Claims
- 1. An inkjet printing system of the type having a replaceable ink supply for providing ink to a printhead, the inkjet printing system comprising:
a semipermanent inkjet printhead having a fluid input for receiving ink and an ejection portion for selectively depositing ink in response to control signals, the inkjet printhead capable of printing a plurality of ink volumes; a replaceable ink supply for storing one of the plurality of ink volumes, the replaceable ink supply configured for providing ink to the inkjet printhead; and an accumulator portion in fluid communication with the inkjet printhead and the replaceable ink supply, the accumulator portion compensates for air introduced into the inkjet printhead to maintain the printhead pressure range within an operating range allowing the printhead to print the plurality of ink volumes without purging air from the inkjet printhead.
- 2. The inkjet printing system of claim 1, wherein the printhead further comprises:
an internal plenum in fluid communication with the ejection portion; and a regulator valve that receives ink from the fluid input and provides ink to the plenum, the regulator valve opens and closes in response to pressure changes in the plenum to maintain a specified negative pressure in the plenum.
- 3. The inkjet printing system of claim 1, wherein the printhead includes an internal plenum in fluid communication with the ejection portion, the fluid accumulator including a flexible member having first and second surfaces, the first surface communicating with an outside atmosphere, the second surface communicating with ink in the internal plenum, the flexible member contracts in response to bubble expansion to maintain a negative internal pressure in the plenum.
- 4. The inkjet printing system of claim 1, further comprising a fluid conduit in fluid communication with the printhead at one end and having the fluid input at the other end.
- 5. The inkjet printing system of claim 1, wherein the semipermanent printhead is capable of printing over the life of at least five ink supplies.
- 6. An inkjet printing system comprising:
a replaceable ink supply for providing a supply volume of ink to a printhead; and a printhead having an ejector portion for ejecting droplets of ink in response to control signals, the printhead including a plenum for providing ink to the ejector portion, the printhead including a valve that provides one way flow of ink from the replaceable ink supply to the printhead, the valve opens and closes in response to pressure changes in the plenum to maintain a negative pressure range in the plenum, the plenum also storing a volume of accumulated air that increases with the use of each replaceable ink supply, the printhead including an accumulator that compensates for expansion of the accumulated air to maintain the negative pressure range in the plenum.
- 7. The inkjet printing system of claim 6, wherein the valve includes a nozzle for allowing ink into the plenum and a valve seat for sealing the nozzle to halt ink flow into the plenum.
- 8. The inkjet printing system of claim 7, wherein the valve seat is mounted to a pivotally mounted lever.
- 9. The inkjet printing system of claim 6, wherein the fluid accumulator includes a flexible member having first and second surfaces, the first surface communicating with an outside atmosphere, the second surface communicating with ink in the internal plenum, the flexible member contracts in response to bubble expansion to maintain a negative internal pressure in the plenum.
- 10. The inkjet printing system of claim 9, wherein the plenum has a negative internal pressure that provides a bias force on the flexible member, the biase force provides opens the valve when the biase force exceeds a certain threshold.
- 11. A printing system, comprising:
a replaceable printhead capable of printing a plurality of ink volumes without purging air from the replaceable printhead, the printhead including an ejector portion for ejecting droplets of ink in response to control signals, the printhead including an internal plenum in communication with the ejector portion, the printhead including an accumulator that compensates for expansion of accumulated air in the plenum, the printhead including a fluid inlet that is fluidically coupled to the plenum for providing ink to the plenum; a fluid conduit having a self-sealing conduit outlet adapted to be fluidically coupled to the fluid inlet, the conduit outlet self-seals when it is uncoupled from the fluid inlet to prevent air from entering the conduit outlet, the fluid conduit including a self-sealing conduit inlet; and a replaceable ink supply having a fluid outlet adapted to be fluidically coupled to the conduit inlet, the conduit inlet self-seals when it is uncoupled from the fluid inlet to prevent air from entering the conduit inlet, the replaceable ink supply including a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid outlet for containing one of the plurality of ink volumes.
- 12. The printing system of claim 11, wherein the fluid conduit includes a portion formed from a high air barrier material having an oxygen permeability characteristic of less than 100 cc·mil/(11 in2·day·atm), at 23° C., 0% Rh.
- 13. The printing system of claim 12, wherein the high air barrier material is a polymer chosen from the group consisting of polyvinylidene choride copolymer, polychlorotrifluouroethylene, and ethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene.
- 14. The printing system of claim 11, further comprising a valve fluidically interposed between and fluidically connecting the fluid outlet and the plenum, the valve opens and closes in response to pressure changes in the plenum to maintain a negative pressure in the plenum to assure proper operation of the ejector portion.
