Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A liquid ink supply cartridge for an ink jet printer containing ink therein and including a printhead with nozzles and an ink inlet, comprising: a housing having a chamber with liquid ink, the chamber having a vent and a wall, the wall having internal and external surfaces and an outlet therethrough; a recess in the external surface of the chamber wall connected to the chamber outlet; a flexible film member having a predetermined thickness and shape and a slot therethrough at a predetermined location, the film member having first and second surfaces coated with a phenolic nitrile thermosetting adhesive highly resistant to attack by the ink, the first surface of the film member being sealingly bonded to the external surface of the chamber wall, so that the recess and outlet are covered by the film member to form a passageway from the outlet to the film member slot; and said printhead being sealingly bonded to the second surface of the film member with the film member slot being aligned with the printhead inlet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
173 words
A liquid ink supply cartridge for an ink jet printer containing ink therein and including a printhead with nozzles and an ink inlet, comprising: a housing having a chamber with liquid ink, the chamber having a vent and a wall, the wall having internal and external surfaces and an outlet therethrough; a recess in the external surface of the chamber wall connected to the chamber outlet; a flexible film member having a predetermined thickness and shape and a slot therethrough at a predetermined location, the film member having first and second surfaces coated with a phenolic nitrile thermosetting adhesive highly resistant to attack by the ink, the first surface of the film member being sealingly bonded to the external surface of the chamber wall, so that the recess and outlet are covered by the film member to form a passageway from the outlet to the film member slot; and said printhead being sealingly bonded to the second surface of the film member with the film member slot being aligned with the printhead inlet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the film member is a film forming polymer having thickness of 4 to 10 mils.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the film forming polymer is a polyester material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the adhesive on the first and second surfaces of the film member is highly resistant to outgassing when the adhesive is being cured, so that no bubbles are formed which interfere with the adhesive bonding or sealing; and wherein the adhesive is flexible after being fully cured, so that stresses induced by the assembly of the cartridge and by the printhead operating temperature fluctuations are prevented.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the cured adhesive has a Shore A durometer of about 55.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the adhesive on both sides of the film member prior to the film member being installed on the chamber external surface is a dried mixture of phenolic resin and nitrile rubber in a solvent, so that the solvent is substantially removed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the dried adhesive has a residual solvent content of less than 0.05%.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the dried adhesive is conformable but does not migrate when heated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
The cartridge of claim 8, wherein the adhesive softens and wets the chamber wall surface having the recess therein at a temperature of 80° C. for about eight seconds with a pressure of about 50-90 psi; and wherein the adhesive tacks the film member to the chamber wall when the adhesive cools to room temperature to prevent movement of the film member relative to the external wall surface of the housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the phenolic nitrile includes the combination of a phenolic resin and nitrile rubber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the phenolic nitrile includes the combination of novolac and nitrile rubber.