Replaceable ink container adapted to form reliable fluid, air and electrical connection to a printing system

• US 6,588,880 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2000
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pawlowski, Norman E. Jr., Gasvoda, Eric L., Hmelar, Susan M., Merrill, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Judy
• Application Number:
  US09/481,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 347/50, 347/86, 347/85, 347/49, 347/87, 439/248, 439/247
• US Class Current: 347/50
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge

Abstract

The present invention is a replaceable ink container for providing ink to an off-axis printing system. The printing system responsive to electrical signals from the replaceable ink container for controlling printer parameters. The ink container has a leading edge and a trailing edge relative to a direction of insertion of the ink container into the printing system. The replaceable ink container includes a fluid outlet disposed toward the leading edge. The fluid outlet is configured for fluid connection to a hollow needle associated with the printing system. The hollow needle extends in a direction opposite the insertion direction. Included in the ink container is a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the ink container. The plurality of electrical contacts are configured for engagement with complementary electrical contacts associated with the printing system. Also included in the ink container is a guide member extending from the ink container along the insertion direction. The guide member is configured for engaging a tapered guide member receiving slot associated with the printing system. This engaging repositions the complementary electrical contacts relative to the hollow needle to ensure proper alignment of complementary electrical contacts with the plurality of electrical contacts during insertion of the ink container into the printing system.

Claims

1. A replaceable ink container for providing ink to a printing system that is configured with a receiving mechanical feature and a resilient electrical interconnect, the replaceable ink container comprising:

an electrical contact configured for removable coupling to the electrical interconnect of the printing system; and

a mechanical feature having a protruding alignment guide member located in close proximity to the electrical contact and being removeably coupled to the resilient electrical interconnect for urging and repositioning the resilient electrical interconnect into proper electrical coupling with the electrical contact when engaged with the receiving mechanical feature of the printing system.

2. The replaceable ink container of claim 1 wherein the mechanical feature of the ink container comprises a fluid outlet that fluidically engages to a fluid inlet of the printing system to allow the ink to be delivered to the printing system.

3. The replaceable ink container of claim 2 wherein the fluid inlet is securely aligned with the fluid outlet during engagement with the fluid outlet and wherein the engagement also provides a degree of alignment for the electrical interconnect.

4. The replaceable ink container of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the alignment of the electrical interconnect with the electrical contact occurs separately from alignment of the fluid outlet with the fluid inlet to allow independent repositioning of the electrical contact to the electrical interconnect and the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet.

5. The replaceable ink container of claim 2 wherein the electrical contact is appropriately located from the fluid outlet so that extraneous ink at the fluid inlet is prevented from contaminating the electrical interconnect.

6. The replaceable ink container of claim 2 further comprising an air inlet that securely couples to a complementary air outlet of the printing system to pressurize the replaceable ink container for increasing fluid flow rates through the fluid outlet.

7. A method for securely coupling a replaceable ink container to a printing system for providing ink to the printing system, the method comprising:

inserting the ink container within a receiving slot of the printing system for coupling an electrical contact of the ink container with a complementary electrical interconnect of the printing system;

using a mechanical feature of the ink container to reposition the complementary electrical interconnect of the printing system into proper alignment with the electrical contact during insertion of the ink container; and

repositioning a fluid inlet of the printing system into proper alignment with a fluid outlet of the ink container during insertion of the ink container, wherein repositioning the fluid inlet has the effect of at least partially aligning the complementary electrical interconnect relative to the electrical contact.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising at least partially independently repositioning the electrical contact to the electrical interconnect and the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet so that at least part of the alignment of the complementary electrical interconnect with the electrical contact occurs separately from alignment of the fluid outlet with the fluid inlet to allow a more accurate positioning of the electrical contact relative to the electrical interconnect.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising preventing extraneous ink at the fluid inlet from contaminating the electrical interconnect by appropriately locating the electrical contact from the fluid outlet.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising pressurizing the replaceable ink container for increasing fluid flow rates through the fluid outlet.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein pressurizing the ink container is accomplished by coupling an air inlet of the ink container to a complementary air outlet of the printing system.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein inserting the ink container within the receiving slot of the printing system includes:

initial insertion for engaging the fluid outlet with the fluid inlet and for providing initial alignment of the electrical contact with the electrical complementary interconnect; and

secondary insertion for engaging the electrical contact with the complementary electrical interconnect by repositioning the complementary electrical interconnect independent from the initial insertion to provide final alignment of the electrical contact with the complementary electrical interconnect.

