Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02552635 2006-07-05
INK CARTRIDGE FOR AN INKJET PRINTER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a simple and effective ink cartridge
for an inkjet
printer for stably supplying ink.
Description of Related Art
[0002] Currently, commercially available ink cartridges can be divided into
two types
in the following.
[0003] A. A porous material is used to store ink and fiber bundles are used to
obstruct
leakage and smoothly supply ink, which is the patent right issued to CANON.
[0004] B. The fluency in supplying ink is controlled by a non-return valve or
a
pressure-control mechanism and fiber bundles.
[0005] However, the above two types (A and B) of ink cartridges have the
following
disadvantages.
[0006] 1. The porous material and the fiber bundles occupy relative large
space of the
ink-storage chamber, resulting in a decrease in the printing yield and an
increase in the
manufacturing cost.
[0007] 2. A certain amount of ink is remained in the porous material and the
fiber
bundles, thus causing a waste and doing harm to the environment.
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[0008] 3. The pressure of this type of ink cartridge is low and it is hard to
control this
ink cartridge, and thus it is not suitable for mass production and it is
difficult to control
the quality and the yields is relatively low.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An objective of the present invention is to provide a practicable and
highly
effective ink cartridge for an inkjet printer. Under the control of the
elongated fiber
bundles and labyrinth capillary grooves, the ink cartridge can reliably and
stably supply
ink, thus controlling the whole printing process.
[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the ink
cartridge for
an inkjet printer in the present invention comprises a top cover, a bottom
wall, a handle,
an ink chamber, an air inlet, and an ink supply port. The air inlet is
disposed at the top
of the ink chamber whereby the ink chamber is communicated with the
atmosphere. A
plurality of elongated fiber bundles are accommodated within a cavity. A
labyrinth
capillary is disposed at a side surface of the bottom wall, with one end in
communication with the bottom of the ink chamber and the other end in
communication
with the middle portion of the cavity for accommodating the elongated fiber
bundles.
An ink supply port is disposed at the bottom of the cavity for accommodating
elongated
fiber bundles
[0010.a] In one embodiment of the present invention the elongated fiber
bundles may
be disposed in the cavity for accommodating the elongated fiber bundles from
top to
bottom, and extend to the ink supply port, so as to firmly contact the inner
wall of the
cavity for accommodating elongated fiber bundles. A communication hole
communicating the labyrinth capillary and the cavity for accommodating the
elongated
fiber bundles preferably does not directly contact the elongated fiber
bundles, and an
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interval may exist therebetween. The handle may be a separated workpiece made
of
an elastic material, and the handle, for example, in an inverted-hook shape,
is preferably
disposed at the top portion of the bottom wall from top to bottom. An air
inlet
labyrinth groove and an ink leak-proof device are preferably disposed on the
top cover,
and an ink inject hole is optionally disposed at the top cover on top of the
cavity for
accommodating the elongated fiber bundles. The labyrinth capillary is formed,
for
example, by soldering a sealing film on the labyrinth capillary groove at a
side surface
of the bottom wall.
[0011] According to one embodiment, before installing the ink cartridge, the
air
inlet labyrinth is opened, such that the air enters the ink chamber of the ink
cartridge
from the air inlet labyrinth via the ink leak proof mechanism, thereby keeping
the ink
chamber at a normal atmosphere pressure. After installing the ink cartridge,
elongated
fiber bundles are firmly pressed against the ink inlet of the print-head, and
meanwhile
the ink supply port of the ink cartridge and the print-head are sealed. In
order to
prevent ink leaking in use caused by the change of the environmental
temperature, one
end of the labyrinth capillary is communicated with the bottom of the ink
chamber, and
the other end is communicated with the middle portion of the cavity for
accommodating
elongated fiber bundles. Thus, the elongated fiber bundles can steadily supply
ink to
the print-head when the ink cartridge starts printing. At this time, the
negative
pressure in the cavity for accommodating elongated fiber bundles rises, and
under the
slight pressure, the ink within the ink chamber flows to the elongated fiber
bundles
along the labyrinth capillary for compensating ink, thereby maintaining the
ink
contained by the elongated fiber bundles in a relatively stable proportion,
and the air
enters the ink chamber along the air-inlet labyrinth.
