Ink supply tank for a printer

• US 6,176,629 B1
• Filed: 01/24/1997
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Miyazawa, Yoshinori, Matsuzawa, Masanao
• Primary Examiner(s): EICKHOLT, EUGENE H
• Application Number:
  US08/787,722
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 400/124.1, 400/470, 400/471, 347/84, 347/85, 347/86, 347/89, 347/92, 347/93, 347/94, 101/327, 101/333
• US Class Current: 400/124.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• 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-supplied wire dot matrix printer head for actuating wires with ink attached to tip ends thereof into contact with a sheet of print paper to transfer ink to the sheet, thereby forming ink dots thereon. The ink-supplied wire dot matrix printer head includes a wire guide member having a wire guide hole for guiding the tip end of the wire, and an ink tank containing an ink absorbing body therein and having an ink supply port in which a portion of the wire guide member is inserted. The wire guide member has a capillary ink path communicating with a side of the wire and supplied with ink from the ink absorbing body.

Claims

1. A dot matrix printer comprising:

an ink-supply tank having a first wall and a second wall extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

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

a printing mechanism for applying ink from said ink absorbing member to effect dot matrix printing; and

an ink-supply outlet formed in said first wall of said ink-supply tank at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall, said ink-supply outlet engaging a portion of said ink absorbing member at least in the region of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet, the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the vicinity of the region thereof facing said ink-supply outlet being smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member other than in the region of the ink absorbing member in the vicinity of said ink-supply outlet.

2. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, said ink-supply outlet occupying substantially less than the entire area of said first wall.

3. The dot matrix printer of claim 2, said ink-supply outlet occupying only a minor portion of the entire area of said first wall.

4. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of a unitary piece of porous material.

5. The dot matrix printer of claim 4, wherein said unitary piece of porous material substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

6. The dot matrix printer of claim 4, wherein said unitary piece of porous material carries substantially all of the ink that said ink-supply tank was designed to hold.

7. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of at least two pieces of porous material, each of said pieces of porous material abutting another of said pieces of porous material along respective surfaces thereof for the transfer of ink therebetween.

8. The dot matrix printer of claim 7, wherein said ink absorbing member substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

9. The dot matrix printer of claim 7, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink that said ink-supply tank was designed to hold.

10. The dot matrix printer of claim 9, wherein said second wall of said ink-supply tank essentially defines one side of said ink-supply tank.

11. The dot matrix printer of claim 7, wherein at least two of said pieces of porous material are of different average pore size, the average pore size of the piece of porous material engaged by said ink-supply outlet being of the smallest of the average pore sizes of the pieces of porous material.

12. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, wherein said ink-supply tank includes a further wall facing said ink-supply outlet, said ink absorbing member carrying substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank being filled to the designed 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 inner wall surface.

13. The dot matrix printer of claim 12, wherein said further wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply outlet is a cover bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a comprehensive 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.

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 inner wall surface of said ink-supply tank.

15. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, and including ink impregnated in the absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles in the ink absorbing member.

16. The dot matrix printer of claim 1, wherein said ink-supply outlet is shaped and dimensioned to conduct ink from said ink absorbing member to the exterior of said ink tank.

17. The dot matrix printer of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of said ink supply outlet is free of porous material.

18. An ink-supply tank for a dot matrix printer, comprising:

an ink-supply tank having a first wall and a second wall extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

an ink absorbing member mounted within said ink-supply tank; and

an ink-supply outlet formed in said first wall of said ink-supply tank at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall, said ink-supply outlet engaging a portion of said ink absorbing member at least in the region of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet, the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the region in the vicinity thereof facing said ink-supply outlet being smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the region of said ink-absorbing member other than in the vicinity of said ink-supply outlet.

19. The ink-supply tank of claim 18, said ink-supply outlet occupying substantially less than the entire area of said first wall.

20. The ink-supply tank of claim 19, said ink-supply outlet occupying only a minor portion of the entire area of said first wall.

21. The ink-supply tank of claim 18, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of a unitary piece of porous material.

22. The ink-supply tank of claim 21, wherein said unitary piece of porous material substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

23. The ink-supply tank of claim 21, wherein said unitary piece of porous material carries substantially all of the ink that said ink-supply tank was designed to hold.

24. The ink-supply tank of claim 18, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of at least two pieces of porous material, each of said pieces of porous material abutting another of said pieces of porous material along respective surfaces thereof for the transfer of ink therebetween.

25. The ink-supply tank of claim 24, wherein said ink absorbing member substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

26. The ink-supply tank of claim 24, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink that said ink supply tank was designed to hold.

