US 6,206,511 B1 · Multiple-cartridge off-board ink supplies for color ink jet printers

Abstract

A color ink jet printing device has an off-board ink reservoir for each color being printed. Each reservoir comprises at least two separately replaceable cartridges from which ink is supplied under positive pressure to refill replaceable printhead cartridges. A visual indicator is provided for each off-board cartridge to indicate when the cartridge is empty and this indicator is turned on if the ink supply in the cartridge is exhausted during a refill operation. Printing is not stopped until all off-board cartridges holding one color of ink are empty. At this time the empty cartridges that held any color ink, are replaced. After each operator intervention to replace empty cartridges, the volume of each color ink will be (N−1)/N of maximum reservoir capacity where N is an integer greater than one and represents the number of cartridges in the reservoir. The empty status of a reservoir cartridge is determined by sensing the level of ink in the printhead cartridge a fixed time interval after initiation of a refill operation from the reservoir cartridge.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of supplying ink to an ink jet printhead having on-board reservoirs therein for holding inks of different colors, said method comprising:

providing an off-board ink reservoir for each color ink, each reservoir comprising a plurality of off-board cartridges;
for each color ink, supplying ink to the on-board reservoir from a first off-board cartridge until the first off-board cartridge is empty, then supplying ink to the on-board reservoir from a second off-board cartridge until the second off-board cartridge is empty, and so on until all off-board cartridges holding ink of the same color are empty, and,
when all off-board cartridges holding ink of one color are empty, replacing all empty off-board cartridges regardless of the color ink they held.

A color ink jet printing device having a printhead comprising a plurality of on-board cartridges mounted on-board a movable printhead carrier, each cartridge having therein an ink reservoir from which ink is ejected during printing, each reservoir holding ink of a different color, and an ink supply system for refilling the reservoirs in the on-board cartridges, said ink supply system comprising, for each of said on-board cartridges,

an off-board ink supply comprising at least a first and a second off-board cartridge for holding ink of the same color, each off-board cartridge having an associated visual indicator for indicating when it is empty;
a valve having first and second inputs connected to the first and second off-board cartridges and an output connected to a dispensing line through which ink flows to the ink reservoir of the on-board cartridge;
first means for determining when the reservoir in the on-board cartridge is full of ink and when ink in the reservoir therein has reached a refill level at which refilling of the reservoir should be initiated;
and
a controllers said controller including,
second means for determining when an off-board cartridge is empty,
third means, responsive to said first means when the reservoir in the on-board cartridge has reached said refill level, for switching the valve so that ink may flow from the first off-board cartridge to the dispensing line, and
fourth means for turning on the indicator associated with the first off-board cartridge and switching the valve so that ink may flow from the second off-board cartridge to the dispensing line if the second means determines that the first off-board cartridge is empty.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multiple-cartridge off-board ink supplies for color ink jet printers

Life of this patent

Multiple-cartridge off-board ink supplies for color ink jet printers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14