International United Technology Company, Ltd.

Industrial Technology Research Institute

International United Technology

Cheng-Wei Hsu

I-Chung Hou

Shyh-Haur Su

Chieh-Wen Wang

Yuan-Liang Lan

Bo-Hsiang Wang

Shu-Cheng Hsieh

Charles C Chang

Chin-Tai Chen

Chi-Chien Lin

An ink storage unit comprises an ink tank that defines an inner confinement space in which is placed an ink storage body to store and retain ink. The ink tank includes an air inlet through which air passage in the ink tank is enabled, and an ink outlet through which ink output is achieved. An outer surface of the ink storage body includes a plurality of notches distributed along an interface between the ink storage body and the ink tank, thereby forming a plurality of gaps that locally separate the outer surface of the ink storage body from the sidewall of the ink tank. Alternatively, the ink storage body is comprised of a first ink storage portion that is separated from a second ink storage portion via a spacing member. Ink flowing and leakage through the air inlet is thereby prevented.

Ink storage unit

An air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, wherein a layered material with two faces of different ingredients are utilized. After cutting and opening of connection holes and air vent holes, flexible stacking according to the capacity requirement of the air bag and thermal pressuring are performed. Through the characteristic that two low-melting-point ingredients can be affixed together but two high-melting-point ingredients or a low-melting-point ingredient and a high-melting-point ingredient cannot be affixed together, the whole air bag can be integrally formed. The air bag forms a plurality of receiving rooms having connected air vent holes. The air bag can be folded up to make inflation and deflation, hence filling up the ink-storage capacity of the print cartridge. Moreover, the back pressure can be adjusted.

Air bag placed in a print cartridge and method for manufacturing the same

An ink container includes a housing, a print head, and a fluid chamber. The housing has two inclined walls formed to divide the fluid chamber into a center ink well and two side ink wells. The housing also has two side walls, each having an inclined inner surface. The center ink well is formed between the two inclined walls. Each side ink well is formed between an inclined wall and a side wall. The inner surface of each side wall has a greater inclination than those of the inclined walls, so that each side ink well has a width decreasing from top to bottom.

Ink container with improved ink flow

An inkjet pen and a pressure control device thereof. The inkjet pen comprises a body, a bag, a pressure plate, an abutting member, and a rib. The body includes a bubble generator. The bag is disposed inside the body, and communicates with the external environment so as to expand inside the body. The pressure plate, disposed inside the body and located adjacent to the bag so as to move inside the body, includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is located near the bubble generator. The abutting member is disposed in the body, and seals the bubble generator. The rib is disposed in the body and located near the second portion of the pressure plate. The second portion of the pressure plate is maintained at a predetermined position by the rib when the pressure plate is moved by the bag. Thus, the abutting member is properly moved by the first portion of the pressure plate when the pressure plate is moved by the bag.

Inkjet pen and pressure control device thereof

A pressure control device installed inside an ink reservoir. The ink reservoir further includes a pressure regulator. The pressure control device at least includes a nozzle stand, a plugging block and a spring-loaded structure. The nozzle stand is attached to the bottom wall of the ink reservoir. The nozzle stand further includes a nozzle hole for linking up the interior of the ink reservoir with the exterior. The nozzle stand has a groove near the upper end of the nozzle. The plugging block is placed inside the groove for partitioning the interior of the ink reservoir from the exterior. The spring-loaded structure has a first section and a second section that connect with each other. The first section presses against the outer edge of the plugging block with an elastic force. The pressure regulator pushes the second section and lifts the first section away from the outer edge of the plugging block. A limiting structure may also be installed somewhere crossing the path of movement of the spring-loaded structure so that the range of movement of the spring-loaded structure is confined.

Pressure control device

The ink cartridge is provided with a pressure controller to regulate the inner pressure therein by atmospheric pressure while the ink stored in the ink cartridge is gradually drained off. The ink is stored in a container with negative pressure therein, and at least one through hole formed on the container is used to connect to the atmosphere, and at least one recess is formed on the inner wall of the through hole. The pressure controller has a plug movably disposed on the through hole and the recesses. The recesses are used as a channel to allow the entrance of the atmospheric air, and the plug can be automatically moved so as to enlarge the clearance between the plug and the through hole while the ink stored in the ink cartridge is gradually drained off. The inputted air can effectively reduce the negative pressure in the container, and therefore the printing process of the ink cartridge can be proceeding steadily.

