Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20030007043A1/en
Timestamp: 2018-06-24 19:19:26
Document Index: 548052513

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 63', 'art 66', 'art 65', 'art 65', 'art 62', 'art 25', 'art 35', 'art 25', 'art 65', 'art 65', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 65', 'art 65']

US20030007043A1 - Ink cartridge and assembling method of atmospheric open valve in ink cartridge - Google Patents
US20030007043A1
US20030007043A1 US10147325 US14732502A US20030007043A1 US 20030007043 A1 US20030007043 A1 US 20030007043A1 US 10147325 US10147325 US 10147325 US 14732502 A US14732502 A US 14732502A US 20030007043 A1 US20030007043 A1 US 20030007043A1
US10147325
US6966638B2 (en )
An ink cartridge has a container main body 2 having a through hole 60 for making an ink storage chamber and an atmospheric open chamber 501 to communicate with each other, and an atmospheric open valve 601 having a valve body 65 capable of opening and closing the through hole 60 of the container main body 2 and an elastic member 62 capable of pressing the valve body 65 in a closed direction. In an assembling structure of the atmospheric open valve 601 in the atmospheric open chamber 501, the valve body 65 is placed at such a position blocking the opening of the through hole 60, the elastic member 62 is positioned in the atmospheric open chamber 501 as a bend piece shaped like<is expanded, and the elastic member 62 in the positioned state presses at one end part the valve body 65 in the closed direction and is fixed at an opposite end part to the inside of the atmospheric open chamber 501.
According to the invention, there is provided an ink cartridge comprising a cartridge main body having an atmospheric communication hole for communicating an ink storage chamber and an atmospheric open chamber with each other; and an atmospheric open valve having a valve body capable of opening and closing the atmospheric communication hole of the cartridge main body, and an elastic-member made of a bent piece, preferably shaped like “<”, and capable of pressing the valve body in a closed direction, wherein the valve body is placed at such a position as to close an opening of the atmospheric communication hole, the elastic member is developed and positioned in the atmospheric open chamber, and in the positioned state, the elastic member presses at one end part the valve body in the closed direction and is fixed at an opposite end part to the inside of the atmospheric open chamber.
[0033]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view to show the whole of the ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0035]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention as viewed from upward in a slanting direction;
[0036]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention as viewed from downward in a slanting direction;
[0037]FIG. 5 is a front view to show the internal structure of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention;
[0038]FIG. 6 is a rear view to show the internal structure of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention;
[0039]FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view to show a negative pressure generation system storage chamber of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention;
[0040]FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view to show a valve storage chamber of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention;
[0041]FIG. 9 is a front view to show the connection state of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention to a cartridge holder; and
The second opening 86 is made to communicate with the first ink storage chamber 11 through an atmospheric communication port 86 a, and communicate with the ink end chamber (second ink storage chamber 16, third ink storage chamber 17, etc.,) through an ink injection port 86 b, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b).
A through hole 60 as an atmospheric communication hole opened and closed by the opening and closing operation of an atmospheric open valve 601 is made in a chamber wall 8 a of the valve storage chamber 8 (atmospheric open chamber 501), as shown in FIG. 8. Convex parts 63 and 64 projecting in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the through hole 60 are formed integrally on the chamber wall 8 a. The operation arm 66 is placed on one opening side of the through hole 60, and the atmospheric open valve 601 is placed on the other opening side of the through hole 60. The operation arm 66 has an operation part 66 b for pressing a pressurization film (elastically deformable film) 61, and is placed projecting in an upward slanting direction into the path of the valve operation rod 70 and is fixed to the container main body 2 through a rotation supporting point 66 a.
The atmospheric open valve 601 has a valve body 65 capable of opening and closing the through hole 60, and an elastic member 62 capable of pressing the valve body 65 in a closed direction, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 (a) and 10 (b). The valve body 65 has a cylinder part 65 a inserted into the through hole 60, and a valve part 65 b capable of being pressed into contact with the opening peripheral margin of the through hole 60 in a closed valve state. The whole of the valve body 65 is formed of an elastic material, such as an elastomer, etc. The elastic member 62 has, at its end portions, a notch 62 a and a through hole 62 b into which the projections (convex parts) 63 and 64 are respectively inserted, and is formed of a plate spring that can be positioned in the atmospheric open chamber 501 as a bend piece (bend part 62 c) shaped like “<”, made of stainless steel, etc., for example, is developed. The movement of the end part of the elastic member 62 close to the valve body 65 is regulated by the projection 64, so that the elastic member 62 presses and urges the valve body 65 when the elastic member 62 is positioned in place. The end part distant from the valve body 65 is fixed by crushing (deforming) the insertion end part of the projection 63 (a part of the projection 63). The crushed position on the projection 63 is so selected as to reduce the spring effective length of the elastic member 62 in order to enlarge the spring force (press urging force) of the elastic member 62 and enhance the force sealing the through hole 60 by the valve body 65.
