Ink cartridge for ink jet recording device
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsHisashi Miyazawa, Yasuto Sakai, Satoshi Shinada, Atsushi Kobayashi
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Abstract
An ink cartridge for an ink jet recording device, includes: a container having an ink supply port; at least two ink chambers partitioned in the container, one being located substantially in an upper section and the other being located substantially in a lower section; an ink suction passage connecting a bottom region of the lower section ink chamber to a bottom region of the upper section ink chamber; and a negative pressure generating mechanism provided to a flow passage connecting the upper section ink chamber to the ink supply port.
Claims14
A method of injecting ink into an ink cartridge for an ink jet recording device having a recording head, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the ink cartridge comprising:
- a container including:
- a lower section ink chamber;
- an upper section ink chamber;
- an ink supply port, disposed on a bottom wall of the container, for supplying ink to the recording head;
- an ink suction passage fluidly connecting the lower section ink chamber to the upper section ink chamber, and having an upper end opening disposed proximate a bottom of the upper section ink chamber and a lower end opening disposed proximate a bottom of the lower section ink chamber;
- a first ink injection port formed through the bottom wall of the container, opened at the bottom of the lower section ink chamber, and facing the lower end opening:
- a second ink injection port formed through the bottom wall of the container, and opened at the bottom of the lower section ink chamber;
- an ink flow passage fluidly connecting the upper section ink chamber to the ink supply port;
- and
- an air communication passage for fluid communication with the lower section ink chamber and the ambient atmosphere;
- a differential pressure valve having a membrane member, which is disposed in the container and disposed within the ink flow passage;
- and
- an air communication valve disposed in the container and disposed within the air communication passage;
- injecting ink from the lower end opening through the ink suction passage and the upper end opening into the upper section ink chamber using the first ink injection port.
An ink cartridge for an ink jet recording device having a recording head, the ink cartridge comprising:
- a container including:
- an ink chamber;
- an ink supply port for supplying ink to the recording head;
- an ink flow passage connecting the ink supply port to the ink chamber:
- an air communication passage for fluid communication with the ink chamber and the ambient atmosphere, the air communication passage having an opening serving as a valve seat;
- and
- a window;
- an elastically deformable film member sealing the window;
- and
- an air communication valve including:
- a slider having a first end proximate the elastically deformable film member and a second end proximate the opening;
- a valve body disposed at the second end of the slider and urged to close the opening,
- wherein the slider can be pressed via the elastically deformable film member and the first end from a position exterior to the ink cartridge to move the valve body via the second end, to thereby open the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.