This invention pertains to a fluid reservoir having a sealing device configured to prevent loss of fluid from a port in the fluid reservoir, for example, during shipping or storage. In particular, this invention pertains to a sealing device configured to hold a seal region of the sealing device in place against the port.
Fluid reservoirs, such as inkjet printer ink cartridges, commonly have one or more ports with an opening through which fluid is delivered during use. In order to prevent loss of fluid, for example, by spillage or evaporation during shipping or storage, it is common to provide a cap seal for the port or ports. For cases where the cap seal is a compressible material which needs to be pressed against the port, a sealing retainer may be used to provide the force to compress the seal and hold it in place.
Fluid-ejection printing devices, such as ink jet printers, commonly have at least one fluid reservoir, such as an ink cartridge, and a printhead chassis that supports the ink cartridge. In the case of ink jet printers, the ink cartridge may contain one or more fluid chambers that provide fluid to a printhead die. If the ink cartridge has more than one fluid chamber, each such chamber often retains ink of a different color for multi-color printing. On the other hand, if the ink cartridge has only a single fluid chamber, typically such chamber is used to retain a single ink such as black ink for black-and-white printing.
The printhead die contains nozzles that eject fluid from the ink cartridge onto a substrate and typically is connected directly or indirectly to the chassis. In order to form an image, the printhead die, along with the chassis and the ink cartridge, generally are moved by a printhead carriage in a lateral direction across a width of a substrate, such as paper, as fluid is ejected from the printhead die. After the printhead die forms a row-portion of the image along the width of the substrate, the substrate is advanced in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction along a length of the substrate, so that the printhead die can form a subsequent row-portion of the image. This process of advancing the substrate for each row-portion is repeated until a next substrate is needed or the image is completed.
When a fluid chamber in the ink cartridge runs out of ink, a user is charged with the responsibility of removing the empty ink cartridge from the chassis and replacing it with a full ink cartridge. The task of replacing an ink cartridge must be simple and clean. For example, fluid should not be allowed to stain the user's hands. The design of the seal retainer must be such that it is easy to remove the seal retainer from the ink cartridge in such a way that the user's fingers do not come into contact with ink.
In addition, some designs of ink cartridges, or other types of fluid reservoirs, have a data storage device mounted on the reservoir. The data storage device tracks ink usage during printing, as well as other data such as ink type and manufacturing date of the reservoir. Recent commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/614,160, Attorney Docket No. 92450, filed Dec. 21, 2006 by W. Trafton et al., describes a mounting arrangement in which the data storage device is mounted on a pedestal that protrudes from the reservoir body. An advantage of such an arrangement is that the pedestal may protrude into or through a corresponding opening in the body of the printhead chassis. In this way, electronic connection can be made from the data storage device on the ink cartridge directly to a connector on the printhead carriage, and optionally from there to electronics in the printer body. While such a mounting arrangement provides advantages when the ink cartridge is installed into the printer, the data storage device on the pedestal can be susceptible to damage if the ink cartridge is dropped. Furthermore, there are alignment features on the reservoir body that could also be damaged if the cartridge is dropped or otherwise mishandled.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a cap seal retainer solution that allows a user to simply and cleanly remove the a shipping cap seal from a new ink cartridge and also that provides protection to the data storage device, and optionally to one or more alignment features.
The above-described problems are addressed and a technical solution is achieved in the art by a sealing device configured to seal a fluid-discharge port of a fluid reservoir for an ink jet printer, according to various embodiments of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing device includes a latching feature configured to facilitate latching of the sealing device to the fluid reservoir; a first region configured to seal or substantially seal the fluid-discharge port from fluid loss when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir; and a second region configured to protect a circuit device, which may be a data storage device, on the fluid reservoir when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Accordingly, protection of the circuit device exists whenever the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Because the circuit device needs protection when the fluid reservoir is not installed into a printhead chassis, and because the sealing device is configured to be latched to the fluid reservoir when the reservoir is not installed into the printhead chassis, the presently disclosed sealing device provides an effective solution to not only sealing the fluid-discharge ports on the fluid reservoir, but also protecting the circuit device.
