Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Jon Rittgers

Eduardo Macias

Odhran Hendley

Michael Mulloy

Bryan Murphy

Mark Loughlin

Edward Savage

John Oliver

John McNeilly

Patricia Ryan

Mark Laughlin

Fionnula Farrell

John Mcneilly

The invention relates to an ink cartridge comprising a liquid ink, an extraction system for the liquid ink and a container for the liquid ink, the container having a non zero water vapor transmission rate, the liquid ink occupying a first regionof the container, the ink cartridge further comprising a second liquid, the second liquid occupying a second regionof the container, whereby the first and the second region are separated, and whereby the extraction system is in communication with the first region but is not in communication with the second region.

Ink cartridge

A fluid container ship cap seals a plurality of fluid interconnects of a fluid container during one or both of shipping and storage. The fluid container ship cap includes an elastomeric seal having a plurality of fluidic sealing members to seal a corresponding plurality of fluid interconnects. The fluid container ship cap further includes a rigid shell to rotate the fluid container ship cap about an axis of rotation at a fulcrum provided by a first fluidic sealing member of the plurality of fluidic sealing members. The elastomeric seal is affixed to the rigid shell.

Fluid container ship cap

A printer credit management method is disclosed, the method includes receiving a code at a printer. From the code, a printer identifier and a credit value are discerned. It is determined if the printer identifier corresponds to a unique identifier assigned to the printer. Only upon a positive determination, a credit balance maintained by the printer is updated to include the credit value.

Printer credit management

A fluid cartridge sub-assembly comprising a first vent bore, an elongate air channel, a cover extending over the first vent bore and the air channel, and a second vent bore connected to the air channel.

Fluid cartridge sub-assembly

An ink supply reservoir, and method of supplying ink, is described.

Ink supply reservoir

A color print cartridge comprises an ink housinghaving a single interior compartment. A print headmounted at the base of the housing in fluid communication with the interior of the compartment via a plurality of passagewaysin the base each having an entrance in the compartment. A single compressed blockof hydrophobic foam material is inserted under compression into the compartment immediately above the passageway entrances. A plurality of differently colored inks are injected into the block via respective needles, each ink filling a respective passagewayand a respective regionof the foam block above the passageway. The differently colored inks occupying non-contiguous regions within the block.

Colour print cartridge

In one embodiment, a fluid interconnection between a fluid container and a fluid ejector assembly includes: a first wick at an outlet from the container, the first wick having an upstream surface and a downstream surface; a second wick at an inlet to the ejector assembly, the second wick having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the upstream surface in direct contact with the downstream surface of the first wick across substantially the entire area of the upstream surface of the second wick; and a filter in direct contact with the downstream surface of the second wick.

Fluid interconnection

An ink container usable with an image forming apparatus having a carriage to transport the ink container in a reciprocating motion across a substrate and an ink ejector to eject the ink onto the substrate is included. The ink container includes a chamber configured to supply ink to the ink ejector of the image forming apparatus. The ink container also includes a separation member disposed within the chamber configured to separate unwanted particles from the ink in response to the reciprocating motion of the carriage and gravity, and to direct the ink downstream to the ink ejector.

Ink container to separate unwanted particles from ink

In one embodiment, a cartridge includes: a housing having a chamber therein for holding a fluid; a vent at a first part of the chamber; a porous fluid holding material in the chamber; an outlet from the chamber; and a hole extending through the fluid holding material from the first part of the chamber to a second part of the chamber at a location away from the outlet such that the second part of the chamber is vented through the hole but the outlet is not vented through the hole.

Zone venting in a fluid cartridge

A method of making a print cartridge comprises providing an ink housinghaving a top and a base and at least one interior compartment, the housing further having a passagewayin the base with an entrance in the compartment to allow fluid communication between the interior of the compartment and a print headmounted at the base of the housing. A block of hydrophobic foam materialis inserted under compression into the compartment immediately above the passageway entrance. Inkis injected into the foam block through two hollow needlesextending downwardly through the block from the top of the housing and terminating at points disposed respectively towards opposite edgesof the passageway entrance. The volume of ink injected by the needles is sufficient to fill the passageway and cover the passageway entrance but insufficient to form a horizontal air seal around the internal periphery of the compartment.

Making print cartridge using two hollow needles

In one embodiment, a foam ink supply includes: a chamber defined by a ceiling, a floor, and a wall between the ceiling and the floor; an outlet from the chamber; and a block of foam only partially filling the chamber, the block of foam positioned adjacent to the outlet and spaced apart from at least part of the wall.

Growing community of inventors

Celbridge, Ireland

Jon Rittgers