Eastman-kodak Company

John D. Brush Co., Inc.

Mark D Perkins

Diana C Petranek

Kenneth D Corby

Douglas H Pearson

R Winfield Trafton

Dwight John Petruchik

Steven L Moore

Charles E Follett

Steven J Dietl

Douglas E Kucmerowski

Kevin R Barrell

Raymond J Stein

Eugene Edwards

Daniel G Warren

Terry L Congdon

A sealing device is disclosed that includes a latching feature configured to facilitate latching of the sealing device to a fluid reservoir; a first region configured to seal or substantially seal a fluid-discharge port on the fluid reservoir from fluid loss when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir; and a second region configured to protect a circuit device on the fluid reservoir when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Accordingly, the presently disclosed sealing device provides an effective solution to not only sealing the fluid-discharge ports on the fluid reservoir, but also protecting the circuit device.

Sealing device for fluid reservoir

Electrical housing for an enclosure

Various embodiments of a printing device fluid reservoir with alignment features and various embodiments of a printing device fluid reservoir chassis with alignment features are disclosed. According to some aspects of these embodiments, the alignment features are grouped together near an ultimate connection point between a fluid reservoir and a chassis to increase design freedom on other regions of the fluid reservoir/chassis. Other aspects of these embodiments include specially designed and located alignment features of a fluid reservoir that engage specially designed and located alignment features of a chassis in sequence throughout the process of inserting the fluid reservoir into the chassis in order to facilitate simple and effective engagement.

Printing device fluid reservoir with alignment features

The present invention pertains to a data-providing component securing mechanism for a printing apparatus reservoir. According to embodiments of the present invention, a securing mechanism is provided with an image-formation-material reservoir. The securing mechanism includes a drawer-style support feature having two guiding regions that interact with sides of the data-providing component when it is inserted therein. Upon complete or substantially complete insertion of the data-providing component into the drawer-style support feature, a retention feature is engaged at an opening end of the drawer-style support feature in order to retain the data-providing component in its engaged position. Consequently, the data-providing component can be secured without the use of external bonding agents, and can be removed from the drawer-style support feature intact, thereby allowing such data-providing component to be reused.

Data-providing-component securing mechanism for printing apparatus reservoir

Printing device fluid reservoir chassis with alignment features

A seal for an ink-discharge port on a printer ink cartridge, according to various embodiments of the present invention, is disclosed. The seal has a surface containing channels that oppose a direction in which the port is configured to discharge ink from the ink cartridge. Such channels facilitate the retention of ink by the seal during removal of the seal, thereby reducing the likelihood of ink spillage during such removal.

Fluid port seal with surface having channels

The present invention provides a pedestal that protrudes from a fluid reservoir device that retains fluid for a fluid-ejection printing device. A data storage device may be mounted on the pedestal such that when the fluid reservoir device is inserted into a supporting structure, the pedestal and data storage device mounted thereon protrude into or through an opening in a surface of the supporting structure. Consequently, a disconnectable connection to the data storage device may be made at a location other than the inside of the supporting structure. Accordingly, connection to the data storage device is simplified and the risk of damage or a reduction in performance to the data storage device or its electrical contacts from fluid leaks from the fluid reservoir device is reduced.

Data storage device mounting arrangement for printing device

A cartridge comprises a pair of housing portions having an opening at a seam formed between the housing portions, a memory chip accessible via the opening to permit electrical contact to be made with the memory chip, and a protuberance projecting from one of the housing portions and welded to the other housing portion within a cavity of the other housing portion. Since a flash which is formed at the weld can spread towards the seam including in the vicinity of the opening, the protuberance and the cavity are mutually dimensioned to restrict the flash substantially to within the cavity. This prevents the flash from spreading into the seam and bulging outward at least in the vicinity of the opening, which could interfere with formation of the seam and making electrical contact with the memory chip.

Restricting flash spread when welding housing halves of cartridge together

A method of filling an ink supply bag with a liquid ink, includes positioning the bag bottom end down and a top end up; flowing the liquid ink into the bag through an upper portion of the bag to fill the bag to a liquid level below the upper portion; squeezing the bag to raise the liquid level in the bag partway into the upper portion, and shaking the bag to cause any bubbles in the liquid ink in the bag to rise at least substantially to the liquid surface in the upper portion; and sealing the upper portion above and below the liquid level in the upper portion to trap a small quantity of liquid ink that includes the bubbles and a small quantity of air between the respective seals.

Method of filling ink supply bag for ink cartridge

An alternative ink/cleaner cartridge includes an egress snout from which an ink supply or a cleaner supply is discharged from the cartridge. The snout and a collar that mates with the snout are mutually configured to permit the collar to mate with the snout only when the collar is in any one of a number of allowable orientations, to provide an identification of an ink supply to be discharged from the cartridge. Alternatively, the snout mates with a cap in place of the collar to prevent a cleaner supply from being discharged from the cartridge.

Alternative ink/cleaner cartridge

A fitting is attached to a disposable ink supply bag and has an ink egress snout for discharging an ink supply from the bag. The fitting is configured to engage with a housing for the bag to permit the bag to be connected to the housing when the ink supply is to be discharged from the snout and to disengage from the housing to permit the bag to be disconnected from the housing in order to dispose of the bag when emptied.

Disposable ink supply bag having connector-fitting

An ink cartridge includes an ink supply bag, a fitting attached to the bag and including an integral ink egress snout, and a pair of housing halves that contain the bag and at respective wall portions have opening halves that form a bottom opening for the snout when the housing halves are connected together. The fitting and only one of the wall portions each have mutually engageable members that engage to connect the fitting and the one wall portion to secure the bag within the housing half that includes the one wall portion. The housing half that includes another of the wall portions has stakes that are adhered to the engageable members of the fitting and/or the engageable members of the housing half that includes the one wall portion.

Growing community of inventors

Wayland, NY, United States of America

Mark D Perkins