Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7922398?dq=6,578,054
Timestamp: 2017-09-20 11:55:22
Document Index: 403996404

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 203', 'art 203', 'art 203', 'art 203', 'arts 169', 'arts 169', 'arts 169', 'arts 169', 'arts 364', 'arts 364', 'art 365', 'arts 364', 'art 365', 'art 365', 'art 365']

Patent US7922398 - Liquid cartridge, loading/unloading device of liquid cartridge, recording ... - Google Patents
A cartridge loading/unloading device includes a cartridge holding mechanism 154 which holds a liquid cartridge 80 when a liquid cartridge 80 is inserted by a first predetermined stroke, and a power transmission converting mechanism 153 which ensures a push-in force required for loading of the ink cartridge...http://www.google.com/patents/US7922398?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7922398 - Liquid cartridge, loading/unloading device of liquid cartridge, recording apparatus, and liquid ejection apparatus
Publication number US7922398 B2
Application number US 11/909,875
PCT number PCT/JP2006/307015
Also published as CA2602634A1, CA2602634C, CN101151162A, CN101151162B, CN101817260A, CN101817260B, EP1863642A1, EP1863642B1, EP2248671A1, EP2248671B1, US8534812, US20090251512, US20110043576, WO2006104242A1
Publication number 11909875, 909875, PCT/2006/307015, PCT/JP/2006/307015, PCT/JP/6/307015, PCT/JP2006/307015, PCT/JP2006307015, PCT/JP6/307015, PCT/JP6307015, US 7922398 B2, US 7922398B2, US-B2-7922398, US7922398 B2, US7922398B2
Inventors Izumi Nozawa, Satoshi Kobayashi
Patent Citations (34), Non-Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (2), Classifications (5), Legal Events (2)
Liquid cartridge, loading/unloading device of liquid cartridge, recording apparatus, and liquid ejection apparatus
US 7922398 B2
second positioning means adapted to receive a second positioning pin of the liquid consuming apparatus when the liquid cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting section, and located between the fourth liquid supply port and the second side wall.
Here, “insertion of a liquid cartridge” means a state in which the liquid cartridge is inserted into a recording apparatus from outside the recording apparatus, and is held by a cartridge holding mechanism. Further, “loading of a liquid cartridge” means a state in which the liquid cartridge held by the cartridge holding mechanism is pushed in together with the cartridge holding mechanism by rotation of a lever, and is stuck by liquid supply needles.
The lower case 83 is formed in the shape of a box with its top surface open, and the lower case is formed by a bottom wall 83 a, a front wall 83 b which is erected vertically at a front end of the bottom wall 83 a which becomes the leading end of this bottom wall 83 a in the insertion direction into the cartridge mounting section 108, a rear wall 83 c which is erected vertically at a rear end of the bottom wall 83 a, and right and left side walls 83 d and 83 e which are erected vertically at the right and left ends of the bottom wall 83 a.
The upper case 84 serves as a top cover (lid body) which covers the top open portion in the lower case 83.
The plurality of liquid supply ports 82 mentioned above are located and provided between the pair of positioning holes 85 a and 85 b.
Further, the pair of positioning holes 85 a and 85 b is provided in the positions near both ends of the front wall 83 b.
And, the leading end of the one side wall 83 d orthogonal to the front wall 83 b is equipped with a circuit board 89. A memory element 90 which stores various kinds of information, such as the residual amount of ink, is mounted on the back side of this circuit board 89 and this circuit board 89 is formed on its opposite, surface side with a connecting terminal 91 used as an input/output terminal to the memory element 90.
A waste liquid collection port 93 for collecting waste into the container body 81 is provided in a position in the vicinity of the end of the front wall 83 b opposite to the side equipped with the connecting terminal 91 and in proximity to the positioning hole 85 b outside the positioning hole 85 b.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, a waste liquid collection chamber 94 which communicates with the waste liquid collection port 93 is partitioned along the inner surface of the upper case 84 within the container body 81. This waste liquid collection chamber 94 is loaded with an absorbing material which adsorbs waste ink to prevent backflow of the waste ink collected in the waste liquid collection chamber 94.
Moreover, the pair of engaging recesses 201 are disposed near the pair of positioning holes 85 a and 85 b which positions the container body 81 with respect to the cartridge mounting section 108, and between the pair of positioning holes 85 a and 85 b.
And, in this embodiment, the position of the abutting part 203 in the height direction is disposed near a horizontal plane passing through the centers of the pair of positioning holes 85 a and 85 b.
