Method of filling an ink cartridge with ink and an apparatus thereof
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsSatoshi Shinada, Yuichi Nakamura, Hisashi Koike, Yukiharu Suda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Ink is filled in an ink cartridge having a housing communicating with ambient air through an air communicating hole, a porous member impregnating with ink, an ink supply port, and a valve device including a valve body always urged by a spring and a valve seat abutting against the valve body, and ink is filled in the housing of the ink cartridge through the ink supply port.
Claims26
A method of filling an ink cartridge with ink comprising:
- providing a housing which contains a porous member for impregnating with ink, an ink supply port, and a valve device comprising a valve body always urged by a spring and a valve seat abutting against the valve body;
- and
- filling ink in the housing of the ink cartridge through the ink supply port.
An ink filling apparatus for filling ink in an ink cartridge comprising a housing communicating with ambient air through an air communicating hole, a porous member housed in the housing for impregnating with ink, an ink supply port, and a valve device comprising a valve body always urged by a spring and a valve seat abutting against the valve body, the ink filling apparatus including a base member on which the ink cartridge is set to a predetermined position, wherein the ink filling apparatus comprises:
- an ink filling pipe engageable with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge while keeping airtight and communicating with ink for filling, said ink filling pipe projecting from the base member by a length enough to separate the valve body from the valve seat of the valve device;
- and
- a vacuum device for applying negative pressure to the air communication hole of the ink cartridge.
An ink filling apparatus for filling ink in an ink cartridge comprising a housing communicating with ambient air through an air communicating hole, a porous member housed in the housing for impregnating with ink, an ink supply port, a valve device comprising a valve body always urged by a spring and a valve seat abutting against the valve body, and a detachable sealing member which seals the air communication hole, the ink filling apparatus including a base member on which the ink cartridge is set to a predetermined position, wherein the ink filling apparatus comprises:
- an air exhausting section comprising an exhausting pipe engageable with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge while keeping airtight and communicating with a vacuum device for generating negative pressure, said exhausting pipe projecting from the base member by a length enough to separate the valve body from the valve seat of the valve device;
- and
- an ink filling section comprising an ink filling pipe engageable with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge while keeping airtight and communicating with ink for filling, said ink filling pipe projecting from the base member by a length enough to separate the valve body from the valve seat of the valve device.
An ink filling apparatus for filling ink in an ink cartridge comprising a housing communicating with ambient air through an air communicating hole, a porous member housed in the housing for impregnating with ink, an ink supply port, and a valve device comprising a valve body always urged by a spring and a valve seat abutting against the valve body, the ink filling apparatus including a base member on which the ink cartridge is set to a predetermined position, wherein the ink filling apparatus comprises:
- an ink filling pipe engageable with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge while keeping airtight and communicating with ink for filling and communicating with a vacuum device for generating negative pressure, said ink filling pipe projecting from the base member by a length enough to separate the valve body from the valve seat of the valve device;
- and
- a sealing device for sealing the air communication hole of the ink cartridge.
An ink filling apparatus for filling ink in an ink cartridge comprising a housing communicating with ambient air through an air communicating hole, a porous member housed in the housing for impregnating with ink, an ink supply port, and a valve device comprising a valve body always urged by a spring and a valve seat abutting against the valve body, the ink filling apparatus including:
- an ink filling chamber having an ink filling region and a base member on which the ink cartridge is set to a predetermined position, wherein the ink filling apparatus comprises:
- an air exhausting pipe engageable with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge while keeping airtight, said exhausting pipe projecting from the base member by a length enough to separate the valve body from the valve seat of the valve device;
- an ink filling pipe engageable with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge while keeping airtight and communicating with an ink tank containing ink for filling, said ink filling pipe projecting from the base member by a length enough to separate the valve body from the valve seat of the valve device;
- and
- a coupling device for selectively inserting said air exhausting pipe and said ink filling pipe into the ink supply port of the ink cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.