Ink Containment System and Ink Level Sensing System for an Inkjet Cartridge

An inkjet cartridge having an ink containment system for storing ink for printing, the inkjet cartridge, comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of walls;
• a rigid moveable plate disposed within the housing;
• a flexible membrane having a peripheral edge secured to a surface within the housing and the membrane is also secured to a surface of the plate forming an ink reservoir within the housing, plate and flexible membrane;
• a spring-biased mechanism disposed within the ink reservoir for biasing the plate to generate a negative pressure in the ink reservoir;
• and,
• a recess in the ink reservoir in which the spring-biased mechanism is seated and the recess having a depth sufficient for receiving the spring-biased mechanism when ink is ejected from the cartridge and the ink reservoir collapses.

An inkjet cartridge having an ink containment system for storing ink for printing, the inkjet cartridge comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of walls;
• a collapsible ink reservoir secured within the housing for storing ink and adapted for generating a negative pressure therein;
• and,
• a printhead having a plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with the ink reservoir and there being a fluid head pressure at the nozzles when the inkjet cartridge and printhead are disposed in a horizontal printing position which fluid head pressure is substantially the same as a fluid head pressure at the nozzles when the inkjet cartridge and printhead are disposed in a vertical printing.

An inkjet cartridge including a collapsible ink reservoir, the inkjet cartridge comprising:

• a basin member having an outer peripheral edge;
• a flexible membrane having a peripheral edge affixed to a surface of the basin member;
• a moveable plate wherein the flexible membrane is also affixed to the moveable plate and wherein the surface of the basin member, flexible membrane and the moveable plate define the collapsible ink reservoir;
• a spring-biased mechanism, disposed between the basin member and the plate, for biasing the plate away from the basin member thereby generating a negative pressure within the ink reservoir and the basin member remains stationary relative to the movement of the plate;
• and,
• wherein the flexible membrane and moveable plate are substantially flush with a surface of the basin member in the ink reservoir when the ink reservoir collapses from ink depletion of ink from the ink reservoir.

An inkjet cartridge, comprising:

• a basin member having an outer peripheral edge along a rim of the basin member, a middle section displaced relative to the rim of the basin member and an annular sloped wall that is integral to the rim and the middle section forming a bowl-like configuration;
• flexible membrane having a peripheral edge affixed to the rim of the basin member;
• a moveable plate with the flexible membrane also affixed to the moveable plate wherein a surface of the basin member, flexible membrane and the moveable plate define an ink reservoir disposed;
• a spring-biased mechanism, disposed between the basin member and the plate, for biasing the plate away from the basin member thereby generating a negative pressure within the ink reservoir and the basin member remains stationary relative to the movement of the plate;
• and,
• wherein, when the ink reservoir collapses from ink being depleted from the ink reservoir the flexible membrane and moveable plate are substantially flush with the wall and middle section of the basin member.