Lexmark International, Inc.

Johnnie A Coffey

Gina Marie Johns

Steven Robert Komplin

James Daniel Anderson, Jr

Paul Douglas Horrall

Randal Scott Williamson

David Emerson Greer

Jeffery James Buchanan

Michael Clark Campbell

Stephen Porter Bush

John Yeung Conway

Christopher Elliot Lingle

Larry Steven Foster

David Erwin Rennick

Jason Todd Vanderpool

Brian Dale Cook

Richard Alden Ramsdell

John Wayne Gassett

Steven Alan Curry

Lane Thomas Butler

John Randolph McIntyre

Guion Yuvano Lucas

Edmund Hulin James, Iii

Earl Dawson Ward, Ii

Ganesh Vinayak Phatak

Thomas Allen Bailey

Neal Douglas McFarland

David Wayne DeVore

Robert Flynt Strean

Kevin Dean Schoedinger

Benjamin Keith Newman

Bruce David Gibson

Peter J Mendel

Sam Norasak

Steven Andrew Rice

Jay Scott Siekmann

Trevor Daniel Gray

Steven A Silverstein

Robert Leonard Burdick

William Joseph Thornhill

Jeffrey James Buchanan

Clifford M Denny

Selahattin A Okcuoglu

Daniel L Huber

John P Bradley

Michael James Benson

Rita Greer

Tu Phan

Rita Greer, Legal Representative

William Dudley Freeman

Steven G Minton

A fluid height backpressure system includes a printhead, a fluid supply tank, a backpressure device, and an air removal device. The backpressure device responsible for supplying system backpressure includes at least one tower disposed in an upright position and having a plurality of walls defining first and second chambers for respectively communicating with the ink supply tank and a fluid supply reservoir of the printhead. The air removal device provides additional back pressure in the second chamber, allows backpressure in the system to be maintained even with an empty fluid supply tank, and also supply of ink to the fluid supply reservoir of the printhead substantially without air bubbles being introduced therein. Also, ink sensors are utilized for sensing out-of-ink/ink-low conditions and also to help establish and continue the operation of the backpressure device.

Fluid height backpressure device in a system for supplying fluid to a printhead

Color ink tank with micro fluid applications

A fluid height backpressure system includes a printhead, a fluid supply tank, a backpressure device, and an air removal device. The backpressure device responsible for supplying system backpressure includes at least one tower disposed in an upright position and having a plurality of walls defining first and second chambers for respectively communicating with the ink supply tank and a fluid supply reservoir of the printhead. The air removal device provides additional backpressure in the second chamber, allows backpressure in the system to be maintained even with an empty fluid supply tank, and also supply of ink to the fluid supply reservoir of the printhead substantially without air bubbles being introduced therein. Also, ink sensors are utilized for sensing different levels of ink in the ink supply tank and out-of-ink/ink-low conditions in the backpressure device and also to help establish and continue the operation of the backpressure device.

Ink tank for micro-fluid applications

A fluid height backpressure system includes a printhead, a fluid supply tank, a backpressure device, and an air removal device. The backpressure device responsible for supplying system backpressure includes a tower disposed in an upright position and having a plurality of walls defining first and second chambers for respectively communicating with the ink supply tank and a fluid supply reservoir of the printhead. The air removal device provides additional backpressure in the second chamber, allows backpressure in the system to be maintained even with an empty fluid supply tank, and also supply of ink to the fluid supply reservoir of the printhead substantially without air bubbles being introduced therein. Also, ink sensors are utilized for sensing out-of-ink/ink-low conditions and also to help establish and continue the operation of the backpressure device.

Fluid height backpressure system for supplying fluid to a printhead and backpressure device used therein

A multi-color ink tank includes certain features that properly interface with features on a printhead and carrier support structure to operatively seat the ink tank in the carrier support structure in a sealed flow communicative relationship with the printhead. These interface features are spaced apart relative to one another at distances (or dimensions) that ensure the desired seating and sealing of the ink tank in the carrier support structure and thereby the reliable supply of ink for operation of the inkjet printing system.

Multi-color ink tank with features spaced by distances ensuring interface with printhead and carrier support structure

Narrow ink tank with serpentine air vent

Single reservoir tank with serpentine air vent

Tri-color tank with serpentine air vents

A printhead body for mounting a micro-fluid ejection chip includes a floor having an interior side and an exterior side, the exterior side being configured for mounting at least one micro-fluid ejection chip. A plurality of body vias extends through the floor from the interior side to the exterior side. The plurality of body vias is positioned to supply ink to each micro-fluid ejection chip. A plurality of ink flow channels is formed over the interior side of the floor. The plurality of ink flow channels include at least a first ink flow channel vertically overlapping a separate and independent second ink flow channel. Each individual ink flow channel of the plurality of ink flow channels is in fluid communication with at least one body via of the plurality of body vias.

Printhead assembly having vertically overlapping ink flow channels

Ink tank with RFID sensor and serpentine vent

Some embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printhead within which a removable ink cartridge can be installed. Upon installation, the ink cartridge can be coupled to one or more wicks in the printhead for establishing fluid communication between one or more chambers in the ink cartridge and nozzles through which ink exits the printhead during operation. The wick can extend from a cartridge receptacle to a filter in order to transport ink from the removable cartridge to the filter. In some embodiments, the wick is retained in place within the printhead by a cap, which can be coupled to one or more filter towers. The wick can have upstream and downstream interfaces that can be the same or different in shape and/or size.

Wick for an inkjet printhead

Multi-compartmentalized ink cartridges for ink jet printers and improved methods for making the ink cartridges. The multi-compartmentalized ink cartridge includes a molded, open-topped body having an interior cavity and a printhead surface area opposite the interior cavity. A divider wall is integrally molded with the molded body structure and disposed in the interior cavity to provide at least three segregated ink chambers. The divider wall includes a first wall section and a second wall section attached substantially perpendicular to the first wall section. At least first, second, third molded ink flow paths connect each of the at least three segregated ink chambers with the printhead surface area. The second and third ink flow paths are oriented relative to their corresponding ink chambers for molding with a mold insert tool so that the cartridge body does not require a separately attached member to close mold insert tool insertion areas in the body.

Method for making multi-color ink reservoirs for ink jet printers

Multi-color ink reservoirs for ink jet printers

An ink jet printer includes a frame, at least one flexible ink tube and a trough connected to the frame. The trough has a longitudinal length oriented in a first direction and a planar ink tube receiving portion oriented at an acute angle from a vertical axis. At least a portion of the flexible ink tube is disposed along at least a portion of the planar ink tube receiving portion.

Off-carrier tubing layout

Growing community of inventors

Winchester, KY, United States of America

Johnnie A Coffey