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US 6,886,928 B2Granted
Ink cartridge and method of production thereof
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsToyonori Sasaki, Yoshitsugu Morita, Hisaki Sakurai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink cartridge includes a main case and a flexible film. The main case includes an ink-holding portion for holding ink. The ink-holding portion has an indented surface portion and an open side. The flexible film covers the open side of the ink-holding portion. The flexible film has a shape that substantially follows shape of the indented surface portion when substantially no ink is held in the ink-holding portion.
Claims25
An ink cartridge, comprising:
- a main case including an ink-holding portion for holding ink, the ink-holding portion having an indented surface portion and an open side, at least a portion of the indented surface portion having a semi-spherical shape with cross-sectional surface area that decreases with distance from the open side of the ink-holding portion, the main case further including an edge portion that encompasses the open side of the ink-holding portion, the edge portion having an inner edge that has one of a circular or ellipsoidal shape and that defines a boundary between the open side and the indented surface portion of the ink-holding portion;
- a flexible film that covers the open side of the ink-holding portion, the flexible film being attached to the edge portion so as to cover the open side of the ink-holding portion, the flexible film having a shape that substantially follows a shape of the indented surface portion when substantially no ink is held in the ink-holding portion;
- and
- a lid for engaging with the main case, the lid having a portion to encompass a bulge of the flexible film.
1 more element
An ink cartridge as claimed in claimed 2, wherein the ink supply port functions as a vacuum-applying hole for applying a vacuum to inside the ink-holding portion.
An ink cartridge as claimed in claimed 2, wherein the flexible film has a shape that substantially follows shape of the indented surface portion even when some ink remains in the valley-shaped portion.
A method of producing an ink cartridge comprising:
- preparing a main case including an ink-holding portion for holding ink, the ink-holding portion having an indented surface portion and an open side, at least a portion of the indented surface portion having a semi-spherical shape with cross-sectional surface area that decreases with distance from the open side of the ink-holding portion, the main case further including an edge portion that encompasses the open side of the ink-holding portion, the edge portion having an inner edge that has one of a circular or ellipsoidal shape and that defines a boundary between the open side and the indented surface portion of the ink-holding portion;
- covering the open side of the ink-holding portion with a flexible film by attaching the flexible film to the edge portion;
- and
- heating, after covering the open side of the ink-holding portion with the flexible film, the flexible film from a side thereof opposite from the ink-holding portion while applying pressure against the flexible film so that the flexible film deforms to have a shape that is symmetric with the shape of the indented surface portion.
1 more element
A method of producing an ink cartridge comprising:
- preparing a main case including an ink-holding portion for holding ink, the ink-holding portion having an indented surface portion and an open side, at least a portion of the indented surface portion having a semi-spherical shape with cross-sectional surface area that decreases with distance from the open side of the ink-holding portion, the main case further including an edge portion that encompasses the open side of the ink-holding portion, the edge portion having an inner edge that has one of a circular or ellipsoidal shape and that defines a boundary between the open side and the indented surface portion of the ink-holding portion;
- covering the open side of the ink-holding portion with a flexible film by attaching the flexible film to the edge portion;
- and
- positioning, after covering the open side of the ink-holding portion with the flexible film, a mold in confrontation with the ink-holding portion covered with flexible film, the confronting surface of the mold having a desired shape;
- and
- heating the flexible film while at least one of increasing pressure in between the ink-holding portion and the flexible film and creating a vacuum between the mold and the flexible film, in order to deform the flexible film to follow the shape of the confronting surface of the mold.
3 more elements
An ink cartridge, comprising:
- a main case including an ink-holding portion for holding ink, the ink-holding portion having an indented surface portion and an open side, at least a portion of the indented surface portion having a semi-spherical shape with cross-sectional surface area that decreases with distance from the open side of the ink-holding portion, the main case further including an edge portion that encompasses the open side of the ink-holding portion, the edge portion having an inner edge that has one of a circular or ellipsoidal shape and that defines a boundary between the open side and the indented surface portion of the ink-holding portion, the main case including a wall formed with an ink supply port, the ink-supply port being in fluid communication with the ink-holding portion and for supplying ink to an external device from inside the ink-holding portion;
- and
- a flexible film that covers the open side of the ink-holding portion, the flexible film being attached to the edge portion so as to cover the open side of the ink-holding portion, the flexible film having a shape that substantially follows a shape of the indented surface portion when substantially no ink is held in the ink-holding portion.
An ink cartridge as claimed in claimed 18, wherein the ink supply port functions as a vacuum-applying hole for applying a vacuum to inside the ink-holding portion.
An ink cartridge, comprising:
- a main case including an ink-holding portion for holding ink, the ink-holding portion having an indented surface portion and an open side, at least a portion of the indented surface portion having a semi-spherical shape with cross-sectional surface area that decreases with distance from the open side of the ink-holding portion, the main case further including an edge portion that encompasses the open side of the ink-holding portion, the edge portion having an inner edge that has one of a circular or ellipsoidal shape and that defines a boundary between the open side and the indented surface portion of the ink-holding portion;
- and
- a flexible film that covers the open side of the ink-holding portion, the flexible film being attached to the edge portion so as to cover the open side of the ink-holding portion, the flexible film having a shape that substantially follows a shape of the indented surface portion when substantially no ink is held in the ink-holding portion, the flexible film including a heat-resistant layer and a thermally fusing layer.
An ink cartridge as claimed in claimed 23, wherein the ink supply port functions as a vacuum-applying hole for applying a vacuum to inside the ink-holding portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.