- 15. An apparatus for providing ink to a printing system, the printing system including a semipermanent printhead having an ejector portion for depositing ink in response to control signals, the printhead capable of printing a plurality of ink volumes, the printhead including an internal plenum in communication with the ejector portion, the internal plenum having a negative internal pressure to prevent printhead failure, the plenum including an accumulator portion that is adapted to accommodate expansion and contraction of up to a warehouse volume of air in the plenum while maintaining the negative internal pressure, the internal plenum fluidically coupled to a self-sealing fluid coupling device, the apparatus including:
a reservoir for storing one of the plurality of ink volumes, the reservoir adapted to be releasably mounted to the printing system; a fluid outlet in communication with the reservoir, the fluid outlet adapted to fluidically couple to the fluid coupling device when the reservoir is releasably mounted to the printing system; and wherein ink that flows out of the reservoir, through the fluid outlet, and to the internal plenum when the reservoir is releasably mounted to the printing system, the ink carrying dissolved and free air to the plenum, and wherein the reservoir, the fluid outlet, the and the ink are adapted to provide less than the warehouse volume of air during the life of the printhead without purging air from the printing system.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the accumulator portion includes a flexible member having first and second surfaces, the first surface communicating with an outside atmosphere, the second surface communicating with ink in the internal plenum, the flexible member contracts in response to bubble expansion to maintain a negative internal pressure in the plenum.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the printhead includes a valve in fluid communication with the plenum, the valve is fluidically coupled to the fluid outlet, the valve opens and closes in response to pressure changes in the plenum to maintain a negative pressure range in the plenum that assure proper operation of the ejector portion.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fluid outlet is adapted to introduce less than 0.02 cc of air when it is coupled and uncoupled from the fluid coupling device.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fluid coupling device includes a needle including an outlet hole, the needle is surrounded by a sliding collar, the fluid outlet is adapted to engage the needle and the sliding collar to move the sliding collar from a sealed position wherein the sliding collar seals the outlet hole to a unsealed position wherein the outlet hole is fluidically coupled to the fluid outlet.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the needle and the sliding collar are surrounded by a cylindrical boss, the fluid outlet is sized to be received in the cylindrical boss while providing alignment and proper fluidic connection between the needle and the distal end of the fluid outlet.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the ink includes an additive that reduces the outgas rate of the ink below that of water.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the additive is in a concentration of at least 2 weight percent of the ink.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the additive is in a concentration of at least 10 weight percent of the ink.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the printing system includes a fluid conduit having a first end that is fluidically coupled to the plenum, a second end fluidically coupled to the self-sealing fluid coupling device, and a flexible portion therebetween to allow the first end to scan with the printhead and the self-sealing couping device to be stationary relative to the printhead.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the self-sealing fluid coupling device scans with the printhead.
- 26. An ink delivery apparatus adapted to provide ink to a printing system, the printing system including a printhead having an ejector portion for depositing ink in response to control signals, the printhead including an internal plenum for providing ink to the ejector portion, the printing system including a fluid input associated with the printhead that is fluidicaly coupled to the internal plenum, the printhead capable of printing a plurality of ink volumes, the ink delivery apparatus comprising:
a fluid outlet adapted to fluidically couple to the fluid input; and a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid outlet for containing one of the plurality of ink volumes, the fluid reservoir and the internal plenum fluidically couple to form an ink delivery system for the ejector portion when the fluid outlet is fluidically coupled to the fluid input, the ink delivery system including a fluid accumulator that is adapted to accommodate air introduced to the ink delivery system to allow the printhead to print the plurality of ink volumes without purging air from the inkjet printhead.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the ink delivery system further includes a regulator valve that fluidically couples the fluid reservoir to the printhead, the regulator valve opens and closes in response to pressure changes in the internal plenum to maintain a pressure range that allows proper operation of the ejector portion.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the fluid accumulator is integral to the printhead.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the fluid accumulator is integral to the fluid reservoir.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the fluid accumulator provides an accurate pressure regulation for assuring delivery of ink to the ejector portion having an operating pressure range enabling proper operation of the ejector portion.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is a replaceable ink supply containing between 10 and 100 cc of deliverable ink.
- 32. An ink delivery method for a printing system, the printing system including a semipermanent printhead, the printhead having a fluid input for receiving ink and an ejector portion for ejecting droplets of ink on media, the printhead including a plenum for providing ink to the ejector portion, the plenum having an initial volume of accumulated air, the printhead including an accumulator, the method comprising:
(a) fluidically coupling a first volume of deliverable ink to the fluid input, a first volume of air added to the plenum while the first volume of ink is provided to the ejector portion; (b) compensating for expansion of the initial and the first volumes of accumulated air in the printhead to maintain the printhead at a negative pressure within an operating pressure range; (c) fluidically coupling a second volume of deliverable ink to the fluid input, a second volume of air added to the plenum while the second volume of ink is provided to the ejector portion; and (d) compensating for expansion of the initial, first, and second volumes of air in the printhead to maintain the printhead at a negative pressure within an operating pressure range.
- 33. The ink delivery method of claim 32, further including opening and closing a regulator valve in response to pressure changes in the printhead to maintain a negative pressure in the printhead.
- 34. The ink delivery method of claim 32, wherein the accumulator has first and second surfaces, the first surface in contact with an outside atmosphere, the second surface in contact with the plenum, the plenum exerts a pressure force on the second surface in proportion to the negative gauge pressure in the plenum that tends to pull the second surface into the plenum.
- 35. The ink delivery method of claim 34, further comprising an accumulator lever that exerts a lever force upon the second surface that opposes the pressure force, the accumulator lever pivots to track motion of the second surface as the accumulator expands and contracts in response to the expansion of the accumulated air.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to commonly assigned applications: Patent Application “Printer Using Print Cartridge with Internal Pressure Regulator”, Ser. No. 08/706051, Attorney Docket Number 10960162-1, filed Aug. 30, 1996, Patent Application “Ink-jet Printing System with Off-Axis Ink Supply and High Performance Tubing”, Ser. No. 08/914832, Attorney Docket Number 10960735-2, filed Aug. 19, 1997, Patent Application “Self-Sealing Fluid Interconnect with Double Sealing Septum, Ser. No. 08/566821, Attorney Docket Number 10951185, filed Dec. 4, 1995, and Patent Application “Anti-Outgassing Ink Composition and Method for Using the Same”, Ser. No. 08/608922, Attorney Docket Number 10960214-1, filed Feb. 29, 1996, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09037550 |
Mar 1998 |
US |
Child |
09789047 |
Feb 2001 |
US |