Patent ID: 6196665
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
Apparatus for transporting an ink cartridge having a bottom wall, a pair of opposed sidewalls and opposed front and rear walls over a reciprocal path of travel within an inkjet printer, said apparatus including:a carriage containing,an open top compartment containing, a horizontally disposed floor and a vertically disposed front wall extending upwardly from the floor,a raised pad mounted on the top surface of said floor whereby the front wall and the bottom wall of the ink cartridge can be registered within the compartment against the front wall of the carriage and said raised pad,a latching means that is mounted in the back of said compartment for urging the front wall of said ink cartridge into biasing contact against the front wall of said carriage,said latching means further including a frame mounted for rotation about a first horizontal axis in the back of said compartment, said first axis of rotation being parallel with the front wall of said compartment; and a locking member pivotally mounted for rotation in said frame about a second horizontal axis of rotation that is in parallel alignment with said first axis of rotation,a pair of spaced apart vertically extended ramps mounted in said locking member, andspring means acting between the frame and the locking member for urging the ramps into contact with the back wall of said cartridge positioned in said compartment when said frame is rotated from a first rearwardly canted position into a second upright position.