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:
May. 28, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 23, 2000
Stephen Francis DeFosse, Lexington, KY (US);
Curtis Ray Droege, Richmond, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and a method for securing tubing which includes a reservoir, preferably being a printer cartridge, having a rigid wall with interior and exterior surfaces, a rigid restraining member for a tube, and the restraining member further having a passage therethrough. In one embodiment, the invention includes at least one locking lever with top and bottom ends, the locking lever having at least one notch proximate to the top end and the bottom end is pivotably attached to the interior surface of the reservoir wall, and the restraining member is alternately attached to the top end of the locking lever. In another embodiment, the locking lever is rigidly attached to the interior surface of the reservoir and the restraining member is alternately attached to the reservoir. In a further embodiment, the restraining member is attached to interior of the reservoir wall by at least two locking arms. The reservoir wall has an opening and a tube assembly comprised of the rigid restraining member and the flexible tubing fits into the opening. The tube assembly thus either engages the locking lever notch and pivots the locking lever against the interior surface of the reservoir wall or is placed against the locking lever notch of the rigidly attached locking lever, or is pushed against the locking arms into the opening so as to secure the tube assembly against the rigid wall of the reservoir and within the opening of the reservoir wall to create a substantially fluid tight seal between the tube assembly and the opening of the reservoir.