Combined ink family keying for an ink cartridge

(54) Title: INK CARTRIDGE (30) Unionist Priority: 30/01/2007 us 11 / 699,869 (73) Holder (s): hewlett-packard development

COMPANY, LP.

(72) Inventor (s): CurtGonzaies (74) Attorney (s): Antonio Maurício Pedras Arnaud (86) International Request: pct usage8O51262 of 17/01/2008 (87) International Publication: wo 2008 / 094768of 07/08/2008 (57) Abstract: INK CARTRIDGE. In inkjet printers, ink is usually supplied to a print head, through a cartridge, inserted and detachably mounted on the print head and carriage. A more rudimentary operation during insertion and removal of the cartridge by the user, or even a game between the cartridge and the print head or carriage, can cause a loss of communication or print quality due to a poorly made fluid connection. To ensure the alignment and positioning of the cartridge in the carriage, an ink cartridge includes an insertion component located on its rear edge portion. The insertion component is configured to provide a pivoting reference point for inserting the ink cartridge in the carriage.

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26'

ΡΙ0806187-4 ink works by ejecting from an ink head

CARTRIDGE.

Field of the Invention Jet printers of tiny droplets of ink print on a medium, such as paper. The print head usually includes a nozzle plate, which plate includes a plurality of nozzles, through which tiny drops of ink are ejected onto the paper, which collectively form an image. To supply ink to the nozzles, the print head includes a plurality of firing chambers, each of the firing chambers fluidly connected to the respective nozzle through an orifice. Each firing chamber includes a heat generating resistor, which is selectively energized, in order to heat the ink in the chamber creating a bubble. When the bubble expands, some of the ink is forced through the hole, the nozzle against the paper. While there may be a variety of specific printer configurations, the print head and corresponding nozzles are often incorporated into the print carriage on the printer. The print head can be integrated into the carriage, or instead be a removable detachable insert. In any situation, the ink is fed to the head by a cartridge, which fits remarkably in the carriage and in the head, and is fluidly and electrically connected to the carriage and the print head by electrical and fluidic interfaces. The reliability of the head and carriage assembly, and therefore, finally, printed, depends on the image quality in part of an alignment and engagement of fluidic and electrical interfaces.

A defective or improper operation during user insertion and removal of the cartridge, or even if there is a match between cartridge, print head, or carriage, can cause loss of communication (ie loss of print command signal) and / a poor quality print due to a poor fluid connection. To ensure alignment and positioning of the cartridge in the carriage, carriage designs comprise a reference component, to provide a reference component to ensure that the ink cartridge is inserted properly. Thus, the ink cartridge is positioned and correctly engaged in the carriage and / or in the print head, providing suitable fluid or electrical interconnections.

In addition to the reference component, known ink cartridges may comprise a plug-in component to prevent the insertion of an incompatible ink cartridge. In some situations, ink cartridges are universal, and can be used in different families of printers. Some cartridges, however, may contain incompatible inks, which if placed in contact, can solidify and damage the print head and nozzles.

Although ink cartridges vary to a large extent with respect to shape and size, historically they have not had sufficient width and area to accommodate reference and plug-in components. However, it has become increasingly important for cartridges to be narrower, as the width of the cartridge affects the width of the printer, and for narrower cartridges to provide a smaller width to accommodate reference and plug-in components.

The configurations described below were developed in light of these and other problems associated with incorporating both reference components and plug-in components in narrower cartridge configurations.

Brief Description of Drawings

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an inkjet printer, according to a configuration of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an isometric view of an ink cartridge, according to a configuration of the present invention;

Figure 3 illustrates another isometric view of an ink cartridge, according to a configuration of the present invention;

Figure 4 illustrates a partial insertion of an exemplary ink cartridge in a carriage and printhead assembly, according to a configuration of the present invention;

Figure 5 illustrates an example ink cartridge fully inserted in a printhead and carriage assembly, according to a configuration of the present invention;

Figure 6 shows an isometric view of a carriage and print head assembly, according to a configuration of the present invention; and

Figure 7 illustrates an isometric view of a car, having an alignment projection, according to a configuration of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention combined. electrical input, ink results to the set of

The present invention provides an ink cartridge having reference components and plug-in components. The ink cartridge includes an ink inlet, an electrical interconnect, and an ink level prism. The reference components and the combined insert components (insert key component) act as a pivoting reference to provide the guide of the cartridge in the printer carriage. In this way, for ink supply, the interconnection and the level prism are properly aligned with respect to the print head and printer carriage, ensuring adequate electrical and fluid communication.

Figure 1 illustrates an inkjet printer 10 comprising at least one ink cartridge 12 mounted on the printhead assembly 16 and carriage 16. Drops of ink are ejected onto a printing medium, such as paper 18, through the head printing, which generally includes a plurality of nozzles. The print head and the corresponding nozzles are incorporated in the carriage 16, and integrated in the ink cartridge 12, or as shown in figure 1, on the contrary, it is a removable insert mounted in the carriage block 16. In any situation, the ink cartridge 12 supplies ink to the print head assembly 14, which selectively ejects drops of ink onto the paper as the carriage comes and goes, from side to side, in a bi-directional manner.

Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view of an ink cartridge 12, showing a front edge portion 20, a base surface 22, and a first side 24. The ink cartridge 12 includes an ink supply port 26, an interconnect electric 28, and a retaining latch 30, used to secure the ink cartridge 12 to the carriage 16, when it is inserted. In one configuration, the retention latch 30 extends over at least the front edge portion 20 of the ink cartridge 12. In another configuration, as shown in figure 2, the retention latch 30 is a molded structure in a single piece, which covers the extension of the front edge portion 20 and extends across the top surface 32. The ink feed inlet 26 and electrical interconnect 28 are arranged on the base surface 22 and engage reciprocal receptacles (not shown) located on the head 14 and carriage 16, respectively. In the engaged condition, the ink feed inlet 26 and the electrical interconnect 28 provide full fluidic and electrical connectivity between the ink cartridge 14, the head 14, and the carriage 16.

The base surface 22 of the cartridge 12 further includes an ink level prism 34, which acts in combination with an optical sensor 36 (shown in figures 1 and 6) in the carriage 6 to detect whether the ink cartridge 12 has ink. Specifically, optical sensor 36 includes an emitter and detector, where the emitter emits light on one side of the prism.

If there is ink in the cartridge 12, the light is diffused by the ink, diffusing through the cartridge, preventing the light from returning to the detector. If, instead, there is no ink in the cartridge, the light reflects back to the detector, that is, showing that the cartridge is empty. In one configuration, the ink level prism 34 also comprises an inspection window to allow the user to see the amount of ink remaining inside the cartridge.

Figure 3 illustrates another isometric view of the cartridge 12, including a top surface 32, and a rear edge portion 38. The rear edge portion 38 includes a key insert component 40, which provides a pivotable reference point for inserting cartridge 12 in carriage 16. The insertion of the cartridge 12 in the printhead assembly 14 and carriage 16 is shown generally in figures 4 and 5, where figure 4 illustrates a partial insertion of the cartridge 12, and figure 5 illustrates the cartridge 12 fully seated. The arrow 42 indicates the insertion trajectory of the ink cartridge 12 in the carriage assembly 16 and head 14, where the insertion key component 40 engages a receptacle of insert component 44 and provides a pivotal reference point. The ink cartridge 12 is then pivoted downwards to engage the retention latch 30 in the fully seated position, as shown in figure 5. The insert key component 40 provides proper alignment of the ink cartridge 12 in the carriage assembly 16 and print head 14, providing appropriate fluidic and electrical interconnections. For example, with the cartridge properly positioned and seated, the ink feed inlet 26 is fluidly connected to a fluidic interconnect 46, on the print head 14. Similarly, with the cartridge fully seated, electrical interconnect 28 is electrically connected to a electrical interconnection 48 in car 16.

In addition to guiding the movement of the cartridge 12 in the printhead assembly 14 and carriage 16, the insert key component 40 also provides a locking component to prevent the ink cartridge from being incorrectly mounted on the carriage 16. In other words, the insertion key component 40 is configured so that the ink cartridge 12 is inserted and properly fitted to the printhead assembly 14 and carriage 16, if there is a corresponding reciprocal configuration receptacle. Figure 6 illustrates an example of print head 14 and carriage 16 configurations, where head assembly 14 is inserted into carriage 16. The insert key component 40 (as shown in figure 3) has an inverted T configuration, corresponding to the plug-in component receptacle 44, located on the rear surface 50 of the carriage 16 (as shown in figure 6). Those skilled in the art will understand that the key insert component 40 (as shown in figure 6) is of an exemplary nature only. For example, in a configuration, the insert key component 40 and the corresponding slot receptacle in the carriage 16 can assume an L configuration.

Figure 7 illustrates an isometric view of a carriage 16, where the front edge surface 52 of the carriage 16 includes an alignment projection 54. The alignment projection 54 is used in connection with an insertion groove 56 in the cartridge 12 (shown in figure 2) for additional guidance of the ink cartridge slot 12 in the carriage 16. The alignment projection is particularly advantageous for printer configurations, in which the width of the carriage is greater than the width of the cartridge 12. The external projections of the alignment projection 54 engage the insertion groove 56 and position and secure the cartridge 12 in the carriage 16, independently of the side walls of the head 58 (as shown in figures 6 and 7). While the present invention has been shown and described particularly with reference to the preferred configurations, it should be understood by those skilled in the art, that the various alternatives described herein can be applied to the practice of the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, as only defined in the claims. It is intended here that the claims define the scope of the present invention, and that the method and system, within the scope of these claims, are covered by them. The present description of the invention should also be understood as including all new and non-obvious combinations of the described elements, and that the claims will be presented, for this or for further applications, in any new or non-obvious combination of these elements. The above configurations are for illustrative purposes only and no single element per se is essential to all possible combinations that may eventually be claimed for this or other applications. When the claims refer to one or a first element or equivalent thereof, such claims must be taken to include and incorporate one or more of these elements, without requiring or excluding two or more of these elements.