Replaceable fluid cartridge including magnetically operable fluid jet devices

Claim 2

An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing apparatus of the type wherein ink jets in relative motion to a recording medium are operated in response to electrical control signals to deposit drops of ink on the recording medium, comprising: a housing member including a cavity extending substantially throughout said housing member, said cavity forming an ink reservoir for storing ink within said housing member, said housing member being adapted to be replaceably mounted on a support member; and a magnetically operable ink jet mounted on said housing member and communicating with said reservoir to be supplied with ink from said reservoir for directing jets of ink outwardly from said housing member and on to said recording medium, said magnetically operable ink jets being operable in response to a magnetic field coupled to said magnetically operable ink jets from the support member; said support member including magnetic means coupled to said electrical control signals for coupling said magnetic field to said magnetically operable ink jet in response to said electrical control signals; said housing member and said support member being adapted to mate to form a magnetic field path between said magnetic means and said magnetically operable ink jet.

Claim 3

The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said support member is driven to move the ink jets past said recording medium.

Claim 4

An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing apparatus of the type wherein ink jets mounted on a rotationally driven member are operated as they are driven past a recording member which is guided past the rotationally driven member, comprising: a disc member adapted to be removably and coaxially mounted on a turntable adapted to rotationally drive said disc member about its axis, said disc member including a cavity extending substantially throughout said disc member, said cavity forming an ink reservoir for storing ink within said disc member; a magnetically operable ink jet mounted at the periphery of said disc member and communicating with said reservoir to be supplied with ink from said reservoir for directing jets of ink drops radially outward from said disc on to said recording medium, said magnetically operable ink jets being operable in response to a magnetic field coupled to said magnetically operable ink jet from said turntable; and said turntable including magnetic means coupled to said electrical control signals for coupling said magnetic field to said magnetically operable ink jet in response to said electrical control signals; said disc member and said support member being adapted to mate to form a magnetic field path between said magnetic means and said magnetically operable ink jet.

Claim 5

An ink cartridge for an ink jet printing apparatus of the type wherein ink jets mounted on a rotationally driven member are operated as they are driven past a recording member which is guided past the rotationally driven member, comprising: a disc member adapted to be removably and coaxially mounted on a turntable adapted to rotationally drive said disc member about its axis, said disc member including a cavity extending substantially throughout said disc member, said cavity forming an ink reservoir for storing ink within said disc member; a magnetically operable ink jet mounted at the periphery of said disc member and communicating with said reservoir to be supplied with ink from said reservoir for directing jets of ink drops radially outward from said disc on to said recording medium, said magnetically operable ink jets being operable in response to a magnetic field coupled to said magnetically operable ink jet from said turntable; and said turntable including magnetic means coupled to said electrical control signals for coupling said magnetic field to said magnetically operable ink jet in response to said electrical control signals; said disc member and said support member being adapted to mate to form a magnetic field path between said magnetic means and said magnetically operable ink jet.

Claim 6

A printing apparatus wherein ink is deposited on to a recording medium in response to electrical control signals, comprising: a shaft; means for rotationally driving said shaft about its axis; a turntable coaxially mounted on said shaft to be rotationally driven by said shaft; a disc member removably and coaxially mounted on said turntable to be rotationally driven by said turntable said disc member being arranged to serve as a replaceable ink cartridge wherein said disc member includes a magnetically operable ink jet mounted at the periphery of said disc member for directing jets of ink radially outward from said disc, a cavity extending substantially throughout said disc and located generally radially inward from said magnetically operable ink jet, said cavity forming an ink reservoir for storing said ink within said disc member and adapted to supply ink to said magnetically operable ink jet, said magnetically operable ink jet being operable in response to a magnetic field coupled to said magnetically operable ink jet from said turntable said turntable including magnetic means coupled to said electrical control signals for coupling said magnetic field to said magnetically operable ink jet in response to said electrical control signals; said disc member and said turntable being adapted to mate to form a magnetic field path between said magnetic means and said magnetically operable ink jets; and means for guiding said recording medium past the periphery of said disc member.

Claim 7

A printing apparatus wherein ink is deposited on to a recording medium in response to electrical control signals, comprising: a shaft; means for rotationally driving said shaft about its axis; a turntable coaxially mounted on said shaft to be rotationally driven by said shaft; a disc member removably and coaxially mounted on said turntable to be rotationally driven by said turntable said disc member being arranged to serve as a replaceable ink cartridge wherein said disc member includes a magnetically operable ink jet mounted at the periphery of said disc member for directing jets of ink radially outward from said disc, a cavity extending substantially throughout said disc and located generally radially inward from said magnetically operable ink jet, said cavity forming an ink reservoir for storing said ink within said disc member and adapted to supply ink to said magnetically operable ink jet, said magnetically operable ink jet being operable in response to a magnetic field coupled to said magnetically operable ink jet from said turntable said turntable including magnetic means coupled to said electrical control signals for coupling said magnetic field to said magnetically operable ink jet in response to said electrical control signals; said disc member and said turntable being adapted to mate to form a magnetic field path between said magnetic means and said magnetically operable ink jets; and means for guiding said recording medium past the periphery of said disc member.

Claim 8

The printing apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein said magnetically operable ink jet is of the magnetostrictive type.

Claim 9

The printing apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein said magnetically operable ink jet comprises: a tube adapted to channel the flow of said ink having an input at one end for receiving said fluid from said reservoir and a nozzle at the other end for expelling fluid from said tube; a lateral member located within said tube, disposed along the axis of said tube and spanning between opposite wall portions of said tube; said tube and said lateral member forming a passageway for fluid, said passageway having a cross-section comprising an arcuate section, formed from said tube, and a straight line section, formed from said lateral member, spanning said arcuate section; said tube being formed of a magnetostrictive material adapted so that said arcuate section contracts circumferentially in response to a magnetic field passing circumferentially through said arcuate section; said lateral member being adapted so that said straight line section expands laterally in the direction of span in response to a magnetic field passing laterally through said straight line section in the direction of span; said arcuate section and said straight line section being arranged to form a closed loop magnetic path; magnetic pole pieces having opposite polarities located at opposite sides of said tube and adapted to simultaneously induce a magnetic field circumferentially through said arcuate section and laterally through said straight line section in response to said control signal; said cross-section of said tube becoming geometrically distorted in response to said control signal, said volume of said tube decreasing as a result of said geometric distortion of said cross-section, whereby said jets of ink drops are ejected from said jet.

Claim 10

The printing apparatus recited in claim 6 wherein said means for coupling said magnetic field to said ink jet includes a magnetic core adapted to mate proximately with said magnetic field pieces and a coil coupled to said electrical control signals wound around said core.

Claim 11

The printing apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein said cavity is arranged to serve as a fluidic rectifier and includes inner and outer chambers separated by a cylindrical wall, said magnetically operable ink jets being mounted on said wall, said periphery of said disc including an orifice opposite said magnetically operable ink jet through which said jets of ink are ejected, said outer chamber communicating with said inner chamber so that ink within said inner chamber is supplied to said outer chaMber, said outer chamber being adapted to surround the output orifice of said magnetically operable ink jet with ink to inhibit the formation of air bubbles as ink is ejected from said magnetically operable ink jet.

Claim 12

The printing apparatus recited in claim 4 including venting means for equalizing the pressure in said cavity to that of the ambient pressure outside of said disc.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 9 further including a flexible membrance in said cavity.