The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 25, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1996
Oki Data Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An ink cassette is used in an ink jet printer and has nozzles through which ink is ejected. The ink cassette has a pair of nozzle levers with a cap formed between their free ends. The cap closes the nozzles when the nozzle levers pivot to a closing position and leaves the nozzles exposed when the levers pivot to an opening position. A carriage unit receives the ink cassette therein and moves between a print area and a non-print area. The carriage unit has supports on which the ink cassette pivots between a first position and a second position. When the ink cassette pivots to the first position, the ink cassette is engaged with a lock lever which holds the ink cassette in position, and the nozzle lever is engaged with lugs formed on the carriage unit which cause the nozzle levers to pivot to the opening position when the ink cassette is moved to the first position. The carriage unit may have a drive lever pivotally supported on the carriage unit and the aforementioned lug may be formed on a free end of the drive lever. The drive lever pivots between a third position where the lug engages the nozzle lever causing the nozzle lever to pivot to the opening position, and a fourth position where the post disengages from the nozzle causing the nozzle lever to pivot to the closing position.