Refillable ink cartridge with inbuilt printhead

• US 7,891,791 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; An H
• Application Number:
  US12/500,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20090268001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 347 84- 87
• US Class Current: 347/87
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17506 Refilling of the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/58 Baseboards, masking frames, or other holders for the sensitive material G03B27/53 takes precedence ; for electrophotographic copiers G03G15/65
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/40 Double plate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0018 of images captured using a loaned, rented or limited-use still digital camera, e.g. recyclable or disposable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A refillable ink cartridge that has a pagewidth printhead supported on a moulding assembly that defines the ink reservoirs. The printhead has a series of holes etched on a back surface thereof for the supply of ink to a front surface of the printhead for ejection. The moulding assembly has an elongate top moulding piece and an elongate bottom moulding piece that together define a plurality of elongate ink reservoirs. The bottom moulding piece having apertures for supplying ink to the series of holes on the back surface of the pagewidth printhead. Each of the ink reservoirs are in fluid communication with at least one of the apertures but each of the apertures are in fluid communication with only one of the ink reservoirs. Each of the ink reservoirs are in fluid communication with a respective refill port and corresponding air vent.

Claims

1. A refillable ink cartridge comprising:

a pagewidth printhead having a series of holes etched on a back surface thereof for the supply of ink to a front surface of the printhead for ejection;

an elongate top moulding piece; and

an elongate bottom moulding piece configured to operatively receive the top moulding piece to define a plurality of elongate ink reservoirs, said bottom moulding piece having apertures for supplying ink to the series of holes on the back surface of the pagewidth printhead, each of the ink reservoirs are in fluid communication with at least one of the apertures but each of the apertures are in fluid communication with only one of the ink reservoirs;

wherein,

each of the ink reservoirs is in fluid communication with a respective refill port and corresponding air vent.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the ink reservoirs each include an elongate sponge to stabilize ink in that respective reservoir.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a series of air inlets are provided at a first end of the bottom moulding piece, each air inlet leading to a corresponding winding channel which is hydrophobically treated so as to act as an ink repellent and therefore repel any ink that may flow along the air inlet channel.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein each air inlet channel takes a convoluted path to assist in resisting any ink flow out of the ink reservoirs.

5. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein an adhesive tape portion seals the series of air inlets at the first end of the bottom moulding piece.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the refill ports are provided in the top moulding piece and, the cartridge further comprises plugs for sealing the refill ports.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the bottom moulding piece has guide walls to fluidically seal the apertures from each other and separate the ink reservoirs, said guide walls being tapered into an end portion abutting the back surface of the printhead, The bottom moulding having block portions to mechanically support the guide walls at regular intervals along a length of the pagewidth printhead.