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US 10,850,521 B2Granted
Ink storage unit having variable volume reservoirs
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsBarret Kammerzell, Marta Coma Vives, Daniel Callejo, Guillem Montero Costa
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Abstract
Herein is disclosed an ink storage unit. The ink storage unit may comprise first and second reservoirs, each having a variable internal volume; a transfer system to transfer ink between the first and second reservoirs such that as ink is transferred from the first reservoir to the second reservoir, the internal volume of the first reservoir decreases and the internal volume of the second reservoir increases.
Claims19
An ink storage unit comprising:
- first and second reservoirs, each having a variable internal volume;
- and
- a transfer system to transfer ink between the first and second reservoirs such that as ink is transferred from the first reservoir to the second reservoir, the internal volume of the first reservoir decreases and the internal volume of the second reservoir increases;
- wherein either of the first and second reservoirs comprises a bag of flexible material that expands to increase internal volume when the transfer system is transferring ink into the bag and contracts to decrease internal volume when the transfer system is transferring ink out of the bag.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- transferring an ink comprising a liquid vehicle having particulates suspended therein from a first reservoir having a variable internal volume to a second reservoir having a variable internal volume, wherein the internal volume of the first reservoir decreases and the internal volume of the second reservoir increases as the ink is transferred;
- wherein ink is transferred in a plurality of cycles from the first reservoir having a variable internal volume to the second reservoir having a variable internal volume and back again, and each cycle has a transfer time period, during which the ink is transferred and a rest time period, during which no ink is being transferred,
- wherein transfer of the ink, based on the rest time period and the transfer time period, keeps the particulates suspended in the liquid vehicle to optimize printing with the ink.
A printer for printing ink, the printer comprising:
- a print head, and
- an ink storage unit comprising:
- first and second reservoirs, each having a variable internal volume,
- a transfer system to transfer ink between the variable-volume reservoirs such that, as ink is transferred from the first reservoir to the second reservoir, the internal volume of the first reservoir decreases and the internal volume of the second reservoir increases;
- wherein the transfer system comprises a bi-directional pumping system disposed along a fluid connection between the first and second reservoirs for selectively circulating the ink from the first reservoir to the second reservoir and then back again through the fluid connection between the first and second reservoirs;
- and
- wherein the transfer system comprises a compression unit to compress the first or second reservoir.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.