Conduit construction using films
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorSteven Robert Komplin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a conduit providing fluid communication between respective reservoirs of an ink tank, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a first orifice extending through a first external wall portion of an ink tank defining part of a first ink reservoir of the ink tank; (b) forming a second orifice extending through a second external wall portion of the ink tank defining part of a second ink reservoir of the ink tank; and (c) attaching a substrate over the first and second external wall portions at least about a first continuous seal line surrounding both the first and second orifices to define an external conduit communicatively connecting the first ink reservoir with the second ink reservoir.
Claims3
A method of forming a conduit providing fluid communication between respective reservoirs of an ink tank, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a first orifice extending through a first external wall portion of an ink tank defining part of a first ink reservoir of the ink tank;
- forming a second orifice extending through a second external wall portion of the ink tank defining part of a second ink reservoir of the ink tank;
- and
- attaching a substrate over the first and second external wall portions at least about a first continuous seal line surrounding both the first and second orifices to define an external conduit allowing direct bidirectional communication between the first ink reservoir and the second ink reservoir,
- wherein the first orifice is adjacent to a first backpressure medium occupying at least a portion of an internal volume of the first ink reservoir and the second orifice is in direct communication with free ink occupying at least a portion of an internal volume of the second ink reservoir;
- and wherein further the substrate comprises a polymer film;
- and the film is laminated to an exterior wall of the first ink reservoir and to an exterior wall of the second ink reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.