Owens-illinois Closure, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Continental Afa Dispensing Company

David C Kamp

William E Fillmore

Norman E Pawlowski

Thomas J Krall

Susan M Hmelar

Eric L Gasvoda

Dennis W Houpt

Rhonda Lynn Wilson

David O Merrill

Jared E Neff

James Kenneth Wallace

Peter Mardilovich

Rio Rivas

Anthony M Fuller

Richard H Lewis

Qingqiao Wei

Richard D Lohrman

Gennaro R Martire

Mark R Hock

Raymond C Lewis, Jr

Thomas P Royce

An article is provided, the article including a substrate having a surface with a first wettability characteristic. A nano-structure array is formed on the surface of the substrate to provide a nano-structured surface having a second wettability characteristic. A thin-layer surface coating is formed on the nano-structured surface, the thin-layer surface coating being configured to tune the nano-structured surface to a target wettability characteristic.

Article with controlled wettability

A pump dispenser for liquid products includes a pump chamber having a cylinder, and a piston slidable within the cylinder with an outlet passage extending through the piston. A spring within the chamber urges the piston to an extended position. An inlet opening is disposed at an end of the chamber for receiving product to be dispensed. An inlet check valve is positioned at the inlet opening to permit entry of product into the chamber as the piston is extended by the spring, but to prevent exit of product from the chamber through the inlet opening as the piston is depressed against the spring. An outlet check valve is carried by the piston within the outlet passage to permit discharge of product from the chamber through the outlet passage as the piston is depressed against the spring. The outlet valve includes a concave valve body of flexible resilient construction opening away from the chamber and having an external periphery in radial surface-to-surface resilient sealing contact with an opposing radially inwardly facing wall surface of the outlet passage.

Pump dispenser for liquid products

A urine collection device () that is made up of a flexible, thermoplastic urine collection bag (), which receives urine through a molded plastic inlet fitment () that is secured to an upper end of the bagand discharges urine through a two-piece molded plastic valve fitment () at a lower end of the bag. The inlet fitment, which has no check valve therein, has a series of steps gradually reducing lateral extent as it extends longitudinally from the bag to a free end thereof, and each of the steps extends at a non-perpendicular angle to the longitudinal central axis of the inlet fitment. The bag is also free of any check or flutter valve. The outlet valve fitment has a fixed outer element () surrounding an inner element () that is rotatable with respect to the outer element to selectively open or close the outlet valve fitment to flow.

Urine collection method and apparatus

An ink containment and dispensing device for an ink-jet printer is provided with a main reservoir in the form of a flexible pouch, which is typically maintained at ambient pressure. The main reservoir is coupled to a variable volume chamber via a one-way valve which allows the flow of ink from the reservoir to the chamber and prevents the flow of ink from the chamber to the reservoir. The chamber is coupled to a fluid outlet, which is normally closed to prevent the flow of outward ink. However, when the ink supply is installed in a printer, the fluid outlet establishes a fluid connection between the chamber and the printer. The chamber is part of a pump provided with the ink supply that can be actuated to supply ink from the reservoir to the printer. The pump has a linearly acting pumping member and a flexible diaphragm that overlies the pumping member, the diaphragm being impervious to the transmission of oxygen and moisture therethrough to prevent degradation of the ink within the chamber.

Liquid containment and dispensing device with improved flow control valve

Liquid containment and dispensing device with improved resistance to shock loads

Liquid containment and dispensing device

An ink container for an off-carriage printing system including an ink supply station. The ink container contains a collapsible reservoir filled with ink that is in fluidically connectable to a conduit that leads to a pressure regulator. The outlet of the regulator delivers ink to a printhead. A pressure vessel surrounds the reservoir. The system pressurizes the pressure vessel, which results in pressurized ink being delivered to the regulator. The ink container has a sensor that infers the actual volume of ink in the reservoir by sensing the relative position of the reservoir walls. This sensor is mounted between the pressure vessel and the collapsible reservoir. The sensor is electrically connected to pads that are accessible from the outside of the ink container. Leads route from the pads, through a seal zone, and to the sensor. The seal is provided by a compressed o-ring.

Ink container providing pressurized ink with ink level sensor

An ink container for holding a supply of liquid ink for use in an inkjet printing system. The container includes a collapsible ink reservoir for holding a supply of liquid ink, and a multiple functioned chassis. The chassis rigidly supports an air inlet for receiving pressurized air from the printing system and an ink outlet for delivering pressurized ink to the system. The chassis supports a collapsible ink container by providing an attach surface over which the collapsible container is attached. The attach surface allows a relatively simple pleated bag construction to be used by providing a surface whose normal is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The chassis is adapted to engage with a pressure vessel opening, providing a seal that separates the pressure vessel from an outside atmosphere. The chassis provides a surface for outside electrical contacts along with locating means for a mating electrical connector, and provides pathways for them to be routed into the pressure vessel region. An efficient method of assembly of an ink container is described.

Ink container having a multiple function chassis

An ink container for an inkjet printing system is described, including an assembly of a simple housing with caps bearing indicia and protective surfaces to enable effective handling, aligning, keying and latching of the ink container. The ink container includes an ink container housing, the housing including an ink reservoir and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said reservoir. The fluid outlet is for providing ink to the inkjet printhead. The container further includes a separately fabricated first cap attached to an end of the housing, the first cap having a plurality of mechanical features that provide mechanical functions for the ink container. The end of the housing is a leading end relative to a direction of insertion of the ink container into the printing system. The mechanical functions can include positioning the ink container relative to the supply station, a keying function for preventing installation of an ink container in the supply station without a cap providing the keying function. The mechanical features can include a boss for protecting a leading surface of the ink container and the fluid outlet from physical damage. The trailing end of the housing has attached to it a second cap having a latch feature for latching the ink container in the supply station, and an oversized handle that prevents backwards insertion. The housing includes a pressure vessel that surrounds the ink reservoir, and the first cap is secured to the pressure vessel.

High performance ink container with efficient construction

An ink container for holding a supply of liquid ink for use in an inkjet printing system. The container includes a collapsible ink reservoir for holding a supply of liquid ink, and a multiple functioned chassis. The chassis rigidly support an air inlet for receiving pressurized air from the printing system and an ink outlet for delivering pressurized ink to the system. The chassis support a collapsible ink container by providing an attach surface over which the collapsible container is attached. The attach surface allows a relatively simple pleated bag construction to be used by providing a surface whose normal is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container. The chassis is adapted to engage with a pressure vessel opening, providing a seal that separates the pressure vessel from an outside atmosphere. The chassis provides a surface for outside electrical contacts along with locating means for a mating electrical connector, and provides pathways for them to be routed into the pressure vessel region. An efficient method of assembly of an ink container is described.

An ink containment and dispensing device for an inkjet printer is provided with a main reservoir in the form of a flexible pouch panel, which is typically maintained at ambient pressure. The main reservoir is coupled to a variable volume chamber via a one-way valve which allows the flow of ink from the reservoir to the chamber and prevents the flow of ink from the chamber to the reservoir. The chamber is coupled to a fluid outlet, which is normally closed to prevent the flow of outward ink. However, when the ink supply is installed in a printer, the fluid outlet establishes a fluid connection between the chamber and the printer. The chamber is part of a pump provided with the ink supply that can be actuated to supply ink from the reservoir to the printer. The pump has a linearly acting pumping member and a flexible diaphragm that overlies the pumping member, the diaphragm being impervious to the transmission of oxygen and moisture therethrough to prevent degradation of the ink within the chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, OH, United States of America

David C Kamp