Ink cartridge and an ink-jet printer having the same
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorMyung-song Jung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink-jet printer includes an ink cartridge and a carriage. The ink cartridge includes an ink reservoir storing ink, a housing to cover the ink reservoir, a panel-shaped spring disposed between the ink reservoir and the housing, and a strip connected to the panel-shaped spring having sides exposed to an outside of the housing movable when the panel-shaped spring is deformed. Indicator patterns are formed at ends of the sides of the strip to indicate an amount of ink remaining. The ink cartridge also includes strip covers to detect the amount of ink remaining in the ink reservoir; and a carriage on which the ink cartridge is mounted. The carriage includes a detecting unit optically detecting a movement of the strip through an indicator window formed on the strip cover.
Claims23
An ink cartridge comprising:
- an ink reservoir storing ink and comprising a base plate, a cover plate movable toward the base plate, and at least one flexible bag between the base plate and the cover plate;
- a housing having an opening that is combined with the base plate and covers the ink reservoir, and having a slit formed on a side of the housing;
- a panel-shaped spring disposed between the housing and the cover plate and comprising a housing fixing portion fixed to the housing and a plate fixing portion fixed to the cover plate;
- a strip having one portion that is combined with the panel-shaped spring to move when the panel-shaped spring is deformed, and another portion that is exposed to an outside of the housing through the slit of the housing, and an indicator pattern formed on a surface of the exposed portion of the strip;
- and
- a strip cover covering the exposed portion of the strip, and in which an indicator window is formed such that a user observes the indicator pattern as the strip moves.
An ink-jet printer having an ink cartridge and a carriage on which the ink cartridge is mounted, the ink cartridge comprising:
- an ink reservoir storing ink and comprising a base plate, a cover plate movable toward the base plate, and at least one flexible bag between the base plate and the cover plate;
- a housing having an opening that is combined with the base plate and covers the ink reservoir, and having a slit formed on a side of the housing;
- a panel-shaped spring disposed between the housing and the cover plate and comprising a housing fixing portion fixed to the housing and a plate fixing portion fixed to the cover plate;
- a strip having one part that is combined with the panel-shaped spring to move when the panel-shaped spring is deformed, and another portion that is exposed to an outside of the housing through the slit of the housing, and an indicator pattern formed on a surface of the exposed portion of the strip;
- and
- a strip cover covering the exposed portion of the strip, and in which an indicator window is formed allowing a user to observe the indicator pattern as the strip moves,
- wherein the carriage comprises a detecting unit optically detecting a movement of the strip through the indicator window formed on the strip cover.
An ink cartridge, comprising:
- an ink reservoir storing ink;
- a housing covering the ink reservoir;
- a panel-shaped spring disposed between the ink reservoir and the housing;
- a strip connected to the panel-shaped spring having sides exposed to an outside of the housing movable when the panel-shaped spring is deformed;
- indicator patterns formed at ends of the sides of the strip to indicate an amount of ink remaining;
- and
- strip covers attached to both sides of the housing to detect the amount of ink remaining in the ink reservoir.
An ink-jet printer, comprising:
- an ink cartridge comprising:
- an ink reservoir storing ink,
- a housing to cover the ink reservoir,
- a panel-shaped spring disposed between the ink reservoir and the housing,
- a strip connected to the panel-shaped spring having sides exposed to an outside of the housing movable when the panel-shaped spring is deformed,
- indicator patterns formed at ends of the sides of the strip to indicate an amount of ink remaining, and
- strip covers to detect the amount of ink remaining in the ink reservoir;
- and
- a carriage on which the ink cartridge is mounted, the carriage comprising
- a detecting unit optically detecting a movement of the strip through an indicator window formed on the strip cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.