Abstract:
A carriage of a color ink-jet printer made of an ink storage case for storing color inks, an ejecting part for ejecting the color inks, a receptacle that may be made of a sponge for holding the color inks with a constant pressure, partitions for isolating the color inks with each other, a middle cap for preventing the color inks from shifting and flowing out, and a device for refilling the color inks, the device for refilling the color inks includes a first, second and third refilling part having different dimensions to distinguish the colors of the color inks.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 arising from an application for Device for Refilling Color Inks in an Ink-Jet Printer earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Mar. 29, 1996 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 9214/1996. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns an ink-jet printer, and more particularly a device for refilling color ink in an inkjet printer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In contemporary designs for ink cartridges in ink jet printers, the cartridge is provided with partitions that isolate the three colored inks. As the color ink is consumed to such an amount as to miss pixel dots in the printed image due to a lack of colored ink, there is a requirement for the refilling of the color ink. It is substantially impossible to separate the upper cap and middle cap of the carriage. To refill the ink, the boss of the upper cap is first detached from the engine of the printer, and the upper cap is removed to refill the magenta, yellow and cyan inks through the first, second and third holes in the middle cap. The middle cap in contemporary systems has no distinct marking to distinguish the three holes. Hence, there is a probability of refilling the color ink through an incorrect hole, so that the print head is damaged, resulting in its replacement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object to provide a device for facilitating the correct refilling of the color ink even without any color markings on the outside of the ink storage case in a color ink-jet printer. 
     It is another object to provide a device for extending the life of the printing head of a color ink-jet printer. 
     It is still another object to reduce the number of steps to assemble the cartridge of a color ink-jet printer. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a cartridge of a color ink-jet printer is made up of an ink storage case for storing color inks, an ejecting part for ejecting the color inks, an elastic part made of a sponge for holding the color inks with a constant pressure, partitions for isolating the color inks with each other, a middle cap for preventing the color inks from shifting and flowing out, and a device for refilling the color inks, the device for refilling the color inks including a first, second and third refilling part having different dimensions to distinguish the colors from one another. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a cartridge of a color ink-jet printer is made up of an ink storage case for storing color inks, an ejecting part for ejecting the color inks, a receptacle made of a sponge for holding the color inks with a constant pressure, partitions for isolating the color inks with each other, a middle cap for preventing the color inks from shifting and flowing out, and a device for refilling the color inks, the device for refilling the color inks including an upper cap provided with a first, second and third refilling part having different dimensions to distinguish the colors from one another, and ink supply bellows for supplying the color inks to the ink storage case. The ink supply bellows are respectively provided with a first, second and third adapter having respective dimensions to fit with those of the first, second and third refilling part so as to carry out the correct refilling, and are also provided with respective caps for preventing leakage of the color inks. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete appreciation of this invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the structure of the cartridge of an earlier color ink-jet printer; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the structure of the cartridge of an inventive color ink jet printer; and 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but additionally illustrating the procedure of supplying the color inks to the cartridge by means of the inventive ink supply bellows. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the cartridge  66  of an ink-jet printer in earlier systems includes a print head for printing an image, an ejecting part  52  for ejecting color inks  58 , i.e., magenta ink, yellow ink  58   b  and cyan ink  58   c , an electrical connection for supplying the ejecting part with electrical power, and an ink storage case  50  integrated with the ejecting part  52 . The ink storage case  50  stores the color inks  58 , and is provided with partitions  54  to isolate the three color inks of magenta  58   a , yellow  58   b  and cyan  58   c  from each other. Also provided between the partition  54  of ink storage case  50  are compartments or/ receptacles to hold the color inks  58  with a constant pressure by capillarity. Mounted on the upper end of the ink storage case  50  is a middle cap  60  sealed so as to prevent leakage of the color ink  58 . The middle cap  60  is provided with a first, second and third hole  62   a ,  62   b  and  62   c  for respectively supplying the magenta, yellow and cyan ink  58   a ,  58   b  and  58   c  to the respective receptacles. In addition, an upper cap  64  is mounted on the middle cap  60  having a boss  68  fixedly connected with the engine part of the ink-jet printer not shown. 
