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:
Dec. 12, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 21, 1995
Daniel A LaTour, Stafford Springs, CT (US);
Gerber Garment Technology, Inc., Tolland, CT (US);
Abstract
A coiled ink supply tube for an X, Y plotter and the like is connected between an ink reservoir and a pen mounted within a pen holder and moveable with the pen holder between a raised non-drawing position and a lowered drawing position for drawing lines or graphics on receiving surfaces. The ink supply tube defines a preformed coil having 11/4 turns or windings in the form of a helix with substantially zero spacing between turns. The ink supply tube also defines a straight inlet section coupled between the coil and the reservoir and oriented parallel to the axis of the coil, and a straight outlet section substantially coaxial with a vertical axis of the pen and lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the coil. As the pen moves up and down between the raised non-drawing and lowered drawing positions, the diameter of the helical coil changes very little and substantially no lateral forces are imposed by the ink supply tube on the pen. Similarly, the coiled ink supply tube presents a slight and substantially uniform vertical resistance to the pen throughout each cycle of the pen's up and down movement.