Patent Application
20110032312
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inkjet printer systems and, more particularly, to an ink tank with features spaced apart by distances ensuring interface with a printhead of an inkjet printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional inkjet printing system forms an image on a print medium by ejecting ink from a plurality of ink jetting nozzles of an inkjet printhead to form a pattern of ink dots on the print medium. Inkjet printing is accomplished without contact between the printing system and the print medium. Such printing system typically includes a receptacle-like support structure mounted to a reciprocating carrier of the printing system. The printhead permanently or at least semi-permanently mounts the inkjet printhead and also removably supports one or more ink containers or tanks in which ink is stored and from which ink is supplied to the printhead. The ink tanks may be removed and replaced once their ink is fully consumed during the printing operation.
Typically, a plurality of replaceable ink tanks are employed for supplying the printhead with inks of different colors, such as black (or mono), yellow, cyan and magenta. In one embodiment of the printing system, a multi-ink tank is utilized for holding the three ink colors, yellow, cyan and magenta, in separate compartments. The multi-color ink tank when properly seated in the printhead mates in a sealed ink supplying relationship with the printhead.
The ink tanks have features that must properly interface with one another to operatively seat the ink tanks in the printhead in the sealed flow communicative relationship with the printhead.
The present invention is directed to the provision of these interface features on an ink tank, such as a multi-color ink tank, and some other features thereon as well, spaced apart relative to one another at distances that ensure the desired seating and sealing of the multi-color ink tank in the printhead and thereby the reliable supply of ink for the operation of the inkjet printing system.
Accordingly, in an aspect of the present invention, an ink tank with features spaced apart by distances ensuring interface with a printhead of an inkjet printing system includes a reservoir body with a length, a width and a height, and having front and rear walls, right and left walls and a bottom wall connected together at respective right and left front and rear corners, right and left bottom corners, front and rear bottom corners, and right, left, front, rear top edges which merge to form a top rim defining a top opening in the reservoir body. The ink tank also comprises a top cover attached on the reservoir body so as to substantially close the top opening of the reservoir body for containing a supply of ink within at least one interior chamber of the ink tank. The ink tank further comprises a protrusion on the front wall having an upper edge disposed adjacent to the top rim and defining a lip on the protrusion adapted to engage a latch on a printhead, the lip enabling seating and releasable locking of the reservoir body therein. The ink tank still further includes protuberances on the rear wall laterally spaced apart and disposed adjacent to and above the rear bottom corner and diagonally across the reservoir body from the lip on the protrusion. The protuberances are adapted to insert into a slot in the printhead, the protuberances enabling seating and releasable locking of the reservoir body therein. The ink tank further includes a lower central recessed cavity formed in the reservoir body from and open at the rear and bottom walls and located between the protuberances for enabling the inserting and seating of the reservoir body in the printhead. The ink tank also still further includes at least one snout on the bottom wall disposed closer to the front wall than to the rear wall and adapted to be in fluid communication with an orifice in a printhead as the reservoir body is pivotally inserted and seated in the printhead.
A furthermost point of each protuberance is displaced from a furthermost point of the lip by a distance of no less than 72.3 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body. The lip of the protrusion has a width within a range of from approximately 0.3 mm to 4.3 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body. The lip of the protrusion also has a height extending above the top rim of the reservoir body at the front wall within a range of from approximately 0.3 mm to 17.5 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body. Further, the lip of the protrusion is displaced from the outer surface of the bottom wall by a distance within a range of from approximately 33.7 mm to 34.3 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body. The protuberance has a height extending above an outer surface of the bottom wall within a range of from approximately 2 mm to 4.6 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to height of the reservoir body. The central recessed cavity in the reservoir body extends to an inner wall displaced from the lip of the protrusion by a distance of no more than 56.8 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to length of the reservoir body. The snout has a central axis displaced from the lip of the protrusion by a distance within a range of from approximately 18.1 mm to 19.1 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to length of the reservoir body. The snout has a height extending below the outer surface of the bottom wall within a range of from approximately 1.2 mm to 3.8 mm as measured along an axis extending substantially parallel to height of the reservoir body.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which may or may not necessarily be drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numerals refer to like elements throughout the views. Words such as ‘right’, ‘left’, ‘front’, ‘rear’ and the like are used herein for purposes of convenience in describing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, not for purposes of limitation of the scope of the invention.
Referring now to
Referring to
The ink tank 10 also includes certain interface features that must properly interface with features on the printhead to operatively seat, seal and lock the ink tank 10 in the printhead in a sealed flow communicative relationship with the printhead. It is these interface features that are spaced apart relative to one another at distances (or dimensions) that ensure the desired seating and sealing of the ink tank 10 printhead and thereby the reliable supply of ink for operation of the inkjet printing system.
