US 5,633,667 A · Ink cartridge for printer

Abstract

A self-aligning ring for receipt within the ink supply port of an ink cartridge is provided. The ring includes, on the side thereof facing the interior of the ink cartridge, a first annular seal member whose inner diameter is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of an ink supply needle of a recording head, and on the side thereof facing the exterior of the ink cartridge, the ring includes a second annular seal member whose outer diameter is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the ink supply port. The seal members are connected by a thin flexible connecting member. If the ink supply needle is not positioned precisely coaxial with respect to the ink supply port, or even if the ink supply needle is not positioned precisely perpendicular to a recording head, the first annular seal member is displaced to conform with the ink supply needle position by deforming only the thin connecting member, and is hermetically fitted to the ink supply needle. Thus, ink is prevented from leaking from this seal. Where a multichannel ink cartridge for color printing is provided, a self-aligning ring would be mounted in the ink supply port of each compartment for cooperation with an associated ink supply needle.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink supply needle of a recording head, comprising:

an ink cartridge main body having a plurality of walls;
an ink supply port disposed in a wall of said ink cartridge main body and communicating from an interior to an exterior of said ink cartridge for the flow of ink therethrough, said ink supply port defining a stepped insertion hole, said stepped insertion hole comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter greater than said first diameter;
and
a self-aligning ring mounted within said ink supply port and having an interior facing side and an exterior facing side, said self-aligning ring further comprising:
a first annular seal member on the interior facing side of said self-aligning ring and having an inner diameter less than an outer diameter of said ink supply needle;
a second annular seal member on the exterior facing side of said self-aligning ring and having an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of said second portion of said stepped insertion hole of said ink supply port;
and
a flexible connecting member coupling said first annular seal member and said second annular seal member to permit essentially lateral displacement of said first annular seal member relative to said second annular seal member in said ink supply port.

5 more elements

An ink cartridge for mounting on a recording head having at least two ink supply needles, comprising:

at least two ink cartridge main bodies joined as a unit, each ink cartridge main body having an exterior wall;
an ink supply port in said exterior wall of each of said ink cartridge main bodies so as to be in essential registration with one of said ink supply needles, said ink supply port communicating from an interior to an exterior of its respective ink cartridge main bodies for the flow of ink therethrough, each of said ink supply ports defining a stepped insertion hole, said stepped insertion hole comprising a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter greater than said first diameter;
and
a respective self-aligning ring mounted within each said ink supply port and having an interior facing side and an exterior facing side, said self-aligning rings further comprising:
a first annular seal member on the interior facing side of said self-aligning ring and having an inner diameter less than an outer diameter of the associated ink supply needle;
a second annular seal member on the exterior facing side of said self-aligning ring and having an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of said second portion of said stepped insertion hole of the associated ink supply port;
and
a flexible connecting member coupling said first annular seal member and said second annular seal member to permit essentially lateral displacement of said first annular seal member relative to said second annular seal member in the associated ink supply port.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ink cartridge for printer

Life of this patent

Ink cartridge for printer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18