminated.

10. The dot matrix printer of claim 9, wherein the ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of the ink receiving and transmitting means.

11. The dot matrix printer of claim 9, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply delivery port is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member.

12. The dot matrix printer of claim 11, wherein said ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of said ink-supply delivery port.

13. The dot matrix printer of claim 9, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank is filled to the desired capacity of the ink-supply tank, said ink-supply tank including an inner wall surface having projections to provide a space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

14. The dot matrix printer of claim 13, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

15. The dot matrix printer of claim 14, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply delivery port is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member, at least a portion of said projections extending from the inner wall surface of said cover means.

16. The dot matrix printer of claim 13, wherein said projections are formed in an inner wall surface of a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply delivery port.

17. The dot matrix printer of claim 16, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

18. The dot matrix printer of claim 9, wherein said ink absorbing member comprises at least two separate porous members disposed as stacked layers, one of said porous members which is closer to said ink-supply port being made of a porous material having a smaller average pore size than the porous material of the other porous member more remote from said ink-supply port.

19. The dot matrix printer of claim 9, wherein the ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of the ink-supply delivery port.

20. An ink-supply system for a dot matrix printer head, comprising:

an ink-supply tank;

an ink absorbing member formed of a porous material within said ink-supply tank;

ink impregnated in said ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member; and

means projecting into said ink-supply tank for receiving and transmitting ink from said ink absorbing member for delivery to said dot matrix printer head, whereby air bubbles which would adversely affect operation of the printer are substantially eliminated.

21. The ink-supply system of claim 20, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink receiving and transmitting means is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member.

22. The ink-supply system of claim 21, wherein the ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of the ink receiving and transmitting means.

23. The ink-supply system of claim 20, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank is filled to the desired capacity of the ink-supply tank, said ink-supply tank including an inner wall surface having projections to provide a space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

24. The ink-supply system of claim 23, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

25. The ink-supply system of claim 24, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink receiving and transmitting means is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member, at least a portion of said projections extending from the inner wall surface of said cover means.

26. The ink-supply system of claim 23, wherein said projections are formed in an inner wall surface of a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink receiving and transmitting means.

27. The ink-supply system of claim 26, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

28. The ink-supply system of claim 20, wherein the ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of the ink receiving and transmitting means.

29. An ink-supply system for a dot matrix printer head, comprising:

an ink-supply tank having an ink-supply delivery port;

an ink absorbing member formed of a porous material within said ink-supply tank; and

ink impregnated in said ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member, wherein air bubbles which would adversely affect operation of the printer are substantially eliminated.

30. The ink-supply system of claim 29, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply delivery port is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member.

31. The ink-supply system of claim 30, wherein said ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of said ink-supply delivery port.

32. The ink-supply system of claim 29, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank is filled to the desired capacity of the ink-supply tank, said ink-supply tank including an inner wall surface having projections to provide a space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

33. The ink-supply system of claim 32, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

34. The ink-supply system of claim 33, wherein a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply delivery port is a cover means bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a compressive force to effect compression of said ink absorbing member, at least a portion of said projections extending from the inner wall surface of said cover means.

35. The ink-supply system of claim 32, wherein said projections are formed in an inner wall surface of a wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply delivery port.

36. The ink-supply system of claim 35, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said wall surface.

37. The ink-supply system of claim 29, wherein the ink absorbing member is compressed at least in the region of the ink-supply delivery port.

38. The method of applying ink to a dot matrix printer, comprising:

storing ink in a ink-supply tank having an ink-supply delivery port;

providing an ink absorbing member formed of a porous material in said ink-supply tank so that substantially the desired capacity of ink for said ink-supply tank is carried by the ink absorbing member; and

impregnating ink in said ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member, whereby air bubbles which would adversely affect operation of the printer are substantially eliminated.

39. The method of applying ink to a dot matrix printer, comprising:

storing ink in an ink-supply tank;

providing an ink absorbing member formed of a porous material in said ink-supply tank so that substantially the desired capacity of ink for said ink-supply tank is carried by the ink absorbing member;

providing means projecting into the ink-supply tank for receiving and transmitting ink from the ink absorbing member for delivery to the printing means; and

impregnating ink in said ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles within the ink impregnated member, whereby air bubbles which would adversely affect operation of the printer are substantially eliminated.