Abstract:
An ink cartridge includes an ink egress snout from which an ink supply is discharged from the ink cartridge, and a collar that mates with the snout and can be arranged in any one of a number of allowable orientations to provide an identification of the ink supply. The snout and the collar are mutually configured to permit the collar to mate with the snout only when the collar is in any one of the orientations, whereby an identification of the ink supply can be provided simply by the collar mating with the snout.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Reference is made to commonly assigned, copending applications Ser. No. 09/931,523, entitled INK CARTRIDGE WITH COLOR DISCRIMINATION STRUCTURE and filed Aug. 16, 2001 in the names of Trafton, Newkirk, and Robinson; Ser. No. 09/931,420, entitled INK CARTRIDGE WITH ALIGNMENT FEATURES AND METHOD OF INSERTING CARTRIDGE INTO A PRINTER RECEPTACLE and filed Aug. 16, 2001 in the names of Trafton, Newkirk, Robinson, and Gotham; Ser. No. 09/931,521, entitled INK CARTRIDGE WITH MEMORY CHIP AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING and filed Aug. 16, 2001 in the names of Trafton, Newkirk, and Robinson; and Ser. No. 09/931,313, entitled INK CARTRIDGE WITH INTERNAL INK BAG AND METHOD OF FILLING and filed Aug. 16, 2001 in the names of Trafton, Famung, and Petranek.  
         [0002]    Reference is also made to commonly assigned, copending application Ser. No. (Kodak Docket 84877/RAF), entitled DISPOSABLE INK ASSEMBLAGE and filed on the same date as this application in the names of Perkins and Corby.  
         [0003]    All of the cross-referenced applications are incorporated into this application. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The invention relates generally to ink cartridges for inkjet printers, and in particular to an ink cartridge that includes a means for visibly identifying the ink supply in the cartridge such as by color or type.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The cross-referenced applications filed Aug. 16, 2001 disclose an ink cartridge that includes a means for visibly identifying the ink supply in the cartridge such as by color or type.  
           [0006]    The disclosed cartridge includes an ink bag containing an ink supply, an ink egress snout attached to the ink bag and from which the ink supply is discharged from the ink bag, and a split collar that receives or mates with the snout via an annular rib on the collar and an annular groove on the snout. The collar when mated with the snout can be rotated about the snout to any one of a number of allowable orientations. The particular orientation of the collar that is selected serves to identify the ink supply in the ink bag.  
           [0007]    A pair of housing halves for the ink bag when connected together form a bottom opening for the collar. The bottom opening is bounded by multi-sided edges of the housing halves. The collar has a peripheral recess with a multi-sided floor that complements the multi-sided edges. This permits the collar when arranged in any one of the orientations to be trapped in the bottom opening to prevent rotation of the collar relative to the snout. Moreover, it serves to secure the bag to the housing halves.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    According to one aspect of the invention, an ink cartridge comprising an ink egress snout from which an ink supply is discharged from the ink cartridge, and a collar that mates with the snout and can be arranged in any one of a number of allowable orientations to provide an identification of the ink supply, is characterized in that:  
           [0009]    the snout and the collar are mutually configured to permit the collar to mate with the snout only when the collar is in any one of the orientations, whereby an identification of the ink supply can be provided simply by the collar mating with the snout.  
           [0010]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method of partially assembling an ink cartridge including an ink egress snout and a collar that are mutually configured to permit the collar to mate with the snout only when the collar is in any one of a number of allowable orientations, comprises:  
           [0011]    aligning the collar and the snout to position the collar relative to the snout in a selected one of the orientations: and  
           [0012]    mating the collar with the snout in the selected one of the orientations, whereby an identification of an ink supply can be provided.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ink cartridge including an ink egress snout from which an ink supply is discharged from the ink cartridge, and a collar that receives the snout and can be arranged in any one of a number of allowable orientations to provide an identification of the ink supply, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of the ink egress snout and the collar as shown from opposite views; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an enlargement of a bottom portion of the ink cartridge as shown in FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings, FIGS.  1 - 4  show an ink cartridge  10  for an ink jet printer (not shown). The cartridge includes the following components:  
         [0017]    a pair of mating plastic housing halves  12  and  14 ;  
         [0018]    a disposable flexible ink supply bag  16 ;  
         [0019]    a plastic connector-fitting or fitment  18  having an integral ink egress snout  20  for discharging an ink supply from the bag  16 ;  
         [0020]    a plastic single-part collar  22  for the snout  20 , which functions as an ink identifier to identify the ink supply in the bag  16  such as by color or type; and  
         [0021]    a memory chip  24 .  
         [0022]    As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fitting  18  is attached via a thermal seal to the bag  16 , within an elongate opening  26  in the bag. During the thermal seal of the bag  16  to the fitting  18 , a small amount of melted material from the bag flows between parallel ribs  28  along opposite longitudinal sides of the fitting  18  to provide an essentially leak-proof seal between the bag and the fitting. A rubber septum  30  is tightly inserted into an ink egress opening  32  in the snout  20  to plug the opening. Then, an aluminum cap  34  is press-fitted on the snout  20 . The cap  34  partially overlaps the septum  30  to capture the septum, and has a center opening  36  which allows a hollow needle (not shown) to pierce the septum in order to discharge an ink supply from the bag  16  when the cartridge  10  is used in an ink jet printer.  
