Claims
- 1. An ink cartridge for supplying ink to a recording head, comprising:an ink cartridge main body having a plurality of walls and an exterior and an interior; an ink supply port disposed in a first of said plurality of walls of said ink cartridge main body and communicating from the interior to the exterior of said ink cartridge main body to permit the flow of ink therethrough; and a cover having an internal surface shaped to define a second of said plurality of walls of said interior of said ink cartridge main body, an ambient air vent formed in said cover in fluid communication with ambient air, an air communication passage formed at least in part in said internal surface of said cover and said air communication passage having a first end and a second end and being in fluid communication at said first end of said passage with said ambient air vent, and a further air vent formed in said cover and in fluid communication with said air communication passage at the second end of said passage and with the interior of said ink cartridge main body, the interior of said ink cartridge main body being placed in fluid communication with ambient air through said air communication passage and said further air vent and said ambient air vent.
- 2. The ink cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a recess formed in said cover disposed surrounding said further air vent, and further comprising a seal member dimensioned to be inserted into said recess and form a seal to prevent passage of ink and air through said further air vent directly to the exterior of the cartridge, while not preventing said interior of said ink cartridge main body to be in fluid communication with ambient air through said further air vent, said air communication passage and said ambient air vent.
- 3. The ink cartridge of claim 2, further comprising a sheet seal member, said sheet seal member overlaying said seal member.
- 4. The ink cartridge of claim 1, said air communication passage at least in part being formed by a circuitous channel formed at least in part in said internal surface of said cover and including a channel seal member overlying said circuitous channel to define at least part of said air communication passage.
- 5. The ink cartridge of claim 4, wherein the recording head includes a printer nozzle; the printer nozzle having a passage therethrough and said circuitous channel has a cross-sectional area selected to be larger than a cross-sectional area of the passage through the nozzle of the printer.
- 6. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein said cover further comprises an ink charging port.
- 7. The ink cartridge of claim 6, wherein said ink supply port is positioned in a wall facing said cover so that said ink charging port is opposed to said ink supply port.
- 8. The ink cartridge of claim 6, further comprising a recess formed in said cover disposed surrounding said ink charging port, and further comprising a circular seal member dimensioned to be inserted into said recess and form a seal to prevent passage of ink and air out through said ink charging port.
- 9. The ink cartridge of claim 8, further comprising a sheet seal member, said sheet seal member overlaying said seal member.
- 10. The ink cartridge of claim 6, further comprising a collar surrounding and projecting into said ink tank from said ink charging port a distance sufficient to prevent ink from entering said ink charging port even if said ink cartridge is turned upside down.
- 11. The ink cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a collar surrounding and projecting into said ink tank from said further air vent a distance sufficient to prevent ink from entering said further air vent and said air communication passage even if said ink cartridge is turned upside down.
- 12. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein said ink cartridge main body comprises a plurality of walls formed integrally therein, said plurality of walls defining a plurality of compartments, said plurality of walls including at least one internal wall defining each compartment and preventing the flow of ink between adjacent compartments, at least two of said compartments holding different colors of ink, a plurality of ink supply ports disposed,in said second wall of said ink cartridge main body, a respective ink supply port communicating from the exterior of said ink cartridge to the interior of each of said plurality of compartments, respectively, to permit the flow of ink therethrough; said cover defining one wall of each of said compartments and including, in the portion of said cover defining a wall of each of said compartments, a respective one of each of a plurality of ambient air vents, further air vents and air communication passages therebetween.
- 13. An inkjet type recording apparatus for outputting ink onto a recording medium, comprising:a recording head for ejecting ink; and an ink cartridge coupled to said recording head for supplying ink to a recording head, including: an ink cartridge main body having a plurality of walls, an interior and an exterior; an ink supply port disposed in a first of said plurality of walls of said ink cartridge main body and communicating from the interior to the exterior of said ink cartridge main body for the flow of ink therethrough; and a cover having an interior surface adapted to seal said ink cartridge main body, an ambient air vent formed in said cover in fluid communication with ambient air, an air communication passage formed at least in part in said internal surface of said cover and said air communication passage having a first end and a second end and being in fluid communication at said first end of said air communication passage with said ambient air vent, and a further air vent formed in said cover and in fluid communication with said air communication passage al the second end of said air communication passage and with the interior of said ink cartridge main body, the interior of said ink cartridge main body being placed in fluid communication with ambient air through said air communication passage and said further air vent and said ambient air vent.
