Ink containment system for an ink-jet pen
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsNaoto Kawamura, Timothy L. Weber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A porous foam based ink containment system is provided with grooves defined in the exterior portion thereof, for storing ink, while preventing ink leakage from the ink-jet pen. The grooves provide passageways to allow air diffused throughout the ink and trapped air bubbles within the foam to expand and move to the atmosphere. An atmospheric vent is in fluid communication with at least one of the grooves.
Claims25
A fluid storage device for an ink-jet pen, comprising:
- a porous fluid storage medium having an interior portion and an exterior portion, the medium having pores therethrough for storing ink;
- channels defined by and in the exterior portion of the porous fluid storage medium;
- wherein the channels are connected by linearly discontinuous grooves that extend across the fluid storage medium.
A fluid storage device for an ink-jet pen, comprising:
- a body having substantially flat side walls and a bottom and a vented top;
- and
- a porous fluid storage medium disposed between the side walls and beneath the top, the fluid storage medium having an interior portion and an exterior portion, and channels defined by and in the exterior portion of the porous fluid storage medium, the channels extending in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to a line that extends between the bottom and the top of the body.
A fluid storage device for an ink-jet pen, comprising:
- a porous fluid storage medium having an exterior;
- channels and grooves that are defined by and in the exterior of the medium thereby to form substantially linear rows of protrubences, the rows being offset to establish linearly discontinuous passageways through the rows of protuberances.
A method of storing liquid in a reservoir that has a bottom and a top that is vented to ambient air, comprising the steps of:
- providing in the reservoir a compressible porous fluid storage medium having an interior portion and an exterior portion, the medium having pores therethrough for storing fluid;
- and
- shaping the medium to have channels within the exterior portion of the fluid storage medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.