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:
Sep. 12, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 07, 1998
Hitoshi Kato, Itami, JP;
Takeshi Yamashita, Kawanishi, JP;
Minolta Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An ink cartridge has an ink holding chamber, an ink holding member that is placed inside the ink holding chamber and that holds ink, an ink supply outlet that connects the ink holding chamber and the outside; and a protruding member that is placed on the wall of the ink holding chamber in which the ink supply outlet is formed and that protrudes into the ink holding chamber. In the ink cartridge, the protruding member that protrudes into the cartridge presses onto the ink holding member from the area around the ink supply outlet. Consequently, the ink holding member becomes compressed by means of the protruding member, so that the ink held in the ink holding member flows out easily from the ink holding member. Further, in the ink cartridge, it is preferred that the protruding member be located such that it surrounds the supply outlet and that an ink pathway where the protruding member does not exist be created in at least part of the area around the ink supply outlet. This construction permits the ink to be sent smoothly to the ink supply outlet via the ink pathway. When the ink is sent smoothly to the ink supply outlet in this way, even shortly after the ink is supplied to the ink holding member or when a large amount of ink is supplied to the print head via the ink supply outlet for the purpose of continuous printing or purging, a sufficient amount of ink is stably led to the print head via the ink supply outlet.