Patent Application
20060164465
Some inkjet printing systems utilize replaceable ink supplies, which may be integral with the printheads (replaceable print cartridges, for example) or separate from the printheads (ink tanks, for example). When the printheads are integral to the ink supplies, a print cartridge is replaced each time a new ink supply is needed. When the printheads are separate from the ink supply, only the ink tank is replaced each time a new ink supply is needed. Some inkjet printers now use six different colored individual replaceable ink supplies that fit into six corresponding receptacles in the printer. Installing these new many colored ink supplies can be significantly more complex for many users than installing ink supplies in the more familiar two cartridge system which uses just one black cartridge and one multi-colored cartridge.
Embodiments of the present invention were developed in an effort to make it easier for a user to correctly install a colored ink supply in the corresponding receptacle in the printer. Some embodiments of the invention, therefore, will be described with reference to ink supply containers and inkjet printing. Embodiments of the invention, however, are not limited to use in inkjet printing or with ink. Rather, embodiments of the invention may be used with other printer marking materials and in other printing applications or environments. The exemplary embodiments shown in the figures and described below illustrate but do not limit the invention. Other forms, details, and embodiments may be made and implemented. Hence, the following description should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined in the claims that follow the description.
Each ink supply 12a-12f may also include an integral memory 18 storing information pertaining to the ink supply and the printer. Memory 18 may include non-alterable memory as well as alterable/programmable memory that may be altered/programmed by, for example, the printer controller 20 or a host device connected to printer 10. Supply memory 18 may communicate with printer controller 20 or another device through electrical contacts on the supply when the supply is installed in the corresponding receptacle or through a wireless data link.
Ink from each supply 12a-12f is supplied to printheads 22a and 22b through an ink delivery system 24. Ink delivery system 24 represents generally any suitable structure or mechanism for getting ink from the ink supplies 12a-12f to printheads 22a and 22b. For off-axis ink supplies, ink delivery system 24 may utilize, for example, “trailing tubes” in which flexible tubes connect stationary ink supplies 12a-12f to scanning printheads 22a and 22b, or intermittent “take-a-sip” fluidic connections between the ink supplies 12a-12f and printheads 22a and 22b. For integrated print cartridges in which the ink supply and the printhead are housed in the same container, ink delivery system 24 may simply consist of passages within the container through which ink passes from the supply to the printhead. Ink delivery system 24 may also include one or more pressure regulating devices configured to help insure the reliable delivery of ink to the printheads. Ink delivery system 24 may provide ink to the printheads on a continuous basis or intermittently to refill the printheads during non-printing intervals.
Printer 10 may include a single printhead or multiple printheads (two printheads 22a and 22b are shown). Each printhead may include a single array of ink ejection nozzles for printing a single color, or multiple arrays each for printing a different color. For example, each printhead 22a and 22b in
A typical thermal inkjet printhead 22a and 22b, for example, includes a nozzle plate arrayed with ink ejection nozzles and firing resistors formed on an integrated circuit chip positioned behind the ink ejection nozzles. The ink ejection nozzles are usually arrayed in columns along the nozzle plate. A flexible circuit carries electrical traces from external contact pads to the firing resistors. Each printhead is electrically connected to printer controller 20 through the contact pads. In operation, printer controller 20 selectively energizes the firing resistors through the signal traces. When a firing resistor is energized, ink in a vaporization chamber next to a resistor is vaporized, ejecting a drop of ink through a nozzle on to the print medium 28. The vaporization chamber then refills with ink in preparation for the next ejection.
Each printhead 22a and 22b also often includes one or more mechanisms for controlling ink backpressure, so that ink does not “drool” from the ink ejection nozzles. For example, in
Controller 20 usually controls all aspects of printer 10. Controller 20 receives print data from a computer or other host device and processes that data into printer control information and image data. Controller 20 controls the movement of carriage 26 and media transport 30. As noted above, controller 20 is electrically connected to printheads 22a and 22b to energize the firing resistors to eject ink drops on to print medium 28. By coordinating the relative position of printheads 22a and 22b and medium 28 with the ejection of ink drops, controller 20 produces the desired image on medium 28 according to the print data received from the host device. Controller 20 may also communicate with and control certain functions in ink tanks 12a-12f through electrical contacts in each receptacle 14a-14f.
Referring now also to
Base 41 or wall 44 of each receptacle 40a-40f, or both, are formed from or coated with a colored material that is substantially the same color as the ink contained in the corresponding ink tank 38a-38f. The structural features of receptacles, such as base 41 and wall 44, are usually formed of molded plastic. Such features, therefore, can be molded from pigmented or otherwise colored plastic to form a colored surface 42 or a colored wall 44 or both a colored surface 42 and a colored wall 44. Alternatively, base 41 or wall 44, or both, may be painted or otherwise coated with a coloring that matches the color of the ink contained in the corresponding ink tank. A label covering substantially all of the exposed parts of surface 42 or substantially all of the inside or outside of wall 44, for example, may provide a suitable color coating alternative to painting.
Conventional ink supply receptacles use labels with words or a small color patch, or both, to communicate the appropriate color. Coloring a major feature of the receptacle, such as surface 42 or wall 44 in
As noted at the beginning of this Description, the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures and described above illustrate but do not limit the invention. Other forms, details, and embodiments may be made and implemented. Therefore, the foregoing description should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.