     In operation, responding to an image data from a computer, the head driver generates image signals, according to which the magenta, yellow and cyan ink  58   a ,  58   b  and  58   c  contained in their separate receptacles are evaporated by a heater and ejected through the ejecting part  52  to the paper to print. As the color inks  58  contained in the receptacles are consumed to such an amount as to produce missing pixel dots in the printed image due to a lack of color ink, there is a requirement for the refilling of the color ink. Although there is the case that it is substantially, impossible to separate the upper cap  64  and middle cap  60  of the cartridge  66 , there is also the case that it is possible to separate the upper cap  64  and the middle cap  60  so as to refill the color ink  58 . 
     Describing the case to make it possible to refill the ink, the boss  68  of the upper cap  64  is first detached from the engine part of the printer, and the upper cap  64  is removed to refill the magenta, yellow and cyan ink  58   a ,  58   b  and  58   c , respectively, through the first, second and third holes  62   a ,  62   b  and  62   c , respectively, in middle cap  60 . In this case, the middle cap  60  in earlier systems has no distinct marking to distinguish the three holes  62   a ,  62   b ,  62   c . Hence, the probability becomes considerably great to refill the color ink  58  through an incorrect hole, so that the print head is damaged, resulting in its replacement. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the cartridge  46  of a color ink-jet printer includes a print head for printing an image, an ejecting part  12  for ejecting color inks  18  according to electrical image signals from a driver, an electrical connection for supplying the ejecting part with electrical power, and an ink storage case  10  integrated with the ejecting part  12  and the electrical connection. The ink storage case  10  stores the color inks  18 , and is provided with two partitions  14  to isolate the three color inks of magenta  18   a , yellow  18   b  and cyan  18   c  from each other. Also provided between the partitions  14  and ink storage case  10  are compartments or receptacles  16  made to hold the color ink  18  with a constant pressure by capillarity. Mounted on the upper end of the inks storage case  10  is a middle cap  20 , sealed so as to prevent leakage of the color ink  18 . The middle cap  20  is provided with a first, second and third hole  22   a ,  22   b  and  22   c  for respectively supplying the magenta, yellow and cyan ink  18   a ,  18   b  and  18   c  to the respective receptacles The middle cap  20  is joined with the partitions  14  and ink storage case  10  by means of ultrasonic or thermal bonding. 
     In addition, an upper cap  24  is mounted on the middle cap  20 , connected with the engine part of the ink-jet printer not shown. The upper cap  24  is provided with a first, second and third refilling part  26 ,  28  and  30  having different dimensions “D”, “E”, “F” respectively. The first, second and third refilling parts  26 ,  28  and  30  are formed like a hopper. 
     The first refilling part  26  is provided to refill the magenta ink  18   a , and includes first and second guide passage  26   a  and  26   b  so as to prevent reverse flow of the refilled magenta ink  18   a . The dimension of the first guide passage  26   a  is greater than that of the second guide passage  26   b . Second guide passage  26   b  is connected to first hole  22   a.    
     Likewise, the second refilling part  28  is provided to refill the yellow ink  18   b , and includes third and fourth guide passage  28   a  and  28   b  so as to prevent reverse flow of the refilled yellow ink  18   b . The dimension of the third guide passage  28   a  is greater than that of the fourth guide passage  28   b . Fourth guide passage  28   b  is connected to second hole  22   b.    
     Likewise, the third refilling part  30  is provided to refill the cyan ink  18   c , and includes fifth and sixth guide passage  30   a  and  30   b  so as to prevent reverse flow of the refilled cyan ink  18   c . The dimension of the fifth guide passage  30   a  is greater than that of the sixth guide passage  30   b . Sixth guide passage  30   b  is connected to third hole  22   c . The upper cap  24  is joined with the middle cap  20 , partitions  14  and ink storage case  10  by means of ultrasonic or thermal bonding. 
     Three ink supply bellows  32   a ,  32   b  and  32   c  are provided to respectively supply the three color inks of magenta  18   a , yellow  18   f  and cyan  18   c  through the first, second and third refilling parts  26 ,  28  and  30 , respectively, to the receptacles appropriate receptacles. The ink supply bellows  32   a  for containing magenta ink  18   a  has a slender ink injection tube  36   a  connected to the bottom to inject magenta ink  18   a  into a receptacle, a first adapter  38  attached to the middle part of the ink injection tube  36   a  having a dimension “D” to fit the first refilling part so as to carry out the correct refilling, and a cap  44   a  covering the end of the ink injection tube  36   a  to prevent leakage of the magenta ink  18   a . The first adapter  38  may be coated with magenta color. 