- 14. The ink-jet type recording apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a recess formed in said cover disposed surrounding said further air vent, and further comprising a seal member dimensioned to be inserted into said recess and form a seal to prevent passage of ink and air directly through said further air vent to the exterior of the cartridge, while not preventing said interior of said ink cartridge main body to be in fluid communication with ambient air through said further air vent, said air communication passage and said ambient air vent.
- 15. The ink-jet type recording apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a sheet seal member, said sheet seal member overlaying said seal member.
- 16. The ink-jet type recording apparatus of claim 13, said air communication passage at least in part being formed by a circuitous channel formed at least in part in said internal surface of said cover and including a channel seal member overlying said circuitous channel to define at least part of said air communication passage.
- 17. The ink-jet type recording apparatus of claim 16, wherein said recording head includes a printer nozzle and said channel has a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the passage through said printer nozzle.
- 18. The inkjet type recording apparatus of claim 13, wherein said ink cartridge main body comprises a plurality of compartments formed integrally, said plurality of walls defining a plurality of compartments, said plurality of walls including at least one internal wall defining each compartment and preventing the flow of ink between adjacent compartments, at least two of said compartments holding different colors of ink, said cover defining one wall of each of said compartments a respective one of each of a plurality of ambient air vents, further air vents and air communication passages therebetween in said cover disposed in each of said compartments.
- 19. An ink supply system for supplying ink to a recording head of an ink-jet type recording apparatus, comprising:an ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording head, including: an ink cartridge main body having a plurality of walls, an interior and an exterior; an ink supply port disposed in a wall of said ink cartridge main body and communicating from the interior to the exterior of said ink cartridge for the flow of ink therethrough; and a cover having an internal surface adapted to seal said ink cartridge main body, an ambient air vent formed in said cover in fluid communication with ambient air, an air communication passage formed at least in part in said internal surface of said cover in fluid communication at one end of said passage with said ambient air vent, and a further air vent formed in said cover and in fluid communication with said air communication passage at the other end of said passage and with the interior of said ink cartridge main body, the interior of said ink cartridge main body being placed in fluid communication with ambient air through said air communication passage and air vents.
- 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a recess formed in said cover disposed surrounding said further air vent, and further comprising a seal member dimensioned to be inserted into said recess and form a seal to prevent passage of ink and air directly through said further air vent to the exterior of the cartridge while not preventing said interior of said ink cartridge main body to be in fluid communication with ambient air through said further air vent, said air communication passage and said ambient air vent.
- 21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a sheet seal member, said sheet seal member overlaying said seal member.
- 22. The system of claim 21, said air communication passage at least in part being formed by a circuitous channel formed at least in part in said internal surface of said cover and including a channel seal member overlying said circuitous channel to define at least part of said air communication passage.
- 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said recording head includes a printer nozzle said recording head including a channel and said circuitous channel has a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the passage through said printer nozzle.
- 24. The system of claim 19, wherein said ink cartridge main body comprises a plurality of walls defining a plurality of compartments formed integrally therein, said plurality of walls including at least one internal wall defining each compartment and preventing the flow of ink between adjacent compartments, at least two of said compartments holding different colors of ink, said cover defining one wall of each of said compartments and including, in the portion of said cover defining a wall of each of said compartments, a respective one of each of a plurality ambient air vents, further air vents and air communication passages therebetween.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
5-301151 |
Nov 1993 |
JP |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/334,719 filed on Nov. 4, 1994.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (10)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2709730A1 |
Sep 1978 |
DE |
2916472 |
Nov 1980 |
DE |
529880 |
Mar 1993 |
EP |
0633138A2 A3 |
Jan 1995 |
EP |
2003793 A |
Mar 1979 |
GB |
140847 |
Jun 1987 |
JP |
A 63 162249 |
Jul 1988 |
JP |
A 63 276554 |
Nov 1988 |
JP |
424133 |
Apr 1991 |
JP |
4-144755 |
May 1992 |
JP |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Photographs of Epson Stylus 800. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/334719 |
Nov 1994 |
US |
Child |
08/474562 |
|
US |