Ink container refurbishment system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsWinthrop D. Childers, Michael L. Bullock, Norman E. Pawlowski, Jr., Jeffrey L. Thielman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Alternative methods for refurbishing a single-use ink delivery container for a printing system are described. The refurbishing methods include electrical and mechanical reconfiguration or replacement of original elements on the ink delivery container. Each method utilizes an existing ink fluid outlet, electrical connector and an information storage device on the ink delivery container.
Claims11
A method for refilling a printer ink container for providing ink to an ink jet printhead of an ink jet printer, the ink container having a sealed housing, a flexible ink reservoir located within the housing and having an ink outlet in fluid communication with the ink reservoir, with the ink outlet being removably connectable to a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the ink jet printhead of the ink jet printer, an air inlet in fluid communication with a space between the housing and the ink reservoir, each of the ink outlet and the air inlet having a protruding stem with a septum, the ink outlet further having a check valve, and the ink container having a memory device connected to electrical contact pads mounted on the housing for communicating information concerning characteristics of the ink in the ink container to the printer, the method comprising:
- (a) connecting an ink conduit to a source of ink and pushing the ink conduit through the septum of the ink outlet, thereby opening the check valve and placing the ink conduit in fluid communication with the ink reservoir;
- (b) refilling the ink reservoir with ink from the source of ink through the ink conduit and ink outlet;
- and
- (c) refurbishing the memory device for providing enabling information to the printer to enable the printer to operate.
A method of refurbishing an ink container for providing ink to an ink jet printhead of an ink jet printing system, the ink container having a fluid outlet including a septum, with the fluid outlet being removably connectable to a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the ink jet printhead of the ink jet printing system, the ink container including a fluid reservoir and a memory device connected to electrical contact pads mounted on the ink container for communicating information concerning characteristics of ink in the ink container to the printing system, comprising:
- displacing a sealing ball from an inside surface of the septum;
- connecting a source of ink to the fluid outlet;
- establishing a flow of ink from the source of ink, past the sealing ball, and to the fluid reservoir;
- and
- refurbishing the memory device for providing enabling information to the printing system to enable the printing system to operate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.