         [0023]    The snout  20  has eight identical outer peripheral surfaces or facets  38  that project perpendicular from a longitudinal planar face  40  of the fitting  18  to form an octagon. See FIGS. 2 and 3. In a similar sense, the collar  22  has a center opening  42  that is circumscribed by eight identical inner peripheral surfaces or facets  44  that form an octagon. This mutual or complementary configuration allows the snout  20  to be received in the center opening  42  only when the collar  22  is in any one of eight allowable angular orientations 0° or 360°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, and 315°. Preferably, the eight surfaces  44  of the collar  22  are aligned with the eight surfaces  38  of the snout  20  to position the collar relative to the snout in a selected one of the eight orientations. Then, the collar  22  is mated with the snout  20  in the selected orientation. Respective contact between the eight surfaces  38  and the eight surfaces  44  prevents the collar  22  from being rotated about the snout  22  and thus serves to fix the collar in the selected orientation. The selected orientation provides a visible indication that serves to identify the ink supply in the bag  16  such as by color or type.  
         [0024]    As described in the cross-referenced applications filed Aug. 16, 2001 and incorporated into this application, the collar  22  has a key slot or keyway  46  that is positioned in accordance with the selected orientation of the collar. The hollow needle (not shown) for piercing the septum in order to discharge an ink supply from the bag  16  when the cartridge  10  is used in an ink jet printer is mounted on a key assembly (not shown) having a key tab intended to be received in the key slot  46 . The particular orientation of the key assembly must match the selected orientation of the collar  22  in order for the key tab to be received in the key slot  46 .  
         [0025]    The number of the surfaces  38  of the snout  20  and the number of the surfaces  44  of the collar  22 , need not each be eight (although they must be the same number). Preferably, the number of the surfaces  38  of the snout  20  and the number of the surfaces  44  of the collar  22  fall within the range 4-12. All that is necessary is that the number of the surfaces  38  of the snout  20  and the number of the surfaces  44  of the collar  22  form similar complementary polygons.  
         [0026]    The housing halves  12  and  14  at respective bottom wall portions  48  and  50  have opening halves  52  and  54  that form a bottom opening when the housing halves are connected together. See FIGS. 1 and 4. The fitting  18  has a pair of L-shaped engageable members or tabs  56  and  58  that project from respective areas of the face  40  (of the fitting) which are spaced from the snout  20 . In a similar sense, a pair of L-shaped engageable members or tabs  60  and  62  project from an inner side  64  of the wall portion  50  and are spaced from the opening half  52 . The L-shaped engageable members  56  and  58  extend in opposite directions as do the L-shaped engageable members  60  and  62 . This complementary arrangement or mutual configuration permits the L-shaped member  56  to engage the L-shaped member  60  and the L-shaped member  58  to engage the L-shaped member  62  when the bag  16  is placed on the housing half  14 . The bag  16  is thus secured in place. At the same time as shown in FIG. 4 an edge  65  of the opening half  54  is received in an outer peripheral groove  66  in the collar  22  to support the collar. Then, when the housing half  12  is connected to the housing half  14 , an edge  68  of the opening half  52  is received in the groove  66 .  
         [0027]    When the bag  16  is emptied, it can be removed from the cartridge  10  and disposed of All that is required is that the housing half  12  be disconnected from the housing half  14  and the L-shaped engageable members  56  and  58  be disengaged from the L-shaped engageable members  60  and  62 . The collar  22  can be removed from the snout  20  if it is to be reused.  
         [0028]    Other L-shaped engageable members can be provided on the fitting  18  and the housing half  14  in addition to the L-shaped engageable members  56  and  58  and the L-shaped engageable members  60  and  62 . Also, it is not necessary that these engageable members be L-shaped. A number of known engagements or interlocks can be used instead, such as pins in holes, etc.  
         [0029]    When the housing halves  12  and  14  are connected together, the memory chip  24  resides in respective opposite pockets  70  and  72  in the housing halves. See FIGS. 1 and 4.  
         [0030]    The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
       PARTS LIST  
       [0031]    [0031] 10 . ink cartridge  
         [0032]    [0032] 12 . housing half  
         [0033]    [0033] 14 . housing half  
         [0034]    [0034] 16 . ink bag  
         [0035]    [0035] 18 . connector-fitting  
         [0036]    [0036] 20 . snout  
         [0037]    [0037] 22 . collar  
         [0038]    [0038] 24 . memory chip  
         [0039]    [0039] 26 . elongate opening  
         [0040]    [0040] 28 . ribs  
         [0041]    [0041] 30 . septum  
         [0042]    [0042] 32 . ink egress opening  
         [0043]    [0043] 34 . cap  
         [0044]    [0044] 36 . center opening  
         [0045]    [0045] 38 . eight surfaces or facets  
         [0046]    [0046] 40 . face  
         [0047]    [0047] 42 . center opening  
         [0048]    [0048] 44 . eight surfaces or facets  
         [0049]    [0049] 46 . key slot  
         [0050]    [0050] 48 . bottom wall portion  
         [0051]    [0051] 50 . bottom wall portion  
         [0052]    [0052] 52 . opening half  
         [0053]    [0053] 54 . opening half  
         [0054]    [0054] 56 . L-shaped engageable member  
         [0055]    [0055] 58 . L-shaped engageable member  
         [0056]    [0056] 60 . L-shaped engageable member  
         [0057]    [0057] 62 . L-shaped engageable member  
         [0058]    [0058] 64 . inner side  
         [0059]    [0059] 65 . edge  
         [0060]    [0060] 66 . groove  
         [0061]    [0061] 68 . edge  
         [0062]    [0062] 70 . pocket  
         [0063]    [0063] 72 . pocket