# US 6,296,354 B1 · Ink container with plural ink chambers emptied sequentially, and recording apparatus having the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,296,354 B1 - Document ID: US6296354B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 08/969,836 - Filed: 1997-11-13 - Granted: 2001-10-02 - Earliest claimed: 1993-11-09 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kenichirou Hashimoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6296354B1 ## CPC - B41J 2/17513: {Inner structure} - B41J 2/17523: {Ink connection} - B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract An ink container includes at least one partition dividing the container into plural ink chambers connected in series through an ink path in each the partition; an air vent for communicating a first ink chamber with the atmosphere and an ink supply port for supplying ink from a second ink chamber; wherein the ink path in each the partition provides for an ink flow to the supply port that empties each the chamber in the series in turn as ink is supplied from the supply port; wherein the second ink chamber has a volume smaller than another ink chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ink container comprising: at least one partition dividing said ink container into plural ink chambers including at least a first ink chamber and a second ink chamber, said partition defining an ink path connecting said plural ink chambers in series; an air vent for communicating said first ink chamber with atmosphere; and an ink supply port for supplying ink from said second ink chamber to outside; wherein said ink path includes an ink absorbing material and provides for an ink flow to said ink supply port that empties each of said plural ink chambers in said series sequentially as ink is supplied from said ink supply port, wherein said second chamber has a space that directly contains the ink and further has a wall, at least a portion of the wall comprising a light-transmissible material, and wherein said second ink chamber has a horizontally extending cross-sectional area which in use is smaller than that of at least one other of said plural ink chambers so that a change in an ink level in said second ink chamber due to consumption of the ink is greater than that in said one other chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An ink container according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the wall comprising a light-transmissible material is provided with a scale by which a visual observation of an amount of ink remaining in said second ink chamber can be made. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An ink container according to claim 1, wherein said ink absorbing material is continuous. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An ink container according to claim 1, further comprising a wall adjacent said ink path, wherein said ink absorbing material extends along at least said wall and is adjacent to said partition, thereby separating said wall of said ink container from said partition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An ink container according to claim 1, wherein all of said plural ink chambers are arranged side-by-side to form an assembly having two ends, with said first ink chamber at one end of said assembly and said second ink chamber at the other end of said assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A recording head assembly comprising an ink container according to claim 1 and a recording head mounted to said ink container, said recording head having ink communication means for receiving ink from said ink supply port, and ink ejection means for ejecting ink received from said supply port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A recording head assembly according to claim 6, wherein said recording head is detachably mountable to said ink container. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A recording head assembly according to claim 6, wherein said ink ejection means has thermal energy convertors for generating thermal energy for use in ejecting ink. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An ink container according to claim 1, wherein said horizontally extending cross-sectional area extends horizontally in a direction through both of said second chamber and said one other chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An ink container according to claim 1, wherein said second ink chamber constituting an ink reservoir is substantially free of ink absorbing material. ### Claim 11 An ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material using ink ejection means for ejecting ink from a recording head, the apparatus comprising: an ink container for supplying ink to the recording head and having at least one partition dividing said ink container into plural ink chambers including at least a first ink chamber and a second ink chamber, said partition defining an ink path connecting said plural ink chambers in series; an air vent for communicating said first ink chamber with atmosphere; an ink supply port for supplying ink from said second ink chamber to said recording head; scanning means for scanningly moving the recording head relative to the recording material; driving means for driving the ink ejection means of said recording head, and detecting means for detecting whether a remaining amount of ink in said second ink chamber is smaller than a predetermined amount; wherein said ink path includes an ink absorbing material and provides for an ink flow to said ink supply port that empties each of said plural ink chambers in said series sequentially as ink is supplied from said ink supply port, wherein said second chamber has a space that directly contains the ink and further has a wall, at least a portion of the wall comprising a light-transmissible material, and wherein said second ink chamber has a horizontally extending cross-sectional area which in use is smaller than that of at least one other of said plural ink chambers so that a change in an ink level in said second ink chamber due to consumption of ink is greater than that in said one other chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the portion of the wall comprising a light-transmissible material is provided with a scale by which a visual observation of an amount of ink remaining in said second ink chamber can be made. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said ink absorbing material is continuous. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a wall adjacent said ink path, wherein said ink absorbing material extends along at least said wall and is adjacent to said partition, thereby separating said wall of said ink container from said partition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ink ejection means includes thermal energy convertors for generating thermal energy for use in ejecting ink. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said detecting means comprises light emitting means for emitting light to the light-transmissible material and receiving means for receiving the light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said receiving means receives light reflected by the light-transmissible material and by a portion of an inside surface of said second ink chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said receiving means receives the light transmitted through the light transmissible material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising means for notifying an output of said detecting means. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said ink container is integral with said recording head. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said recording head is detachably mountable to said ink container. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said horizontally extending cross-sectional area extends horizontally in a direction through both of said second chamber and said one other chamber. ### Claim 23 (depends on 11) An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, said second ink chamber constituting an ink reservoir is substantially free of ink absorbing material.