27. The ink-supply tank of claim 26, wherein said second wall of said ink-supply tank essentially defines one side of said ink-supply tank.

28. The ink-supply tank of claim 24, wherein at least two of said pieces of porous material are of different average pore size, the average pore size of the piece of porous material engaged by said ink-supply outlet being of the smallest of the average pore sizes of the pieces of porous material.

29. The ink-supply tank of claim 18, wherein said ink-supply tank includes a further wall facing said ink-supply outlet, said ink absorbing member carrying substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank being filled to the designed 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.

30. The ink-supply tank of claim 29, wherein said further wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply outlet is a cover 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.

31. The ink-supply tank of claim 30, and including ink impregnated in the ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles in the ink absorbing member.

32. The ink-supply tank of claim 18, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and the inner wall surface of said ink-supply tank.

33. The ink-supply tank of claim 18, wherein said ink-supply outlet is shaped and dimensioned to conduct ink from said ink absorbing member to the exterior of said ink tank.

34. The ink-supply tank of claim 33, wherein at least a portion of said ink supply outlet is free of porous material.

35. A method for supplying ink for a dot matrix printer comprising:

providing an ink absorbing member mounted within an ink-supply tank;

providing an ink-supply outlet formed in a first wall of said ink-supply tank, said ink supply outlet engaging said ink absorbing member to permit ink to flow to the exterior of said ink-supply tank for delivery to a dot matrix printer, said ink absorbing member having a mean pore size in the region in the vicinity of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet which is smaller than the mean pore size other than in the region in the vicinity of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet;

providing a second wall in said ink-supply tank extending substantially in the same direction as the axis of said ink-supply outlet, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

disposing said ink-supply outlet in said first wall at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall; and

withdrawing said ink from said ink-supply tank through said ink-supply outlet for delivery to a dot matrix printer.

36. An ink supply system for a dot matrix printer haing a printing mechanism comprising:

an ink-supply tank having a first wall and a second wall extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

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

an ink-supply outlet formed in said first wall of said ink-supply tank at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall to permit ink to flow from said ink-supply tank toward said printing mechanism, said ink-supply outlet engaging a portion of said ink absorbing member at least in the region of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet;

the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the region in the vicinity thereof facing said ink-supply outlet being smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member other than in the region of said ink absorbing member in the vicinity of said ink-supply outlet.

37. A dot matrix printer comprising:

an ink-supply tank having a first wall and a second wall extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

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

a printing mechanism for applying ink from said ink absorbing member to effect dot matrix printing, said ink-supply tank being formed with an ink-supply outlet positioned to receive ink from said ink absorbing member and constructed to transmit ink through said first wall for delivery to said printing mechanism, said ink-supply outlet being positioned on said first wall at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall, the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the region in the vicinity thereof facing said ink-supply outlet being smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the region of said ink absorbing member other than in the vicinity of said ink-supply outlet.

38. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, said ink supply outlet occupying substantially less than the entire area of said first wall.

39. The dot matrix printer of claim 38, said ink supply outlet occupying only a minor portion of the entire area of said first wall.

40. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, wherein at least the portion of said ink supply outlet adjacent said ink absorbing member is essentially free of said porous material.

41. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of a unitary piece of porous material.

42. The dot matrix printer of claim 41, wherein said unitary piece of porous material substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

43. The dot matrix printer of claim 41, wherein said unitary piece of porous material carries substantially all of the ink that said ink-supply tank was designed to hold.

44. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of at least two pieces of porous material, each of said pieces of porous material abutting another of said pieces of porous material along respective surfaces thereof for the transfer of ink therebetween.

45. The dot matrix printer of claim 44, wherein said ink absorbing member substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

46. The dot matrix printer of claim 44, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink that said ink-supply tank was designed to hold.

47. The dot matrix printer of claim 46, wherein said second wall of said ink-supply tank essentially defines one side of said ink-supply tank.

48. The dot matrix printer of claim 44, wherein at least two of said pieces of porous material are of different average pore size, the average pore size of the piece of porous material closest to said ink supply outlet being of the smallest of the average pore sizes of the pieces of porous material.

49. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, wherein said ink-supply tank includes a further wall facing said ink supply outlet, said ink absorbing member carrying substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank being filled to the designed 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 inner wall surface.

50. The dot matrix printer of claim 49, wherein said further wall of said ink-supply tank facing said ink-supply outlet is a cover bearing on said ink absorbing member when assembled to said ink-supply tank to at least in part apply a comprehensive 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.

51. The dot matrix printer of claim 49, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and said inner wall surface of said ink-supply tank.

52. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, and including ink impregnated in the ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles in the ink absorbing member.

53. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, wherein said ink-supply outlet is shaped and dimensioned to conduct ink from said ink absorbing member to the exterior of said ink tank.

54. The dot matrix printer of claim 37, wherein at least a portion of said ink supply outlet is free of porous material.

55. An ink-supply tank for a dot matrix printer, comprising:

an ink-supply tank having a first wall and a second wall extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

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

said ink-supply tank being formed with an ink-supply outlet positioned to receive ink from said ink absorbing member and constructed to transmit ink from said ink supply tank through said first wall for delivery to the dot matrix printer, said ink-supply outlet being positioned at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall, the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the vicinity of the region thereof facing said ink-supply outlet being smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the region of said ink absorbing member other than in the vicinity of said ink-supply outlet.

56. The ink-supply tank of claim 55, wherein at least the portion of said ink supply outlet adjacent said ink absorbing material is free of ink absorbing material.

57. The ink-supply tank of claim 56, wherein said ink supply outlet occupies substantially less than the entire area of said first wall.

58. The ink-supply tank of claim 57, said ink supply outlet occupying only a minor portion of the entire area of said first wall.

59. The ink-supply tank of claim 56, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of a unitary piece of porous material.

60. The ink-supply tank of claim 59, wherein said unitary piece of porous material substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

61. The ink-supply tank of claim 59, wherein said unitary piece of porous material carries substantially all of the ink that said ink-supply tank was designed to hold.

62. The ink-supply tank of claim 55, wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of at least two pieces of porous material, each of said pieces of porous material abutting another of said pieces of porous material along respective surfaces thereof for the transfer of ink therebetween.

63. The ink-supply tank of claim 62, wherein said ink absorbing member substantially fills the ink-supply tank.

64. The ink-supply tank of claim 62, wherein said ink absorbing member carries substantially all of the ink that said ink supply tank was designed to hold.

65. The ink-supply tank of claim 64, wherein said second wall of said ink-supply tank essentially defines one side of said ink-supply tank.

66. The ink-supply tank of claim 62, wherein at least two of said pieces of porous material are of different average pore size, the average pore size of the piece of porous material engaged by said ink-supply outlet being of the smallest of the average pore sizes of the pieces of porous material.

67. The ink-supply tank of claim 55, wherein said ink-supply tank includes a further wall facing said ink-supply outlet, said ink absorbing member carrying substantially all of the ink in said ink-supply tank when said ink-supply tank being filled to the designed 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.

68. The ink-supply tank of claim 67, wherein said further wall of said ink-supply tank facing said elongated member is a cover 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.

69. The ink-supply tank of claim 67, and including ink impregnated in the ink absorbing member under a pressure sufficiently low to substantially eliminate air bubbles in the ink absorbing member.

70. The ink-supply tank of claim 67, and including means for providing ambient air to the space between said ink absorbing member and the inner wall surface of said ink-supply tank.

71. The ink-supply tank of claim 55 wherein said ink-supply outlet is shaped and dimensioned to conduct ink from said ink absorbing member to the exterior of said ink tank.

72. The ink-supply tank of claim 55, wherein an ink supply port is formed within said ink-supply outlet, said ink-supply port defining at least said ink supply outlet, a portion of said ink supply outlet being free of porous material.

73. A method for supplying ink for a dot matrix printer comprising:

providing an ink supply tank formed with a first wall and a second wall extending substantially in a perpendicular direction to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

providing an ink absorbing member mounted within said ink-supply tank;

providing an ink-supply outlet in said first wall of said ink-supply tank positioned to receive ink from said ink absorbing member for delivery to a dot matrix printer and further positioned between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall, said ink absorbing member having a mean pore size in the vicinity of the region of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet which is smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member other than in the vicinity of the region of said ink-absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet; and

withdrawing said ink from said ink-supply tank through said ink-supply outlet for delivery to said dot matrix printer.

74. An ink supply system for a dot matrix printer having a printing mechanism comprising:

an ink-supply tank having a first wall and a second wall extending substantially in a perpendicular direction to said first wall, said first wall having a length as viewed in a direction therealong extending from said second wall;

an ink absorbing member mounted within said ink-supply tank; and

said ink-supply tank being formed with an ink-supply outlet positioned to receive ink from said ink absorbing member and constructed to transmit ink through said first wall for delivery to said printing mechanism, said ink-supply outlet being formed in said first wall of said ink-supply tank at a position between the midpoint of said length of said first wall and said second wall, the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member in the vicinity of the region thereof facing said ink-supply outlet being smaller than the mean pore size of said ink absorbing member other than in the vicinity of the region of said ink absorbing member facing said ink-supply outlet.