Turning now to
By protruding forwardly and diverging from the front wall 22 going from its lower end 54a to its upper end 54b, the protrusion 54 engages and deflects a complementary interface feature in the form of a deformable latch, as disclosed in the first patent application cross-referenced above, on a front portion of the printhead as the ink tank 10 is pivotally inserted into the printhead. Then, once the lip 56 is located below an upper end of a slot in the corresponding latch on the printhead, as the ink tank 10 reaches a fully seated position in the printhead, the lip 56 makes a snap-fit engagement with the latch in which the protrusion 54 projects into the latch slot and the lip 56 underlies an interior edge portion of the latch defining the upper end of the slot. As will become clear below, the location of the lip 56 on the protrusion 54 is coordinated with the locations of the other interface features of the reservoir body 12 of the ink tank 10 such that when they are displaced from each other by distances within approximate ranges as will be set forth below, the ink tank 10 is releasably seatable and lockable in the printhead so as to thereby ensure the reliable supply of ink for operation of the inkjet printing system.
Turning now to
By protruding rearward from the rear wall 24 of the reservoir body 12 just above the rear bottom corner 42, the protuberances 58 are insertable into complementary interface features in the form of corresponding slots, as disclosed in the first patent application cross-referenced above, defined on a rear portion of the printhead. Insertion of the protuberances 58 into such slots occurs at the start or initiation of installing the ink tank 10 into the printhead. These slots in the rear portion of the printhead are located diagonally opposite and across from the above-described latch on its front portion.
Turning now to
The snouts 60 are sufficiently displaced away from the front bottom corner 40 of the reservoir body 12 to leave a sufficient solid area 26a of the bottom wall 26 to overlie at least one and preferably a plurality of springs, as disclosed in the first patent application cross-referenced above, supported on the bottom of the printhead adjacent to its latch. The springs are yieldably depressed by engagement with this solid area 26a of the bottom wall 26 of the reservoir body 12 as the ink tank 10 is pivoted forward and downward, generally about the location of the rear slots of the printhead when the protuberances 58 of the reservoir body 12 inserted therein, to the fully seated upright position in the printhead.
Installing the multi-color ink tank 10 in the printhead involves: first, tilting the ink tank 10 to enable inserting its rear protuberances 58 into the rear slot of the printhead; next, pivoting the ink tank 10 forward and downward toward the upright seated position in the printhead; and, finally, seating the ink tank 10 in the printhead by contacting the protrusion 54 against the latch of the printhead and then deflecting the latch forwardly, concurrently depressing the spring with the bottom wall 26 of the reservoir body 12 of the ink tank 10 and forcing the sealing insertion of the snouts 60 of the ink tank 10 into the orifices of the printhead, until the protrusion 54 on the ink tank 10 has sufficiently deflected the latch to enable the lip 56 to snap-fit into the slot in the latch. The upwardly directed force of the depressed springs against the bottom wall 26 of the ink tank 10 maintains the ink tank 10 seated, with its protuberances 58 inserted through the slots, and thus locked in the printhead.
There are additional interface and non-interface features incorporated by the ink tank 10. As seen in
Most of the distances (or dimensions) given are measurements that locate various ones of the above-described interface features and other features of the reservoir body 12 of the ink tank 10 relative to the lip 56 in a three-dimensional reference field having the orthogonal X, Y, Z axes (see
The various distances (or dimensions) as provided herein are in millimeter (mm) units and identified by the noted reference letters in the various ones of
Other distances (or dimensions), with L standing for length, H standing for height, W standing for width, and R standing for radius, of various ones of the interface and other features described above are as follows:
Thus, each protuberances 58 at a rear surface 58a thereon is displaced from the lip 56 of the protrusion 54 by a distance AX within a range of from approximately 72.3 mm to 78.0 mm, as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body 12. This distance is required to interface with and constrain the lip of the protrusion to the protuberance at the rear surface to the printhead. The tank must be constrained in this manner to ensure a minimum interference between the fluid connection port and the filter in the printhead to provide reliable flow of the ink from the tank to the printhead as well as an evaporative seal. The protuberance is positioned such that when the tank is delatched at the lip of the protrusion, the tank pivots about the protuberance for ease of tank removal. Each protuberance 58 has a height JH extending above an outer surface 26b of the bottom wall 26 within a range of from approximately 2 mm to 4.6 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 2 mm is required to create the protuberance on the tank which interfaces with and constrains the tank in the printhead. The interaction between the protuberance and the printhead contribute to the latching mechanism that provides ease of insertion and removal of the tank in the printhead. The protuberance provides a pivot point during insertion of the tank and removal of the tank. The protuberance is one point of constraint to ensure the minimum interference between the fluid connection port and the printhead for reliable flow of ink from the tank to the printhead as well as the minimum interference required to create an evaporative seal between a gasket on the printhead and an area around the fluid connection port. Exceeding the approximate maximum distance of 4.6 mm would prevent the protuberance from fitting in the allotted slot. The bottom surface 58b of each protuberance 58 which is coplanar with the outer surface 26b of the bottom wall 26 is displaced from the lip 56 of the protrusion 54 by a distance AZ within a range