13. An inkjet printing system, comprising:

an ink supply;

a resilient electrical interconnect; and

a replaceable ink container removeably coupled within a receiving slot of the printing system that receives ink from the ink supply and provides the ink to the printing system and including an alignment apparatus coupled within a receiving slot and an electrical contact located in close proximity to the alignment apparatus and being removeably coupled to the resilient electrical interconnect causing the resilient electrical interconnect to be urged and repositioned into proper alignment with the electrical contact during coupling of the alignment apparatus within the receiving slot.

14. The replaceable ink container of claim 13 wherein the alignment apparatus comprises a fluid outlet fluidically engageable to a resilient fluid inlet of the printing system to allow the ink to be provided to the printing system and wherein the fluid outlet repositions the resilient fluid inlet into proper alignment with the fluid outlet during engagement of the fluid outlet.

15. The replaceable ink container of claim 14 wherein alignment of the resilient electrical interconnect with the electrical contact occurs separately from alignment of the fluid outlet with the resilient fluid inlet to allow independent repositioning of the electrical contact to the resilient electrical interconnect and the fluid outlet to the resilient fluid inlet.

16. The replaceable ink container of claim 14 wherein the electrical contact is appropriately located from the fluid outlet so that extraneous ink at the resilient fluid inlet is prevented from contaminating the complementary electrical interconnect.

17. The replaceable ink container of claim 14 further comprising an air inlet removeably coupled to an air outlet of the printing system to pressurize the replaceable ink container for increasing fluid flow rates through the fluid outlet.

18. The replaceable ink container of claim 13 wherein the alignment apparatus comprises a guide member configured to be removeably coupled within the receiving slot of the printing system.

19. A replaceable ink supply for providing ink to an inkjet printing system, the printing system including a receiving slot for receiving the ink container and having a floating portion for interconnecting with the ink container, the floating portion supporting an electrical connector, the floating portion having a degree of movement, the ink supply comprising:

an ink supply housing having a leading portion for engaging the floating portion;

a plurality of electrical contacts disposed upon the leading portion for coupling to the electrical connector when the ink supply housing is installed into the receiving slot; and

a mechanical apparatus mounted to the leading portion and including a protruding alignment guide member located in close proximity to the electrical contacts and being removeably coupled to the resilient electrical interconnect and engaging with the floating portion for creating proper electrical coupling between the electrical contacts and the electrical connector by urging and repositioning the floating portion when the ink supply housing is installed into the receiving slot.

20. The replaceable ink supply of claim 19, wherein the floating portion supports a fluid inlet, the mechanical apparatus comprises an outwardly extending fluid outlet, the fluid outlet engages the fluid inlet to cause movement and alignment of the floating portion during installation of the ink supply into the receiving slot.

21. The replaceable ink supply of claim 20, wherein the protruding alignment guide member includes an upstanding member that causes the electrical connector to move independently of the fluid inlet.

22. The replaceable ink supply of claim 19, wherein the protruding alignment guide member includes at least two features including a first feature and a second feature, the first feature initially aligns the floating portion relative to the ink supply, and the second feature completes alignment of the connector relative to the floating portion.

23. The replaceable ink supply of claim 19, wherein the mechanical apparatus aligns the floating portion along an axis perpendicular to a direction of installation of the ink container into the receiving slot.

24. The replaceable ink supply of claim 19, wherein the ink supply comprises an ink container having minor, intermediate, and major axes, aligned along the x, y, and z axes, respectively.

25. The replaceable ink supply of claim 24, wherein the protruding alignment guide member includes an upstanding member that aligns the electrical connector along the x-axis.

26. The replaceable ink supply of claim 24, wherein mechanical apparatus repositions the floating portion along the z-axis when the ink container is installed into the receiving slot.

27. The replaceable ink supply of claim 24, wherein the plurality of contacts is a row of flat contacts arranged along the x-axis.

28. The replaceable ink supply of claim 24 or 26, wherein leading portion includes a fluid outlet that is displaced away from the plurality of contacts along the y-axis.

29. The replaceable ink supply of claim 24, wherein the leading portion of the ink supply includes a fluid outlet and an air inlet to allow the ink supply to delivery pressurized ink at the fluid outlet.