Abstract:
An ink jet cartridge which includes an ink jet housing including a first valve and a primer portion coupled to the ink jet housing and covering the first valve is disclosed The primer portion includes a priming bulb and a second valve in the priming bulb, air flowing into the ink jet housing via the first valve when the priming valve is actuated, air flowing into the priming portion via the second valve when the priming bulb is released.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to the field of printers and more particularly printer ink cartridges.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. One example of an information handing system is a printer.  
         [0005]     One type of known printer is an ink jet printer. An ink jet printer includes one or more ink jet cartridges printer information onto a printing surface.  
         [0006]     Known ink jet printers may present several problems when printing from an ink jet printer. For example, if the ink jet cartridges are exposed to air or are left in an incorrectly oriented position, the ink within the ink jet cartridges may flow away from the ink nozzles. Additionally, the ink nozzles within the ink jet cartridge are extremely small, and often become clogged with dried ink, dust and debris. Each of these problems can cause the printer to print poor quality output or to not print at all. A known solution to some or all of these problems is to prime or wick the cartridges. However, known methods for priming an ink jet cartridge are often not reliable, and often do not produce enough force to dislodge any debris.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide ink jet cartridges with a reliable and powerful mechanism for priming the ink jet cartridge.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     In accordance with the present invention, an ink cartridge is set forth which includes an integrated priming bulb. A small flexible priming bulb is placed atop the printer cartridge housing. The bulb is mounted directly above a one way (i.e., omni-directional) valve to allow air from the bulb into the ink reservoir, but not allow the ink escape via the valve. A second one way valve allows air to enter the bulb. Whenever the priming bulb is pressed, air from the bulb is forced into the ink cartridge, thus exerting pressure on any debris in the ink nozzles and at the same time, priming all of the jets on the cartridge print head. The two one way valves prevent ink from escaping from the cartridge.  
         [0009]     Such an ink cartridge allows a user to clean and prime the cartridge in a reliable manner with the addition advantage of not requiring any power to operate. In addition, this solution allows the user to prime the cartridge while it is in the printer, docked over the ink wells, or outside of the printer. If the cleaning is performed outside of the printer, the ink cartridge offers the additional advantage of keeping all ink and debris out of the printer internal mechanism. Finally, by priming the cartridge outside of the printer unit, the user has the option of visual feedback, via ink seeping from nozzles, on whether the nozzles are still blocked or if ink is unable to leave the nozzles for another reason.  
         [0010]     More specifically, in one embodiment, the invention relates to an ink jet cartridge which includes an ink jet housing including a first valve and a primer portion coupled to the ink jet housing and covering the first valve. The primer portion includes a priming bulb and a second valve in the priming bulb, air flowing into the ink jet housing via the first valve when the priming valve is actuated, air flowing into the priming portion via the second valve when the priming bulb is released.  
         [0011]     In another embodiment, the invention relates to an information handling system which includes a control system. The control system includes a processor, a printer housing, and an ink jet cartridge. The inkjet cartridge includes an ink jet housing including a first valve, a primer portion coupled to the ink jet housing and covering the first valve wherein the primer portion includes a priming bulb and a second valve in the priming bulb, air flowing into the ink jet housing via the first valve when the priming valve is actuated and air flowing into the priming portion via the second valve when the priming bulb is released.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for printing documents which includes a control system. The control system includes a processor, a housing, and an ink jet cartridge. The inkjet cartridge includes an ink jet housing including a first valve, a primer portion coupled to the ink jet housing and covering the first valve, the primer portion including priming bulb and a second valve in the priming bulb, air flowing into the ink jet housing via the first valve when the priming valve is actuated and air flowing into the priming portion via the second valve when the priming bulb is released.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of an environment in which a printer with an ink cartridge having an integrated primer bulb is used.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional view of an ink cartridge having an integrated primer bulb. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of an environment in which a printer with an ink cartridge having an integrated primer bulb is used is shown. The environment includes an information handling system  102  (such as a computer system or a camera) and a printer  104 , coupled via a communication link  110 . The communication link  110  might be a printer cable, a telephone cable, a network connection or any other link which information is communicated with the printer  104 . In one embodiment, the printer  104  is included within a multifunction device such as a combination printer fax machine. Other functions may also be included within the multifunction device such as a scan function and a copy function. Also, in one embodiment, the environment does not include a computer system  102 .  