of from approximately 33.7 mm to 34.3 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 33.7 mm is required to interface with and constrain the lip of the protrusion in the printhead device, This minimum distance provides a vertical constraint to position the fluid connection port relative to the printhead so as to create the necessary interference between the printhead and the fluid connection port for reliable flow of ink from the tank and to provide the necessary interference between the an area on the bottom on the tank and a gasket in the printhead to create an evaporative seal. Exceeding the approximate maximum distance of 34.3 mm would prevent the lip of the protrusion from fitting in the allotted slot. Each protuberance 58 at a top surface 58c thereon is displaced from the lip 56 of the protrusion 54 by a distance BZ within a range of from approximately 29.7 mm to 31.7 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. This distance is required to interface with and constrain the lip of the protrusion to the protuberance at the rear surface to the printhead. The tank must be constrained in this manner to ensure a minimum interference between the fluid connection port and the filter in the printhead to provide reliable flow of the ink from the tank to the printhead as well as an evaporative seal. Each protuberance 58 has a length JL extending along the outer surface 26b of the bottom wall 26 no less than 1.2 mm, as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body 12. This minimum distance of 1.2 mm is required in order for the protuberance to contact the mating surface on the printhead to provide the aforementioned benefits and requirements.
The snouts 60 have central axes 60a displaced from the lip 56 of the protrusion 54 by a distance CX within a range of from approximately 18.1 mm to 19.1 mm, as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 18.1 mm is required to interface with the printhead device such that the contact area is large enough to sustain high printing rates. The approximate maximum distance of 19.1 mm is required to interface with the printhead device such that the contact area is large enough to sustain high printing rates. The snout 60 has a height IH extending below the outer surface 26b of the bottom wall 26 within a range of from approximately 1.2 mm to 3.8 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 1.2 mm is required to interface with a gasket in the printhead device. The snout interfaces with the gasket to provide an evaporative seal between the tank and the printhead device, and the minimum snout height of approximately 1.2 mm is required to make the seal taking into account tolerances of the system. Exceeding the approximate maximum distance of 3.8 mm would prevent the ink tank from seating in the printhead device. The central axes 60a of the snouts 60 are displaced by a distance EY within a range of from approximately 12.3 mm to 13.3 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 12.8 mm, as measured along the Y axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, exceeding the minimum and maximum distances will no longer provide a good fluidic connection between the tank and the printhead or between the snout and gaskets to satisfy the aforementioned requirements and benefits. The radius HR of each snout 60 is within a range of from approximately 5 mm to 6 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 5.5 mm, as measured along the Y axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment exceeding the minimum and maximum distances will prevent the snout mating to the gasket in the printhead and creating the necessary evaporative seal.
The lip 56 of the protrusion 54 has a length GL extending from the front top edge 48 of the front wall 22 within a range of from approximately 0.5 mm to 4.5 mm, as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 0.5 mm is required to create a lip to interface with the latching mechanism in the printhead device. The interaction between the lip and the printhead provide a latching mechanism that provides ease of insertion and removal of the tank in the printhead. The lip of the protrusion is one point of constraint to ensure the minimum interference between the fluid connection port and the printhead for reliable flow of ink from the tank to the printhead as well as the minimum interference required to create an evaporative seal between a gasket on the printhead and an area around the fluid connection port. Exceeding the approximate maximum distance of 4.5 mm would prevent the lip of the protrusion from fitting in the allotted slot The lip 56 of the protrusion 54 also has a width GW within a range of from approximately 0.3 mm to 4.3 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 3.6 mm, as measured along the Y axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 0.3 mm is required to create a lip to interface with the latching mechanism in the printhead device. The interaction between the lip and the printhead provide a latching mechanism that provides ease of insertion and removal of the tank in the printhead. The lip of the protrusion is one point of constraint to ensure the minimum interference between the fluid connection port and the printhead for reliable flow of ink from the tank to the printhead as well as the minimum interference required to create an evaporative seal between a gasket on the printhead and an area around the fluid connection port. Exceeding the approximate maximum distance of 4.3 mm would prevent the lip of the protrusion from fitting in the allotted slot. The lip 56 of the protrusion 54 further has a height GH within a range of from approximately 0.3 mm to 17.5 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 1.5 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. In the present embodiment, the approximate minimum distance of 0.3 mm is also required to create a lip to interface with the latching mechanism in the printhead device and provide the aforementioned requirements and benefits. Exceeding the approximate maximum distance of 17.5 mm would prevent the lip of the protrusion from fitting in the allotted slot. The lip 56 of the protrusion 54 is displaced from the outer surface 24a of the rear wall 24 by a distance BX no greater than 72.1 mm, and in an exemplary embodiment is 69.8 mm as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body 12.
