Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Other

David O Merrill

Susan M Hmelar

James E Clark

Norman E Pawlowski

John A Barinaga

John A Underwood

Michael L Bullock

Eric L Gasvoda

Bruce Cowger

Paul David Gast

Thomas J Krall

Rhonda Lynn Wilson

David Ridgway Otis, Jr

David C Kamp

Robert L Battey

Ngoc-Diep T Nguyen

Dennis W Houpt

Winthrop D Childers

Curt G Gonzales

Charles R Steinmetz

William E Fillmore

John A Barinaga, Jr

Glen E Schmidt

Mark Joseph Green

John Farrar Wilson

Thomas G Cocklin

Jared E Neff

Samuel Martin Babb

Gary D Tarver

Truman Kenneth Jones

Norman E Pawlowski, Jr

Glen Aukstikalnis

The present invention is a replaceable ink container for use in an off-axis printing system. The printing system is 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 the direction of insertion into the printing system. The replaceable ink container includes a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the leading edge toward a first side. The plurality of electrical contacts are configured for engaging corresponding electrical printer contacts associated with the printing system. Also included is a fluid outlet disposed on the leading edge toward a second side opposite the first side and spaced from the plurality of electrical contacts. The fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the replaceable ink container. The fluid outlet is configured for engaging a fluid inlet associated with the printing system.

Electrical and fluidic interface for an ink supply

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.

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

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

The present disclosure relates to an ink supply container for containing ink. The ink supply container is configured for providing ink to an ink jet printing system. The ink container includes a first feature indicative of an ink family of a plurality of ink families associated with ink contained in the container. Also included is a second feature spaced from the first feature. The second feature is indicative of an ink color of a plurality of ink colors associated with ink in the container.

Method and apparatus for keying ink supply containers

The present invention is an ink container for use in an ink jet printing system. The printing system has a printhead under control of printing system electronics and an ink container receiving station for providing ink to the printhead. The replaceable ink container includes a plurality of container interfacing features positioned on the ink container to engage corresponding ink container receiving station interfacing features. The ink container interfacing features are disposed and arranged to allow a plurality of different sizes of the ink container to be installed at a particular location of the receiving station. The ink container also includes an information storage device that provides information indicative of a volume of ink contained in said ink container.

Ink container having electronic and mechanical features enabling plug compatibility between multiple supply sizes

The present invention is a replaceable marking media container for use in an off-axis printing system. The printing system includes a printer portion responsive to electrical signals from the replaceable ink container for controlling printer parameters. The replaceable marking media container includes a plurality of electrical contacts with each of the plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected with a memory element. The memory element contains information for controlling printing system parameters. Included in the replaceable ink container a housing having an outer surface facing outwardly and an inner surface. The inner surface defines a cavity within the housing. The plurality of electrical contacts are attached within the cavity, so disposed and arranged, to engage corresponding electrical contacts associated with the printing system. The corresponding electrical contacts associated with the printing system are positioned within the cavity of the marking media container with proper positioning of the marking media container within the off-axis printing system. The use of these electrical contacts allow information to be exchanged between the memory element and the printer.

Electrical interconnect for replaceable ink containers

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

Ink container having a guide feature for insuring reliable fluid, air

One aspect of the present invention is a removable ink supply for forming a fluid connection with a fluid inlet of an ink-jet printer into which the ink supply can be installed. The ink-jet printer has a fluid conduit for supplying liquid ink to an ink-jet printhead. The removable ink supply includes a quantity of liquid ink and a fluid outlet. The fluid outlet includes (i) a hollow boss having a first end in fluid communication with the quantity of liquid ink, a neck formed in a second end of the boss, the neck defining a scaling surface and an opening; (ii) a sealing member positioned within the boss, the sealing member being movable between a first position in which the sealing member seals the opening and a second position in which liquid ink can flow through the boss opening; and (iii) a biasing structure for biasing the sealing member toward the first position. The ink supply is adapted for installation in the fluid inlet of the ink-jet printer. Upon installation the sealing member is engaged and displaced from the first position to the second position such that the sealing surface engages against a structure of the fluid inlet to create an ink seal.

Replaceable ink container with fluid interconnect for coupling to an

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.

Ink container having electronic and mechanical features enabling plug

The ink supply has an ink reservoir, a valve, a pressurizable chamber, and an outlet. The refilling is accomplished by directing ink from the outlet into the reservoir while the chamber is otherwise unpressurized so that the valve remains slightly open to permit the refill flow therethrough.

Method for refilling an ink supply for an ink-jet printer

An ink supply for an inkjet printer is provided with a main reservoir, which is typically maintained at ambient pressure. The main reservoir, which has flexible side walls supported by a rigid frame, is coupled to a variable volume chamber via a check valve which allows the flow of ink from the reservoir to the chamber and limits 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 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.

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Corvallis, OR, United States of America

David O Merrill