Pressure controller for an ink cartridge

An ink reservoir has an air bag, a housing with an ink reservoir, an elastic constraining device for constraining the air bag to prevent the seepage of ink by way of back-pressure, an active shaft movably installed in the ink reservoir, and a plugging device engaged with the active shaft for plugging a second vent of the housing. When consumption of ink in the ink reservoir causes the air bag to expand to a predetermined degree, the air bag moves the active shaft, the active shaft pulls the plugging device out of the second vent, and air enters into the ink reservoir to reduce the volume of the air bag.

Ink reservoir with a pressure adjusting device

An ink cartridge has a housing with an ink reservoir. The housing has a first vent, a second vent, and an opening. The ink reservoir has an air bag to adjust pressure within the ink reservoir. The ink cartridge further has an elastic restricting device that prevents ink in the ink reservoir from seeping through the opening. An elastic plug plugs the second vent of the housing, and an active shaft is movably installed in the well for pushing the elastic plug. When consumption of ink causes the air bag to expand to a predetermined degree, the air bag moves the active shaft, the active shaft pushes the elastic plug, and air enters into the ink reservoir through the second vent to reduce the volume of the air bag. When the air bag stops moving the active shaft, the elastic plug plugs the second vent.

Ink cartridge with a pressure adjusting device

The present invention is an ink pressure adjustment device of inkjet pen; the device is utilized to adjust negative pressure in an ink cartridge mainly through an expandable and shrinkable gasbag installed in the ink cartridge, and a tension valve attached on the surface of the gasbag. The tension valve can open or close automatically an air hole that communicates atmosphere and the inner part of ink cartridge via the gasbag according to the expansion and shrinkage of the gasbag, causing a part of atmosphere to enter the ink cartridge so as to adjust the negative pressure of the ink cartridge and not only can prevent ink from leaking but also prevent the negative pressure from being too large to fail the inkjet printing.

Ink pressure adjustment device for inkjet pen

The ink cartridge of the present invention uses a directional fibrous collection enclosed within a bushing to temporally retain the ink therein, wherein at least one controlled capillary portion is provided. The controlled capillary portion can be formed by the bushing or by a predetermined shape located in the cartridge. The capillary forces of the controlled capillary portion are stronger than the one of other portion of the directional fibrous collection. The flow rate of the ink can be precisely controlled by the directional fibrous collection, and the controlled capillary portion can efficiently drain out the ink to the printhead and there is no bubble left therein.

Method and apparatus for supplying ink to an printhead

An ink container includes a casing and an ink reservoir. An air bag is set within the ink reservoir for pressure modulation, an air vent enabling air to enter or exit the air bag. The ink reservoir further includes a fixed piece, a helical spring and a restraining plate. The fixed piece has a first fixed surface fixed inside the casing and a second fixed surface. The helical spring has a first end connected to the second fixed surface and a second end. The restraining plate has a first surface connected to the second end of the helical spring and a second surface pressing on the air bag to clamp the air bag between the second surface of the restraining plate and the casing.

Ink container with fixed pressure modulating mechanism

The present invention provides a pressure control apparatus for an ink-jet pen. The apparatus will adjust the back pressure of ink in the reservoir of the ink-jet pen in a suitable range when the ink is used gradually. The apparatus includes a pressure adjusting element and a hole furnished on the bottom wall of a reservoir. Under normal condition, the pressure adjusting element contacts tightly to the hole and prevents air from ingression. When the back pressure increases gradually to an extent, the ambient air will overcome the pressure of a spring which provides force to the pressure adjusting element, thus move the pressure adjusting element to leave a clearance to the hole and let some air bubbles ingressing into the reservoir till the back pressure decreases to a certain value. After the back pressure returns to the certain value, the pressure adjusting element further contacts the hole and prevents air from ingression, thus maintains a suitable back pressure of the ink in the reservoir.

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Tainan Hsien, Taiwan

Cheng-Wei Hsu