EP0562733A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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An ink container for an ink jet print head
Assignee: Olivetti SpA
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Filing: 1993-03-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-03-09
Abstract
Abstract An ink container (10) for an ink jet print head (12) has a main tank (15) filled with an absorbent fibrous material (16) which holds ink by capillary action. A feed channel (18) conducts ink from the main tank to a feed chamber (19) whence it passes to the head (12). An auxiliary tank (30) is fixed to the side of the main tank (15) and communicates with it by a channel (34) at the end of the main tank having the feed channel. The container can be refilled by inserting ink through an aperture (32) into the auxiliary tank from where it passes into the main tank by capillary action.
Inventors
- 👤 Danilo Ceschin
- 👤 Rinaldo Ferrarotti
- 👤 Roberto Morandotti
- 👤 Alessandro Scardovi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:31
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/17; B41J2/175; B41J2/17503; B41J2/17513; B41J2/17506
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
143 words
An ink container for an ink jet print head, comprising a main tank (15) defined by rigid walls (14) and filled with an aborbent material (16) capable of holding, by capillary action, a suitable amount of ink to feed to said head (12), a feed chamber (19) intermediate between said main tank and said head, and a feed channel (18) connecting said main tank to said feed chamber, characterised by an auxiliary tank (30) capable of receiving from the outside a predetermined amount of ink, said auxiliary tank being fixed to the main tank and having in common with it at least one (14aa) of said rigid walls, and a first channel (34) through said rigid wall connecting said auxiliary tank (30) with the main tank (15) in order to refill said main tank with said predetermined amount of ink by capillary action.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
47 words
A container according to claim 1, in which said absorbent material (16) comprises fibrous material composed of many layers, each layer being formed by fibres packed together so as to form a generally flat structure, said fibrous material being soaked with ink for feeding to said head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A container according to claim 1, in which said absorbent material (16) is composed of a fibrous material having generally parallel fibres (17) packed together so as to create many capillary channels between said fibres, said fibrous material being soaked with ink for feeding to said head with a predetermined pressure drop.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A container according to claim 2 or 3, in which said fibres (17) consist of hydrophilic polyester resins.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A container according to claim 2 or 3, in which said fibres (17) consist of polyamide resins.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
A container according to claim 2 or 3, in which said fibres (17) consist of natural fibres.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A container according to any of claims 2 to 6, in which the cross-section of said fibres (17) is generally circular with a diameter of between 5µm and 100µm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A container according to any of claims 2 to 7, in which said fibres (17) are packed into said main tank (15) with a degree of packing equal to between 2% and 30% of the free internal volume of said tank.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A container according to claim 8, in which said fibres (17) have one end placed in contact with a layer of porous material (27) arranged inside said main tank on a dividing wall (14b) between said main tank and said feed chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A container according to claim 9, in which said layer of porous material (27) comprises a polyether urethane foam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A container according to any of the preceding claims, in which said first channel (34) enters said main tank close to a dividing wall (14b) between said main tank and said feed chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A container according to any of the preceding claims, including a second channel (37) connecting said main tank (15) with said auxiliary tank (30), said second channel being located in normally ink-free parts of said tanks in order to allow air to pass from one tank to the other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
A container according to any of the preceding claims, in which said feed channel (19) comprises a tubular body (21) fired to a dividing wall (14b) between said main tank and said feed chamber and which reaches into the interior of said feed chamber in the direction of said head (12), defining a space (24) against said dividing wall to assist in the collection of possible air bubbles introduced into said chamber through said head.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A container according to claim 13, in which said tubular body (21) communicates with said feed chamber (19) through a hole (22) with a smaller diameter than the diameter of said tubular body, said hole being let into a diaphragm placed at the end of said tubular body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
A container according to claim 14, in which said feed chamber (19) communicates with said head (12) through a slot (20), and said hole (22) is offcentre with respect to said slot (20) by an amount no greater than the external radius of said tubular body, in order to prevent air bubbles from passing through said tubular body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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