Patent ID: 6068370
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing system with an off-axis ink supply system, comprising:a printer housing;transporting system for transporting a print medium along a medium path to a print area;a scanning carriage holding a printing cartridge, the cartridge including a printhead;a carriage scanning apparatus coupled to the carriage for moving the carriage along a scanning axis transverse to the medium path to pass the carriage through a path of travel which defines a carriage scan swept volume;an off-axis ink supply station mounted in a fixed position relative to the printer housing, said off-axis ink supply station is disposed on a supply station side of the scanning axis;a fluid conduit apparatus extending between said carriage and said off-axis ink supply station to provide an ink replenishment path for said printer cartridge;and wherein said fluid conduit apparatus is routed between said carriage and said off-axis supply station within a volume defined by said housing such that a loop is formed in said fluid conduit apparatus which dynamically flexes as the carriage is scanned along the scanning axis, wherein said fluid conduit apparatus defines a fluid path between said loop and said ink supply station which lies entirely on said supply station side of said scanning axis, said ink replenishment path includes a carriage fluid path portion, and further comprising means for providing at least a 180 degree change of direction in said carriage fluid path portion prior to a connection of said fluid path to said cartridge, said means for providing a change of direction including an ink manifold having an input port and an output port, said input port connected to an end of said fluid conduit apparatus, and further comprising an ink coupler member, said output port connected to said cartridge by said ink coupler member, and wherein a vertical projection of said dynamically flexing loop along a media path direction is substantially contained within a corresponding vertical projection of said carriage swept volume, thereby reducing space required within the printer housing to accommodate said loop and providing a compact, space-saving fluid conduit routing configuration.