The abutting part 203 may be formed by the front wall surface 201 b of the engaging recess 201 per se. Alternatively, the abutting part 203 may be formed by a protrusion(s) or rib(s) formed on the front wall surface 201 b of the engaging recess 201. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the abutting part 203 in this embodiment is formed by a pair of protrusions or ribs 203 r that are formed on the front wall surface 201 b of the engaging recess 201 and that are located near both side walls 201 c of the engaging recess 201.
Since the engaging member 155 extends in the shape of the letter “U” in the longitudinal direction X of the ink cartridge 80, there is no possibility that only one claw 156 may be engage with the engaging recess 201 of the ink cartridge 80. That is, both the claws engage with the engaging recesses in two places simultaneously, or neither claws engage with the engaging recesses.
Moreover, the cartridge abutting parts 169 a of the second slide member 169 are formed in the shape of the letter “U” in the longitudinal direction X of the ink cartridge 80, and are provided so as to abut against the ink cartridge 80 outside the engaging member 155. Accordingly, when an ink cartridge 80 is inserted in a skew state, the front wall 83 b abuts against any one of the cartridge abutting parts 169 a and stops without engaging with the engaging member 155, or is further inserted and abuts against the other cartridge abutting parts 169 a. That is, the front wall abuts against both the cartridge abutting parts 169 a and is engaged with both the claws 156 of the engaging member 155, or does not engage with any one of the claws.
As shown in FIG. 17B, when the fifth gear 361 rotates clockwise by the rotation of the lever arm 360, the sixth gear 362 rotates 180° counterclockwise. Since the cam shaft 363 rotates in synchronization with the sixth gear 362, the cam parts 364 rotate 180°. The cam parts 364 abuts against and urges the first wall part 365 a in the flow passage unit 365 to move the flow passage unit 365 to the right in the drawing. At this time, the ink supply needles 309 formed in the flow passage unit 365 are inserted into the needle insertion openings 308 c formed in the ink cartridge 308, so as to be in a loading completion state of the ink cartridge.
Further, when the ink cartridge 308 is taken out, and if the lever arm 360 is rotated counterclockwise opposite to the direction in which it is rotated in FIG. 17 at the time of loading of the ink cartridge, the sixth gear 362 rotates 180° clockwise. Accordingly, the cam parts 364 rotate 180° about the cam shaft 363 as a fulcrum clockwise from the position of FIG. 17B, and are separated from the first wall part 365 a to abut against and urge the second wall part 365 b formed in a position which faces the first wall part 365 a to move the flow passage unit 365 to the left in the drawing. At this time, the ink supply needles 309 formed in the flow passage unit 365 will be in a state, as shown in FIG. 17A, in which they are drawn out of the needle insertion openings 308 c formed in the ink cartridge 308.
The terms “top”, “bottom”, “right”, “left”, etc. are relative, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For example, when the liquid cartridge is placed upside down, the “bottom” wall 83 a becomes a “top” wall, and when the liquid cartridge is placed such that the “side” walls 83 d, 83 e are opposed to each other in a direction of gravity, the “top” wall and the “bottom” wall become “side” walls.
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JP162330A Title not available
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JP2005047089A Title not available
JP2005502034A Title not available
JPH03162335A Title not available
JPH05162330A Title not available
WO2003010427A2 Jun 28, 2002 Feb 6, 2003 International Engine Intellectual Property Company, Llc. Engine torque calculation
WO2006104242A1 Mar 28, 2006 Oct 5, 2006 Seiko Epson Corporation Liquid cartridge, loading/unloading device of liquid cartridge, recording apparatus, and liquid ejection apparatus
1 Chinese Office Action (with English translation), issued Apr. 3, 2009 in Chinese counterpart application.
2 Extended European Search Report issued on Oct. 12, 2010 for European Patent Appln. No. 10174159.3 in the name of Seiko Epson Corporation.
3 International Search Report in Int'l appln. No. PCT/JP2006/307015 (Jun. 28, 2006).
4 Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority in Int'l appln. No. PCT/JP2006/307015 (Jun. 28, 2006).
U.S. Classification 385/86, 385/84
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:NOZAWA, IZUMI;KOBAYASHI, SATOSHI;REEL/FRAME:019890/0248;SIGNING DATES FROM 20070820 TO 20070822
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:NOZAWA, IZUMI;KOBAYASHI, SATOSHI;SIGNING DATES FROM 20070820 TO 20070822;REEL/FRAME:019890/0248