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. 01, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1999
Stephen Porter Bush, Georgetown, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
A system and method for suppression of air bubble generation in the ink supply and nozzles of an ink-containing printer cartridge when ultrasonic welding is performed on the ink-containing printer cartridge. The printer cartridge has a top end and a bottom end, and the bottom end includes at least one ink outlet for the ink within the printer cartridge. The system includes a mounting fixture having a recess for receiving and holding at least the lower end of the printer cartridge, an ultrasonic welding device for welding an article to the printer cartridge, and a fluid or liquid, such as water, collected in the bottom of the recess in sufficient quantity such that the at least one ink outlet on the bottom end of the printer cartridge is immersed in the fluid or liquid. The welding device is preferably an ultrasonic welding horn that typically welds a lid to the top end of an ink-containing printer cartridge. The method of performing ultrasonic welding upon the ink containing printer cartridge includes the steps of placing the bottom end of the printer cartridge into the recess of a mounting fixture, immersing the at least one ink outlet within a fluid or liquid in the recess, and ultrasonically welding an article to the printer cartridge.