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US 7,607,768 B2Granted
Liquid supply means
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorSteven N Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment, a method of establishing fluidic communication between a liquid supply and a vessel includes drawing a given volume of fluid from the vessel into a chamber, and establishing fluidic communication between the liquid supply and the vessel after drawing the given volume of fluid.
Claims18
A liquid supply apparatus, comprising:
- a wall that substantially defines a reservoir;
- an expandable chamber formed between the wall and a movable piston, wherein the chamber is selectively communicated with the reservoir through an aperture in the wall;
- and
- a portal configured to enable fluidic communication of the chamber with a vessel,
- wherein fluidic communication between the reservoir and the vessel is established through the aperture and the chamber after the piston is moved a predetermined amount, and
- wherein the aperture is blocked by the piston until the chamber expands beyond a given volume and the piston is moved the predetermined amount.
3 more elements
A method of establishing fluidic communication between a liquid supply and a vessel, the method comprising:
- drawing a given volume of fluid from the vessel into a chamber selectively communicated with the liquid supply through an aperture, including expanding the chamber to draw therein the given volume of fluid from the vessel, and blocking the aperture until the given volume of fluid is drawn from the vessel;
- establishing fluidic communication between the liquid supply and the vessel through the aperture and the chamber after drawing the given volume of fluid from the vessel;
- and
- contracting at least a portion of the vessel in response to drawing the given volume of fluid.
1 more element
A method of establishing fluidic communication between a liquid supply and a vessel, the method comprising:
- drawing a given volume of fluid from the vessel into a chamber selectively communicated with the liquid supply through an aperture, including expanding the chamber to draw therein the given volume of fluid from the vessel, and blocking the aperture until the given volume of fluid is drawn from the vessel;
- establishing fluidic communication between the liquid supply and the vessel through the aperture and the chamber after drawing the given volume of fluid from the vessel;
- inserting at least a portion of the vessel inside the chamber;
- and
- after inserting the portion of the vessel, impinging the portion of the vessel against at least a portion of the chamber to expand the chamber.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.