The filter 55 for allowing ink to pass through and capturing dust, etc., is placed in the filter chamber 34, as shown in FIG. 7. The opening of the filter chamber 34 is sealed with the inner film 56 and the opening of the differential pressure regulating valve storage chamber 33 is sealed with the outer film 57. When the pressure in the ink supply port 4 lowers, the membrane valve 52 is separated from a valve seat part 25 b against the urging force of the helical compression spring 50 (the through hole 52 c is opened) . Thus, ink passed through the filter 55 passes through the through hole 52 c and flows into the ink supply port 4 through the flow passage formed by the recess part 35. When the ink pressure in the ink supply port 4 rises to a predetermined value, the membrane valve 52 sits on the valve seat part 25 b by the urging force of the helical compression spring 50, shutting off the flow of ink. Such operation is repeated, whereby ink is supplied to the ink supply port 4 while a constant negative pressure is maintained.
To begin with, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), the cylinder part 65 a is inserted in the through hole 60, and the valve part 65 b is brought into contact with the opening peripheral margin of the through hole 60, whereby the valve body 65 is disposed within the atmospheric open chamber 501.
Next, the projection 63 is inserted into the notch 62 a of the elastic member 62, and the projection 64 is inserted into the through hole 62 b, so that the elastic member 62 in the bent form like “<” is held on the chamber wall 8 a of the valve storage chamber 8 (atmospheric open chamber 501) and the valve body 65, as indicated by the two-dotted chain line in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b).
Depressing pressure P is given to the bend part 62 c of the elastic member 62 indicated by the two-dotted lines in FIG. 10 (b) to develop the elastic member 62 into the plane state (so as to be made horizontal) while pressing the valve body 65 in the closed direction as shown by the solid line in FIG. 10(b). Under the positioning or the elastic member 62 to the projections 63 and 64 in this fashion, a part of the projection 63 is crushed at room temperature to fix the elastic member 62 within the atmospheric open chamber 501. At this time, if the projection 63 is crushed, while the crest of the bend part 62 c is depressed and held, a large elastic force from the elastic member 62 acts on the atmospheric open valve 601, and the force sealing the through hole 60 by the atmospheric open valve 601 can be increased. Preferably, the depressing pressure onto the crest of the bend part 62 c is set to be a predetermined depressing pressure (100 g or more) and the crest of the bend part 62 c is depressed until the elastic member 62 is made horizontal. In the description made above, the crest of the bend part 62 c is depressed, but the proximity of the crest of the bend part 62 c (predetermined range) may be depressed.
In addition, as shown, for example, in FIG. 10 (b), the valve body 65 preferably has a sealing part 65 c that defines a sealing surface of the valve part 65 b opposing the through hole 60 and that is made of relatively soft material (elastic material) such as an elastomer.
2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is made of a bent piece.
3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the valve body includes a valve part contacting the one end part of the elastic member and selectively opening and closing the atmospheric open valve, and a projcting part extending from the valve part and being movably inserted into the atmospheric communication hole.
4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the valve part further includes a sealing part that defines a sealing surface of the valve part opposing the atmospheric communication hole and that is made of relatively soft material.
6. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 5, wherein:
7. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein a crush position of the inserted end part is selected to reduce a spring effective length of the elastic member.
8. An assembling method for an ink cartridge comprising:
thereafter, fixing an end part of the elastic member, opposite from a pressing end part of the elastic member, onto an inside of the atmospheric open chamber.
9. The assembling method of the atmospheric open valve as claimed in claim 8, wherein in fixing the elastic member, a convex part formed on a chamber wall of the atmospheric open chamber and preliminarily inserted into the elastic member is partially crushed under pressure and at room temperature.
10. The assembling method of the atmospheric open valve as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein a crest of the bent part or a proximity thereof is depressed to develop the elastic member.
11. The assembling method of the atmospheric open valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein while a depressing force onto the elastic member is measured, the crest of the bent part or the proximity thereof is depressed to develop the elastic member.
12. The assembling method of the atmospheric open valve as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the crest of the bent part or the proximity thereof is depressed so that the elastic member is made horizontal.
US10147325 2001-05-17 2002-05-17 Ink cartridge and assembling method of atmospheric open valve in ink cartridge Active US6966638B2 (en)
JPP2001-220354 2001-07-19
JPP2001-262038 2001-08-30
JPP2001-264179 2001-08-31
US20030007043A1 true true US20030007043A1 (en) 2003-01-09
US6966638B2 US6966638B2 (en) 2005-11-22
US10147325 Active US6966638B2 (en) 2001-05-17 2002-05-17 Ink cartridge and assembling method of atmospheric open valve in ink cartridge
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:OTA, MUTSUHIKO;SUDA, YUKIHARU;KOIKE, HISASHI;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:013307/0280;SIGNING DATES FROM 20020730 TO 20020827