     The ink supply bellows  32   b  for containing yellow ink  18   b  has a slender ink injection tube  36   b  connected to the bottom to inject yellow ink  18   b  into a receptacle, a second adapter  40  attached to the middle part of the ink injection tube  36   b  having a dimension “E” to fit the second refilling part so as to carry out the correct refilling, and a cap  44   b  covering the end of the ink injection tube  36   b  to prevent leakage of the yellow ink  18   b . The second adapter  40  may be coated with yellow color. 
     The ink supply bellows  32   c  for containing cyan ink  18   c  has a slender ink injection tube  36   c  connected to the bottom to inject cyan ink  18   c  into a receptacle, a third adapter  42  attached to the middle part of the ink injection tube  36   c  having a dimension “F” to fit the third refilling part so as to carry out the correct refilling, and a cap  44   c  covering the end of the ink injection tube  36   c  to prevent leakage of the cyan ink  18   c . The third adapter  42  may be coated with cyan color. 
     In operation, responding to an image data from a computer, the head driver generates image signals, according to which the magenta, yellow and cyan ink  18   a ,  18   b  and  18   c  contained in there respective receptacles are evaporated by a heater ejected through the ejecting part  12  to the paper to print. As the color ink  18  contained in receptacles is consumed to such an amount as to produce missing pixel dots in the printed image due to lacking the color ink, there is a requirement for the refilling of the color ink. 
     In order to carry out the refilling, the ink supply bellows  32   a  containing the magenta ink  18   a  firstly detaches and gets rid of the cap  44   a  on the end of ink injection tube  36   a , and then the first adapter  38  is inserted into the first guide passage  26   a  of the first refilling part  26 . At the same time the lower part of the ink injection tube  36   a  is also inserted into the second guide passage  26   b . In this case, as first adapter  38  fits onto and matches the first guide passage  26   a , the user may be confident that the magenta ink  18   a  is correctly inserted so that magenta ink  18   a  will be delivered to receptacles. Consequently, compressing the ink supply bellows  32   a  will cause magenta ink  18   a  to fill the receptacles. 
     Likewise, the ink supply bellows  32   b  containing the yellow ink  18   b  detaches and gets rid of the cap  44   b  on the end of ink injection tube  36   b , and then the second adapter  40  is inserted into the third guide passage  28   a  of the second refilling part  28 . At the same time the lower part of the ink injection tube  36   b  is also inserted into the fourth guide passage  28   b . In this case, as second adapter  40  fits onto and matches the third guide passage  28   a , the user may be confident that the yellow ink  18   b  is correctly inserted so that yellow ink  18   b  will be delivered to a receptacles. Consequently, compressing the ink supply bellows  32   b  will cause yellow ink  18   b  to fill a receptacles. 
     Likewise, the ink supply bellows  32   c  containing the cyan ink  18   c  detaches and gets rid of the cap  44   c  on the end of ink injection tube  36   c , and then the third adapter  42  is inserted into the fifth guide passage  30   a  of the third refilling part  30 . At the same time the lower part of the ink injection tube  36   c  is also inserted into the sixth guide passage  30   b . In this case, as third adapter  42  fits onto and matches the fifth guide passage  30   a , the user may be confident that the cyan ink  18   c  is correctly inserted so that cyan ink  18   c  will be delivered to elastic part  16   c . Consequently, compressing the ink supply bellows  32   c  will cause cyan ink  18   c  to fill a receptacles. Of course, the order of refilling the magenta, yellow and cyan ink  18   a ,  18   b  and  18   c  into the cartridge  46  may be changed. 
     Thus, the inventive device provides various advantages especially in facilitating the correct refilling of the color ink even without additional markings on the outside of the cartridge to to distinguish colors. Moreover, since the color inks are injected into the ink storage case after the ink storage case, middle cap and upper cap are completely joined together by means of ultrasonic or thermal bonding, the procedure to assemble the cartridge becomes very convenient and the number of the steps thereof is reduced, thereby improving the productivity.