US 5,703,633 AGranted

Ink container with a capillary action member

AssigneeDia Nielsen GmbH Zubehoer fuer Messtechnik

InventorsUdo Gehrer, Rolf Gibbels, Heinz-Josef Frenken

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Abstract

A simple and economical construction and a reliable function is obtained for an ink container or ink pot with an ink reservoir by a closure coupling member that closes the ink withdrawal opening of the pot. The closure and coupling member has a capillary action for transporting ink. The pot includes an ink chamber with a capillary body so positioned inside the ink chamber that the open front face or first end of the capillary body is in direct contact with the ink while a back side of the capillary body communicates through a vent with the atmosphere. The chamber encloses the capillary body so that air can enter into the ink reservoir only through the capillary body to properly control the ink transport. For this purpose the capillary body functions as a pressure equalizer. The coupling member has a larger capillary action than the capillary body to make sure that ink is properly fed through the capillary coupling member to an ink consuming device.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An ink container for dispensing ink comprising an ink container forming a reservoir for containing ink in said reservoir, an ink withdrawal opening, a capillary coupling member for closing said withdrawal opening, a chamber including a vent to atmosphere and an open end, a capillary body in said chamber, said capillary body having a first capillarity, said capillary body further having a first end and a second end and at least one squeezed section beginning at said first end and extending lengthwise of said capillary body, said capillary coupling member for closing said ink withdrawal opening having a second capillarity larger than said first capillarity of said capillary body for preventing entry of air into said ink reservoir through said coupling member, said chamber having the capillary body being arranged inside said ink container so that said first end of said capillary body faces said open end of said chamber for direct contact with ink in said ink reservoir and so that said second end of said capillary body communicates through said vent with the atmosphere, said chamber enclosing said capillary body so that air can enter into said ink reservoir only through capillary ducts in said capillary body and contact between said capillary coupling member and said capillary body is avoided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.