[0012] The present invention has the following advantages of:
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[0013] 1. greatly reducing the residual ink, improving the printing yield, and
reducing the manufacturing cost;
[0014] 2. reducing the waste, thereby benefiting for environment protection;
and
[0015] 3. accomplishing the mass production, thereby enhancing the
qualification
rate.
[0016] In order to make the aforementioned and other objectives, features and
advantages of the present invention comprehensible, preferred embodiments
accompanied with figures are described in detail below.
1o BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a structure of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the structure in FIG. 1.
[0019] FIG. 3A is a schematic view when the ink cartridge has been completely
mounted in the print-head bracket.
[0020] FIG. 3B is a schematic view when the ink cartridge is just mounted into
the
print-head bracket.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a sectional view when the ink cartridge has been completely
mounted in the print-head bracket.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 4, the ink
cartridge
for an inkjet printer in the present invention comprises a top cover 5, a
bottom wall 12, a
handle 1, an ink chamber 2, an air inlet 8, an ink supply port 6. The air
inlet 8 is
disposed at top of the ink chamber 2, such that the ink chamber 2 is
communicated with
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the atmosphere. The labyrinth capillary 3 is disposed at the side surface of
the bottom
wall 12, with one end in communication with the bottom of the ink chamber 2
and the
other end in communication with the middle portion of the cavity 11 for
accommodating elongated fiber bundles. The ink supply port 6 is disposed at
the
bottom of the cavity 11 for accommodating elongated fiber bundles, and the
elongated
fiber bundles 4 are accommodated therein. The elongated fiber bundles 4 are
disposed
in the cavity 11 for accommodating elongated fiber bundles from top to bottom,
and
extend to the ink supply port 6, thereby firmly contacting the inner wall of
the cavity 11
for accommodating elongated fiber bundles. The communication hole
communicating
the labyrinth capillary 3 and the cavity 11 for accommodating elongated fiber
bundles
does not directly contact the elongated fiber bundles 4, and an interval
exists
therebetween. The handle 1 is a separated workpiece made of elastic material,
and the
handle 1 in an inverted-hook shape is disposed at the top portion of the
bottom wall
from top to bottom. An air-inlet labyrinth groove 8 and an ink leak-proof
device 7 are
disposed on the top cover 5, and an ink inject hole 9 is disposed at the top
cover on top
of the cavity 11 for accommodating elongated fiber bundles. The labyrinth
capillary is
formed by soldering a sealing film on the labyrinth capillary groove at a side
surface of
the bottom wall.
[0023] Before installing ink cartridge, the air-inlet labyrinth 8 is opened,
such that
the air enters the ink chamber 2 of the ink cartridge from the air inlet
labyrinth 8 via the
ink leak proof mechanism 7, thereby keeping the ink chamber 2 at the normal
atmosphere pressure. After installing the ink cartridge, elongated fiber
bundles 4 are
firmly pressed against the ink inlet of the print-head, and meanwhile the ink
supply port
6 of the ink cartridge and the print-head are sealed. When the ink cartridge
starts
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printing, the elongated fiber bundles 4 can steadily supply ink to the print-
head. At this
time, the negative pressure in the cavity 11 for accommodating elongated fiber
bundles
rises, and under the slight pressure, the ink within the ink chamber 2 flows
to the
elongated fiber bundles 4 along the labyrinth capillary 3 for compensating
ink, thereby
maintaining the ink contained by the elongated fiber bundles 4 in a relatively
stable
proportion, and the air enters the ink chamber along the air-inlet labyrinth
8.
[0024] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and
variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without
departing from
the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended
that the
present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention
provided they fall
within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
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