In addition, the sealing device may further include a third region configured to protect an alignment feature on the fluid reservoir when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. In this regard, the presently disclosed sealing device also provides an effective solution for protecting alignment features of the fluid reservoir.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the latching feature is a first latching feature, and the sealing device may further include a second latching feature configured to facilitate latching of the sealing device to the fluid reservoir, the second latching feature located on an opposite side of the sealing device as the first latching feature. In addition, the sealing device may further include a third latching feature configured to facilitate latching of the sealing device to the fluid reservoir, the third latching feature located on a same side of the sealing device as the second latching feature. Also, the second and third latching features may be located on or substantially on opposites ends of a same side of the sealing device.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second region may be configured to extend beyond the circuit device when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. In this regard, the second region may include an opening configured to provide access to the circuit device when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing device further includes a force reception region configured to receive an unlatching force, the unlatching force causing the sealing device to be unlatched from the fluid reservoir. The force reception region may be greater than approximately 2 cm from a surface on which the first region is located. In addition or in the alternative, the force reception region, upon receipt of the unlatching force, may be configured to cause the first region to move angularly away from a plane parallel to the first region when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Also, the force reception region, upon receipt of the unlatching force, may be configured to cause the sealing device to pivot about an axis that runs through the first latching feature.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first region may include a compliant region configured to facilitate sealing or substantially sealing the fluid-discharge port from fluid loss when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. The compliant region may be formed of an elastomeric material and/or may be formed of a material different from another portion of the first region. The other portion of the first region may be formed by injection molding. Also, the first region may further include an opening, and the compliant region may protrude through the opening of the first region. The opening in the first region may be triangular or substantially triangular in shape.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing device may further include a fourth region located between the first latching feature and the first region. According to this embodiment, the first region resides within or substantially within a first plane, and the fourth region resides within or substantially within a second plane, such that the first plane and the second plane intersect, and the second plane, in a direction toward the first latching feature, is tilted away from a location in which the fluid reservoir is configured to reside when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir.
In addition, the fourth region may include two arms having an opening between them. Such arms may approach the first latching feature, and may symmetrically or substantially symmetrically approach the first latching feature. Also, the arms may have a “U” shape.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first region is configured to seal a plurality of fluid-discharge ports in the fluid reservoir. In this case, the second region may be configured to extend beyond the circuit device when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir, and the second region may include an opening configured to provide access to the circuit device when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. In this regard, the second region may include a first opening and a second opening, the second opening having a position and shape symmetrical or substantially symmetrical to the first opening.
In an embodiment where the first region is configured to seal a plurality of fluid-discharge ports in the fluid reservoir, the first region may include a wall configured to surround the fluid discharge ports. The wall may have a uniform or a substantially uniform height.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing device is symmetrical about a plane. The plane may pass through the first latch and a center or an approximate center of the first region.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first latching feature, the second latching feature, and the third latching feature may be located above the first region, wherein “above” is in a direction towards the fluid discharge port relative to the first region when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Also, the first latching feature, the second latching feature, and the third latching feature may be formed along or substantially along a plane, said plane being parallel or substantially parallel to a plane in which the first region resides.
In addition to the embodiments described above, further embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed description.
The present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments presented below considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, of which:
It is to be understood that the attached drawings are for purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention and may not be to scale.
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a sealing device that not only seals fluid-ejection ports on a fluid reservoir, but also protects at least a circuit device on the fluid reservoir when the retainer is latched to the fluid reservoir. Although examples of the present invention are provided in the context of a fluid reservoir being an ink jet ink cartridge, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable more generally to sealing members for ports of fluid reservoirs.
Fluid reservoir 20 is shown as having a lid 30 in the example shown in
Lid 30 may be affixed to the reservoir body 22 by vibration welding or other means of adhering the lid to the reservoir body, such as ultrasonic welding. One or more labels 36 may be applied to the top surface of the lid 30. Ink or fluids of various types are typically held in the various chambers of the fluid reservoir.
