Hewlett-Packard Company

Govind Sanjeevanrao Deshmukh

Carey E Yliniemi

Robert Ronald

A spacer is incorporated into the standpipe of a foam-ink-containment type of inkjet print cartridge for retarding the growth of a diffused-air bubble in the standpipe, thereby extending the shelf life of the cartridge by ensuring the bubble will not become so large during storage of the cartridge that the bubble occludes flow of ink to the printhead.

Controlling diffused-air bubbles in ink-jet print cartridges

The anti-spill, fluid filling port has an upper section that is molded into the soft plastic wall of the fluid holding device. The bottom of the upper section is capped with a semi-spherical section that comes to an apex in the middle. The semi-spherical section is formed by six triangular-shaped sections that meet at the apex. As the fluid filling needle is inserted into the port, the triangular shaped sections separate wide enough to allow the circumference of the needle to be inserted but remain in contact with the needle. As the fluid filling needle is removed, the triangular shaped sections wipe off excess fluid from the outside of the needle and then close when the needle is completely withdrawn, thus retaining the fluid within the device.

Anti-spill fluid filling port

An inkjet pen has a body enclosing an ink reservoir and defining a vent aperture. A vent plug defining an elongated serpentine channel occupies the aperture. The plug may be cylindrical, with smaller diameter pilot ends to facilitate insertion. The serpentine channel may include several segments that alternate in direction, and which occupy a major portion of the plug surface away from an elongated spine surface portion that extends the length of the plug without interruption by the channel.

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Corvallis, OR, United States of America

Govind Sanjeevanrao Deshmukh