Patent ID: 7513611
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A station for storing and refilling with ink a cartridge of a printhead having a spongy body to be refilled, comprising: a container with a collection chamber defining a first volume, the collection chamber containing a predetermined quantity of ink for refilling completely the spongy body of said cartridge a plurality of times, said collection chamber being arranged adjacently to a bottom wall of said container, said bottom wall serving as a support platform for said container on a horizontal plane so as to define a vertical operating position of said station, said container having an external shape defining at least one side wall of said container and also being provided with a housing attached to a top wall of said container and suitable for accommodating said cartridge; capillary refilling means having a first end at least partially immersed in said predetermined quantity of ink when said station is arranged in said vertical operating position, and a second end for extending inside the housing and suitable for cooperating with said cartridge for transferring by capillarity said ink from said collection chamber to said spongy body of said cartridge; and a back-flow compartment defining a second volume, the back-flow compartment surrounding said housing and communicating freely with said collection chamber for receiving the ink contained in said collection chamber when said station is turned on from said vertical operating position, wherein the second volume defined by the back-flow compartment is dimensioned and configured with respect to the first volume defined by the collection chamber such that, when said station is tilted from said vertical operating position and placed along any side wall of said container in a tilted position on said horizontal plane, or when said station is turned upside down with respect to said vertical operating position, a sufficient amount of said predetermined quantity of ink flows back from said collection chamber to said back-flow compartment to cause said first end of said capillary refilling means to emerge from said ink, whereby any leakage of ink through said second end of said capillary refilling means is avoided.