When sealing member 52 is installed into the sealing region 83 of the retainer 54, and when the retainer 54 is latched in place on fluid reservoir 20 (as in
To assist in providing these securing and upward forces, the seal region 83 may be located within a first plane 80 (shown in
Further in this regard, the latching features 51, 55a, and 55b may be located above the seal region 83, where “above” is in a direction towards the fluid discharge port relative to the first region when the sealing device is latched to the fluid reservoir. Having the latching features 51, 55a, and 55b above the seal region 83 further facilitates the provision of the biasing force.
Still further in this regard, the latching features 51, 55a, and 55b may be formed along or substantially along a plane 85 (shown in
Further, the region 79 may include two arms 53 with an opening 82 therebetween. The two arms 53 may symmetrically or substantially symmetrically approach latching feature 51. In addition, although not shown in the figures, the arms 53 may have a “U” shape when viewed along a cross-section parallel to axis 77. Forming region 79 with arms 53, as opposed to forming a solid region, can reduce manufacturing costs, and provide an appropriate distribution of forces on the sealing member 52 when latched, without requiring excessive force to unlatch retainer 54. In addition, forming the arms 53 in a “U” shape can provide further benefits for these same reasons. Forming the arms 53 to extend symmetrically or substantially symmetrically towards the latching feature 51 can facilitate providing a balanced biasing force to press the port seals 70 against the corresponding ports 24.
Further in regard to a balanced biasing force and reduced manufacturing costs, the sealing device 50 may be formed symmetrically or substantially symmetrically about a plane 84 that bisects the sealing device 54 in a direction perpendicular to the plane 80 in which the seal region 83 resides.
As shown in
Also shown in
Openings 57a, 57b are optionally provided in order to allow electrical contact to be made with the circuit device 29 and another circuit device while the sealing device 50 is latched to the fluid reservoir 20. Such an arrangement allows, among other things, reading of the circuit device 29 while the fluid reservoir 20 is not loaded into the printhead chassis 10 and while the sealing device 50 is latched to the fluid reservoir.
Regions 75 (see
Although the examples above discuss embodiments of a sealing device for a multi-chamber fluid reservoir 20, it is to be understood that at least many of the same considerations and advantages apply to a single chamber fluid reservoir. In this regard,
It is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above-described embodiments can be devised by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that all such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
10 Printhead chassis
11 Opening in chassis wall p 12 Region for multi-chamber cartridge
13 Opening in chassis wall
14 Region for single chamber cartridge
15 Opening in chassis wall
16 Partition
17 Opening in chassis wall
18 Fluid reception port
19 Opening in chassis wall
20 Multi-chamber ink cartridge/fluid reservoir
21 Protrusion alignment feature of a first type
22 Reservoir body
23 Protrusion alignment feature of a second type
24 Fluid discharge port
25 Latch catch
26 Outer rim of fluid discharge port
29 Circuit device
30 Lid
31 Pedestal
33 Fluid reservoir latching lever
35 Latch catch
36 Label
42 Capillary media
44 Wick
45 Bottom surface of wick
46 Wick opening
50 Sealing device
51 Latching feature
52 Sealing member
53 Ann
54 Retainer
55 Latching feature
56 Sealing device lever/Force reception region
57 Opening in retainer 54
58 Bottom surface of seal region
59 Hole for retaining protuberance
60 Arrow
61 Wall around seal region
62 Direction arrow
63 Raised portion of seal region
70 Port seal
72 Sealing member base
73 Protuberance
74 Protection region for the circuit device 29
75 Protection region for protrusion alignment feature of the first type 21
76 Protection region for protrusion alignment feature of the second type 23
77 Axis through latching feature 51
79 Region between latching feature 51 and seal region 83
80 Plane in which the seal region 83 resides
81 Plane in which the region 79 resides
82 Opening in the region 79
83 Seal region
84 Plane bisecting the retainer 54
85 Plane in which latching features 51, 55 reside
This application is a continuation of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/679,860, filed Feb. 28, 2007, still pending, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11679860 | Feb 2007 | US |
Child | 13013936 | US |