         [0017]     The printer  104  is coupled to a second communication link  120 . Thus, communication may occur between the printer  104  and anything coupled to the second communication link  120  such as a services provider fax machine  109 . Additionally, the computer system  102  is also connected to another computer system (e.g., a services provider computer system)  110  via a second communication link  120 . The second communication link  120  may be a telephone system or some other type of network, such as the Internet. In one embodiment, the fax machine  109  and the computer system  110  are owned and operated by a consumable supplier  112 . In this example, the service provider  112  may provide service for the printer  104 .  
         [0018]     The printer  104  includes an input output (I/O) port  130 , a control system  132  and at least two types of consumables  134 . The I/O port  130  facilitates communications between the printer  104  and other devices connected to the communications link  110 . The control system  132  provides the printer  104  with certain control functionality. The control system  132  includes a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The printer  104  may also include one or more media slots  140 .  
         [0019]     The consumables  134  represent any component in the printer  104  that is subject to depletion through use of the printer  104 . For example, the consumable  134  may be a toner cartridge or an inkjet cartridge, etc. The consumables  134  include an ink cartridge having an integrated primer bulb. The service provider maintains a supply  114  of replacement consumables  134 .  
         [0020]     In operation, the computer system  102  generates a document in an electronic form and transmits the document (in the form of a print job) to the printer  104 . The printer  104  receives the job via the I/O port  130  and prints the document. Additionally, when the printer  104  is part of a multifunction device, the printer  104  may receive and print information from the communication link  120  or from a scanned image when operating as a copier. Additionally, the printer  104  may receive and print information from any of its media slots  140 .  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a cross sectional view of an ink cartridge  200  having an integrated primer bulb  210  is shown. More specifically, the ink cartridge includes an ink portion  220  and a primer portion  222 . The ink portion includes a cartridge housing  230  that defines an ink reservoir  232  for holding ink. The ink portion  220  also includes ink nozzles  234  and a cartridge print head  236  coupled to the housing via which ink held within the reservoir is transmitted to the printing surface under control of the control system  132 .  
         [0022]     The primer portion  222  includes the primer bulb  210  which is coupled to and integrated with the cartridge housing  230 . The flexible priming bulb  210  is placed atop the printer cartridge housing  230 . The priming bulb  210  is mounted directly above a one way (i.e., omni-directional) valve  240  which allows air from within the priming bulb  210  to flow into the ink reservoir  232 , but not allow the ink escape via the valve  240 . A second one way valve  250  allows air to enter the priming bulb  210 . Whenever the priming bulb is actuated (i.e., compressed), air from the priming bulb  210  is forced into the housing  230  of the ink cartridge  200 , thus exerting pressure on any debris in the ink nozzles  234  and at the same time, priming all of the jets on the cartridge print head  236 . The two one way valves  240 ,  250  prevent ink from escaping from the cartridge.  
         [0023]     Such an ink cartridge  200  allows a user to clean and prime the cartridge  200  in a reliable manner with the addition advantage of not requiring any power to operate. In addition, this ink cartridge  200  allows the user to prime the cartridge  200  while it is in the printer  104 , docked over the ink wells, or outside of the printer  104 . If the cleaning is performed outside of the printer  104 , the ink cartridge offers the additional advantage of keeping all ink and debris out of the printer internal mechanism. Finally, by priming the cartridge  200  outside of the printer  104 , the user has the option of visual feedback, via ink seeping from nozzles, on whether the nozzles are still blocked or if ink is unable to leave the nozzles for another reason.  
         [0024]     The present invention is well adapted to attain the advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While the present invention has been depicted, described, and is defined by reference to particular embodiments of the invention, such references do not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent arts. The depicted and described embodiments are examples only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the invention.  
         [0025]     For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.  
         [0026]     For example, the above-discussed embodiments include software modules that perform certain tasks. The software modules discussed herein may include script, batch, or other executable files. The software modules may be stored on a machine-readable or computer-readable storage medium such as a disk drive. Storage devices used for storing software modules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may be magnetic floppy disks, hard disks, or optical discs such as CD-ROMs or CD-Rs, for example. A storage device used for storing firmware or hardware modules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention may also include a semiconductor-based memory, which may be permanently, removably or remotely coupled to a microprocessor/memory system. Thus, the modules may be stored within a computer system memory to configure the computer system to perform the functions of the module. Other new and various types of computer-readable storage media may be used to store the modules discussed herein. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that the separation of functionality into modules is for illustrative purposes. Alternative embodiments may merge the functionality of multiple modules into a single module or may impose an alternate decomposition of functionality of modules. For example, a software module for calling sub-modules may be decomposed so that each sub-module performs its function and passes control directly to another sub-module.  
         [0027]     Consequently, the invention is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.