Claims
- 1. An ink supply for providing ink to a printing system, the ink supply comprising:
a flexible fluid reservoir for containing a quantity of fluid; and a spring having an expanded position, and a contracted position; wherein the spring is configured to operatively engage the flexible fluid reservoir as the spring transitions from the expanded position to the contracted position, and wherein the flexible fluid reservoir is biased by the spring as the spring contracts to produce fluid at a substantially constant fluid pressure at a fluid outlet.
- 2. The ink supply of claim 1, wherein the spring is a flat spiral spring.
- 3. The ink supply of claim 2, wherein the flat spiral spring and the flexible fluid reservoir roll together about a spring axis whereby the flexible fluid reservoir is squeezed by the roll created by the flat spiral spring and the flexible fluid reservoir thereby urging the quantity of fluid within the flexible fluid reservoir toward the fluid outlet.
- 4. The ink supply of claim 3, wherein the flat spiral spring and the flexible fluid reservoir are attached together with an adhesive prior to rolling together about the spring axis.
- 5. The ink supply of claim 1, further comprising a housing, the housing further comprising an interior surface and an aperture, wherein the flexible fluid reservoir and the spring are layered and disposed interior to the housing.
- 6. The ink supply of claim 1, wherein the spring is spring steel.
- 7. The ink supply of claim 1, wherein the spring is preformed plastic.
- 8. The ink supply of claim 5, wherein the housing is cylindrical shaped having a container top and container bottom wherein the flexible ink reservoir and the spring roll together in a helical path originating from the container bottom toward the container top.
- 9. The ink supply of claim 1, further comprising an ink level sensor positioned such that when the reservoir is nearly depleted, the sensor is activated.
- 10. The ink supply of claim 9, wherein the ink level sensor is a mechanical limit switch.
- 11. The ink supply of claim 9, wherein the ink level sensor is a through beam sensor having a sending device and a receiving device for determining remaining ink within the ink supply.
- 12. The ink supply of claim 9, wherein the ink level sensor is an electrical proximity switch.
- 13. The ink supply of claim 1, further including a fluid level sensing device for determining a remaining fluid level in the flexible fluid reservoir.
- 14. The ink supply of claim 13, wherein the fluid level sensing device is a position sensing device for detecting the position of one of the spring or the flexible fluid reservoir as it moves between the expanded position and the contracted position of the spring.
- 15. The ink supply of claim 5, wherein the flexible fluid reservoir is fixedly attached to the interior surface of the housing proximate the aperture.
- 16. The ink supply of claim 5, wherein the spring is fixedly attached to the interior surface of the housing to avoid interference with outflow of fluid from the fluid outlet of the flexible fluid reservoir.
- 17. A fluid container for supplying pressurized fluid, comprising:
a flexible fluid reservoir for containing fluid, the flexible fluid reservoir including a fluid outlet; and a flat spiral spring having a coiled position defining a spring axis, and an uncoiled position; wherein, with the flat spiral spring at least partially in an uncoiled position, the flexible fluid reservoir is operatively engaged by the flat spiral spring such that, as the flat spiral spring transitions from the at least partially uncoiled position to the coiled position, the flexible fluid reservoir is rolled about the spring axis to pressurize the flexible fluid reservoir thereby providing a pressurized source of fluid at the fluid outlet.
- 18. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the leading reservoir end and the leading spring end are fixedly attached.
- 19. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the flat spiral spring is spring steel.
- 20. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the flat spiral spring is preformed plastic.
- 21. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the housing is rectangular shaped.
- 22. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the housing is cylindrical shaped having a container top and a container bottom wherein the flexible ink reservoir and the flat spiral spring roll together in a helical path originating from the container bottom and rolling toward the container top.
- 23. The fluid container of claim 17, further comprising an ink level sensor positioned such that when the flat spiral spring has rolled the flexible ink reservoir to a state of near depletion, the sensor is activated.
- 24. The fluid container of claim 23, wherein the ink level sensor is a mechanical limit switch.
- 25. The fluid container of claim 23, wherein the ink level sensor is an electrical through beam sensor having a sending device and a receiving device.
- 26. The fluid container of claim 23, wherein the ink level sensor is an electrical proximity switch.
- 27. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the fluid outlet further comprises a fluid flow valve disposed within the fluid outlet.
- 28. The fluid container of claim 17, wherein the flexible fluid reservoir is fixedly attached to the interior surface of the housing near the aperture.
- 29. The fluid container of claim 28, wherein the flat spiral spring is fixedly attached to the interior surface of the housing opposite the flexible fluid reservoir.
- 30. A pressurized fluid container, comprising a constant moment spring, the spring having an expanded position and a compressed position, a flexible fluid reservoir disposed and arranged on the spring so that movement of the spring from the expanded position to the compressed position biases the flexible fluid reservoir with a constant bias force to dispense the fluid from a fluid outlet disposed on the flexible fluid reservoir at a constant pressure.
- 31. An ink supply system for providing a supply of ink to a printer, the ink supply system comprising:
a spring-pressurized ink bag for providing a source of ink at constant pressure; and a pressure regulator in fluid communication between the printhead and the spring-pressurized ink bag; wherein the pressure regulator receives ink at a positive pressure from the spring-pressurized ink bag and provides ink at a negative pressure for dispensing from the printhead.
- 32. A method for supplying an ink to a printer of the type having a printhead for depositing ink on media, the method comprising the steps of:
biasing a flexible ink reservoir with a spring force of a spring which operatively engages the flexible ink reservoir, thereby pressurizing the supply of ink to a substantially constant fluid pressure; regulating the pressurized supply of ink to a required pressure for the printhead; and dispensing the supply of ink with the required pressure into the printhead.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein prior to biasing the flexible ink reservoir, further including filling the flexible ink reservoir with a quantity of ink with the spring biased to the expanded position.
- 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the spring has coiled and uncoiled positions, the flexible ink reservoir being emptied as the spring goes from the uncoiled position to the coiled position and the flexible ink reservoir being refilled as the spring goes from the coiled position to the uncoiled position under fluid pressure greater than the spring force of the spring.
- 35. The method of claim 32, wherein after the flexible ink reservoir is depleted of a quantity of ink, further including filling the flexible ink reservoir with a supply of refill ink.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/240,092, filed Jan. 29, 1999 of S. Dana Seccombe and Charles R. Steinmetz METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSURIZING INK IN AN INKJET PRINTER INK SUPPLY USING SPRING FORCE.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09240092 |
Jan 1999 |
US |
Child |
09877925 |
Jun 2001 |
US |