The lower central recessed cavity 70 extends to an inner wall 70a displaced from the lip 56 of the protrusion 54 by a distance DX no greater than 56.8 mm, as measured along the axis X extending substantially parallel to length of the reservoir body 12. The recessed cavity is required for compatibility in a printhead such that a multi-colored tank and individually colored tanks can be interchangeably used in the same printhead. Within the printhead, ribs are used to separate individual color tanks for guiding each tank into the correct slot in the printhead. For compatibility, the recess must exist in the multi-colored tank so as not to interfere with the separating ribs. Exceeding the maximum distance of 56.8 will result in interference between the separating ribs and the multi-color tank resulting in incompatibility of the multi-color tank and the individual tank in the same printhead. The lower central recessed cavity 70 also has a height NH extending above an outer surface 26b of the bottom wall 26 a distance no less than 12.3 mm, and in a exemplary embodiment is 12.9 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. The minimum height of 12.3 mm is required to prevent the multi-color tank from interfering with the aforementioned separating ribs and preventing the tank compatibility previously described. The lower central recessed cavity 70 further has a width NW no less than 13.8 mm, as measured along the Y axis extending substantially parallel to width of the reservoir body 12. The minimum distance of 13.8 is required to prevent the multi-color tank from interfering with the aforementioned separating ribs and preventing the tank compatibility previously described Each recessed key 82 extends into the rear wall 24 from the rear surface 58a of a respective protuberance 58 through a distance KL within a range of from approximately 3.2 mm to 4.4 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 3.4 mm, as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body 12. The recessed key corresponds to a key feature in the printhead which is used to block a tank from being placed in the wrong position which would cause cross-contamination of the ink leading to poor print quality. The minimum distance of 3.2 mm is required to interface with the key feature in the printhead along the X axis. Each recessed key 82 has a width KW within a range of from approximately 1.8 mm to 10.2 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 2.4 mm, as measured along the Y axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body 12. The recessed key corresponds to a key feature in the printhead which is used to block a tank from being placed in the wrong position which would cause cross-contamination of the ink leading to poor print quality. The minimum distance of 1.8 mm is required to interface with the key feature in the printhead along the Y axis.
An RFID tag mounting recess has a height MH extending below the top cover 16 no greater than 5.0 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. An RFID tag is mounted on the recess in the top cover of the tank such that when positioned under a reader, information can be read and written to the RFID tag. A maximum height of 5 mm is required to stay within the communication range of the reader. The ink tank 10 has a height PH extending between the outer surface 26b of the bottom wall 26 and a top surface 16a of the top cover 16 within a range of from approximately 29.9 to 39.9 and in an exemplary embodiment is 34.9 mm, as measured along the Z axis extending substantially parallel to the height of the reservoir body 12. An RFID tag is mounted on the top of the tank such that when in a position under a reader information can be read and written to the RFID tag. The range of the height of the tank corresponds to range of position in the Z axis that the RFID tag can detect with the stationary reader located in the inkjet printing system.
A central depression 64a in the RFID tag mounting recess 64 has a central axis 64b displaced from the lip 56 of the protrusion 54 by a distance FX within a range of from approximately 33.8 mm to 43.3 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 38.3 mm, as measured along the X axis extending substantially parallel to the length of the reservoir body 12. An RFID tag previously mentioned must be in a position in the X axis such that when the carrier support structure positions the tank below the reader, the reader will be able to recognize its presence. The range of position of the central depression on the tank corresponds to range of position in the X axis that the RFID tag can detect with the stationary reader located in the inkjet printing system. Also, the central axis 64b of the central depression 64a is displaced from the outer surface 20a of the left wall 20 by a distance L within a range of from approximately 15.7 mm to 21.7 mm and in an exemplary embodiment is 18.7 mm, as measured along the Y axis extending substantially parallel to the width of the reservoir body 12. Again, the RFID tag previously mentioned must be in a position in the Y axis such that when the carrier support structure positions the tank below the reader, the reader will be able to recognize its presence. The range of position of the central depression on the tank corresponds to range of position in the Y axis that the RFID tag can detect with the stationary reader located in the inkjet printing system.
The foregoing description of several embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.
