Ink cartridges
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShingo Hattori, Hiroto Sugahara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink cartridge includes a case including a front face and a rear face opposite the front face, an ink supply portion positioned at the front face of the case, an air intake portion positioned at the case, and a movable member configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to the case. The ink cartridge also includes a resilient member having a first end which is coupled to the front face of the case and a second end which is coupled to the movable member. The movable and member and the resilient member are positioned outside the case. Moreover, the resilient member is configured to expand and to contract to move the movable member relative to the case between the first position and the second position.
Claims17
An ink cartridge, comprising:
- a case comprising a front face and a rear face opposite the front face, wherein the case has at least a portion of an ink chamber defined therein, and the ink chamber is configured to store ink;
- an ink supply portion positioned at the front face of the case, wherein the ink supply portion is configured to dispense ink from an interior of the ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber;
- an air intake portion positioned at the case, wherein the air intake portion is configured to draw air into the ink chamber, such that air contacts ink stored in the ink chamber;
- a movable member positioned outside the case, and configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to the case, the movable member having a particular opening formed therethrough, wherein the ink supply portion is separated from the particular opening when the movable member is in the first position, and at least one of a portion of the ink supply portion and a portion of the ink chamber is positioned within the particular opening when the movable member is in the second position, and the particular opening has a predetermined size;
- and
- at least one resilient member positioned outside the case, wherein the at least one resilient member has a first end which is coupled to the front face of the case and a second end which is coupled to the movable member, wherein the at least one resilient member is configured to expand and to contract to move the movable member relative to the case between the first position and the second position.
An ink cartridge, comprising:
- a case having at least a portion of an ink chamber defined therein, wherein the ink chamber is configured to store ink;
- an ink supply portion positioned at the case, wherein the ink supply portion is configured to dispense ink from an interior of the ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber;
- an air intake portion positioned at the case, wherein the air intake portion is configured to draw air into the ink chamber, such that air contacts ink stored in the ink chamber
- a movable member positioned outside the case, and configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to the case, the movable member having a particular opening formed therethrough, wherein the ink supply portion is separated from the particular opening when the movable member is in the first position, and at least one of a portion of the ink supply portion and a portion of the ink chamber is positioned within the particular opening when the movable member is in the second position, and the particular opening has a predetermined size;
- and
- at least one resilient member positioned outside the case, wherein the at least one resilient member has a first end which is coupled to the case and a second end which is coupled to the movable member, wherein the at least one resilient member is configured to expand in an expansion direction and to contract in a contraction direction opposite the expansion direction to move the movable member relative to the case between the first position and the second position, and a shape of the case in the expansion and contraction directions is unaltered when the at least one resilient member expands and contracts, wherein the entire moveable member is configured to substantially simultaneously move in a first direction relative to the case when the at least one resilient member expands, and the entire moveable member is configured to substantially simultaneously move in a second direction opposite the first direction when the at least one resilient member contracts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.