Multiple-chamber cartridge with varying porous member compression
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorBruce S. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink tank cartridge (A) includes a housing (10) having a plurality of walls forming a cavity. Divider walls (22, 24) divide the cavity into first, second and third chambers (26, 29, 30). Removable spacers (40, 70, 90) further divide each chamber into substantially equally sized sub-chambers (42, 47, 48, 44, 45, 46). Ink absorbing members (100, 102, 104) are inserted into the sub-chambers. The ink absorbing members are compressed by the removable spacers to regulate the flow of ink therethrough. Each of the chambers is filled with inks of different viscosities. The ink absorbing members are compressed in proportion to the viscosity of the ink carried by the ink absorbing member.
Claims18
An ink tank cartridge for an associated ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of walls forming a cavity;
- a first divider wall dividing said cavity into chambers;
- a pair of spacers further dividing each chamber into sub-chambers;
- and,
- first and second ink absorbing members each of which is inserted into one of said sub-chambers formed by said spacers, wherein said ink absorbing members are compressed by said spacers to regulate the flow of ink through said ink absorbing members.
An ink tank cartridge for an ink-jet type recording apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of walls forming a cavity;
- first and second divider walls dividing said cavity into first, second, and third chambers;
- first, second, and third spacers further dividing each chamber into sub-chambers, each spacer comprises a first leg, a second leg, and a wall hingedly connected between said legs;
- and,
- first, second, and third ink absorbing members, each of which is inserted into one of said sub-chambers formed by said spacers, wherein said ink absorbing members are compressed by said spacers to regulate the flow of ink through said ink absorbing members.
An ink tank cartridge for an ink-jet type recording apparatus comprising;
- a housing comprising a plurality of walls forming a cavity;
- first and second divider walls dividing said cavity into first, second, and third chambers;
- first, second, and third removable spacers each of which is inserted into one of said chambers, said spacers further divide each chamber into substantially equally sized smaller sub-chambers;
- first, second, and third ink absorbing members each of which is inserted into one of said sub-chambers formed by said spacers;
- wherein said ink absorbing members are impregnated with ink of differing viscosities;
- wherein lengths of said spacers vary in proportion to the viscosities of the inks impregnated in said ink absorbing members;
- wherein said ink absorbing members are compressed by said spacers in proportion to the viscosities of the inks within said ink absorbing members.
A method of controlling ink flow in a multi-chambered ink cartridge containing inks of different viscosities, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing ink in ink absorbing members in respective chambers of the ink cartridge;
- and,
- regulating a flow rate of ink stored in the ink absorbing members in proportion to the ink viscosity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.