Method and apparatus for pressurizing ink in a printer ink supply using spring force
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsS. Dana Seccombe, Charles R. Steinmetz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a constant pressure ink supply for use in a printing system. The ink supply includes a flexible fluid reservoir for containing a quantity of fluid, and a spring which has an expanded position, and a contracted position. The spring is configured to operatively engage the flexible ink reservoir as the spring transitions from the expanded position to the contracted position and wherein the flexible fluid reservoir is biased by the spring as the spring contracts to produce fluid at a substantially constant fluid pressure at a fluid outlet.
Claims35
An ink supply for providing ink to a printing system, the ink supply comprising:
- a flexible fluid reservoir for containing a quantity of fluid;
- and
- a spring having an expanded position, and a contracted position;
- wherein the spring is configured to operatively engage the flexible fluid reservoir as the spring transitions from the expanded position to the contracted position, and wherein the flexible fluid reservoir is biased by the spring as the spring contracts to produce fluid at a substantially constant fluid pressure at a fluid outlet.
A fluid container for supplying pressurized fluid, comprising:
- a flexible fluid reservoir for containing fluid, the flexible fluid reservoir including a fluid outlet;
- and
- a flat spiral spring having a coiled position defining a spring axis, and an uncoiled position;
- wherein, with the flat spiral spring at least partially in an uncoiled position, the flexible fluid reservoir is operatively engaged by the flat spiral spring such that, as the flat spiral spring transitions from the at least partially uncoiled position to the coiled position, the flexible fluid reservoir is rolled about the spring axis to pressurize the flexible fluid reservoir thereby providing a pressurized source of fluid at the fluid outlet.
A pressurized fluid container, comprising a constant moment spring, the spring having an expanded position and a compressed position, a flexible fluid reservoir disposed and arranged on the spring so that movement of the spring from the expanded position to the compressed position biases the flexible fluid reservoir with a constant bias force to dispense the fluid from a fluid outlet disposed on the flexible fluid reservoir at a constant pressure.
An ink supply system for providing a supply of ink to a printer, the ink supply system comprising:
- a spring-pressurized ink bag for providing a source of ink at constant pressure;
- and
- a pressure regulator in fluid communication between the printhead and the spring-pressurized ink bag;
- wherein the pressure regulator receives ink at a positive pressure from the spring-pressurized ink bag and provides ink at a negative pressure for dispensing from the printhead.
A method for supplying an ink to a printer of the type having a printhead for depositing ink on media, the method comprising the steps of:
- biasing a flexible ink reservoir with a spring force of a spring which operatively engages the flexible ink reservoir, thereby pressurizing the supply of ink to a substantially constant fluid pressure;
- regulating the pressurized supply of ink to a required pressure for the printhead;
- and
- dispensing the supply of ink with the required pressure into the printhead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.