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. 07, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 18, 2003
Trevor Daniel Gray, Midway, KY (US);
Steven Robert Komplin, Lexington, KY (US);
Matthew Joe Russell, Stamping Ground, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
A print head and regulator assembly for a printer including: (a) a print head; (b) an ink source; and, (c) a regulator for regulating the flow of ink between the ink source and the print head, the regulator including: (i) a pressurized chamber having an ink inlet in fluid communication with the ink source, an ink outlet in fluid communication with the print head, an opening extending through a chamber wall, and a flexible film covering the opening, the flexible film having an inner surface facing an interior of the pressurized chamber and an outer surface in contact with the ink in the ink source; and, (ii) a lever including a flexible arm positioned in proximity to the inner surface of the flexible film and an opposing arm operatively coupled to a seal that closes the ink inlet when the lever is in a first position and opens the ink inlet when the lever is pivoted to a second position, the lever being biased to the first position, where a higher pressure differential across the flexible film brings about a higher force acting upon the flexible arm to overcome the bias and pivot the lever to the second position opening the ink inlet, and, where a lower pressure differential across the flexible film brings about a lesser force acting upon the flexible arm resulting in the lever succumbing to the bias and repositioning the seal at the first position, closing the ink inlet.