Abstract:
An ink containment and dispensing device for an ink-jet printer is provided with a main reservoir in the form of a flexible pouch, which is typically maintained at ambient pressure. The main reservoir is coupled to a variable volume chamber via a one-way valve which allows the flow of ink from the reservoir to the chamber and prevents the flow of ink from the chamber to the reservoir. The chamber is coupled to a fluid outlet, which is normally closed to prevent the flow of outward ink. However, when the ink supply is installed in a printer, the fluid outlet establishes a fluid connection between the chamber and the printer. The chamber is part of a pump provided with the ink supply that can be actuated to supply ink from the reservoir to the printer. The pump has a linearly acting pumping member and a flexible diaphragm that overlies the pumping member, the diaphragm being impervious to the transmission of oxygen and moisture therethrough to prevent degradation of the ink within the chamber.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is directed to improvements in the invention disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/429,987, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,087 an application in which I am named as a joint inventor. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a liquid containment device with a self-contained pump for dispensing liquid in small doses of a predetermined volume. More particularly, this invention relates to a replaceable containment device of the foregoing character that is useful in an ink-jet printer for containing a supply of printing ink and for dispensing the printing ink to a printing head upon the actuation of the self-contained pump. 
     BACKGROUND AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A pending U.S. patent application filed by Bruce Cowger and Norman Pawlowski, Jr. for an invention entitled “Ink Supply For An Ink-Jet Printer,” describes an ink supply for an ink-jet printer that is separate from the printer ink pen, and can be replaced upon the emptying of the ink supply without the need to replace the printer ink pen. The ink supply of the aforesaid U.S. patent application incorporates a self-contained pumping device for dispensing ink from a pumping chamber, and describes, as an embodiment of such a pumping device, a bellows pump. However, a bellows pump requires a relatively large extended surface of a semi-rigid material, such as a polymeric material, and is subject to a relatively high rate of oxygen and moisture transfer through the material of the bellows. This oxygen and/or moisture transfer can result in the degradation of the ink within the ink supply, especially in a printer that is used only infrequently. Further, the bellows is subject to leakage at the location of its attachment to another portion of the ink supply. According to the aforesaid pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/429,987, these and other problems associated with the use of a bellows can be avoided by the use of a pumping device having a rigid perimetrical wall, preferably formed integrally with the associated chassis structure of the ink supply, with a linearly acting pumping member that is moveable within a pumping chamber defined by the rigid wall to pressurize ink within the pumping chamber, and a flexible moisture and oxygen barrier film heat sealed to an edge of the perimetrical wall in a continuous pattern and overlying the pumping member. 
     An ink supply according to the aforesaid U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/429,987 also has a generally cup-shaped outer shell of a fairly rigid polymeric material, preferably a material with translucent properties to permit inspection of the contents thereof, which is used to contain and protect a flexible, ink-containing pouch. The outer shell is generally rectangular in cross-section, with an opposed pair of very long sides and an opposed pair of very short sides, the configuration of the shell being determined by the design of a docking station of the printer into which the ink supply is to be inserted when it is in position for the dispensing of ink therefrom. In such an arrangement, it has been found to be desirable to encircle the ink-containing pouch within a perimetrical frame whose sides have sufficient rigidity to protect the ink-containing pouch from impact and shock loads. The perimetrical frame, however, occupies space within the outer shell unless the frame and shell are so designed, in accordance with the present invention, that portions of the legs of the frame project into, or through, adjacent portions of the outer shell. 
     In an ink supply according to the aforesaid pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/429,987, there is also provided a chassis to be affixed to the open end of the shell. This chassis, which houses the pump of the ink supply and has a fluid outlet for the dispensing of ink from the ink supply, must be secured to the shell in such a way that it cannot be readily accidentally disengaged therefrom as a result of shock or impact loads. For maintaining resistance to accidental disengagement of any of the elements of the ink supply, namely the shell, the chassis and the cap, from one another, it has been found useful to insert both the chassis and the cap into the shell, with the chassis captured between the cap and the shell. 
     An ink supply according to the aforesaid pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/429,987 also incorporates a cap of a complex configuration that is secured to the polymeric chassis, after the chassis and the flexible pouch, which is attached to the chassis, is secured to the shell with the flexible pouch contained within the shell. Because of the complexity of the cap, it is preferably formed integrally in a single piece from a polymeric material by injection molding. In any case, it is preferred that the attachment of the cap to the chassis be tamper resistant, which requires a relatively high degree of permanency to such attachment. It has now been found that, in an ink supply with a chassis buried in the shell between the cap and the shell, it is beneficial to sonically weld the cap to the shell, and this can be done by providing the cap with one or more ledges, which act as energy users. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved liquid containing and dispensing device. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device of the foregoing character that is useful in containing and dispensing ink in an ink-jet printer. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a liquid containment and dispensing device with an improved volumetric efficiency. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device of the foregoing character that is useful in containing and dispensing ink in an ink-jet printer. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a printing ink containment and dispensing device having improved resistance to disengagement of the elements thereof under shock or impact load. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a printing ink containment and dispensing device with good tamper indicating properties. 
     For a further understanding of the present invention and the objects thereof, attention is directed to the drawing and the following brief description thereof, to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, and to the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a liquid containment and dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a an exploded view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken on line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a component of the device of FIGS. 1-3 taken on line  4 — 4  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the component of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the component of FIGS. 4 and 5 taken on line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line  7 — 7  of FIG.  3  and at an enlarged scale; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary exploded view of a portion of the device of FIGS. 1-7; 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 8 showing the elements of FIG. 8 in assembled relationship to one another; 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded, perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an ink supply according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 of another alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIGS. 10 and 11 of another alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIGS. 10,  11  and  12  of another alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the ink supply of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 of the ink supply of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIGS. 14 and 15 of the ink supply of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIGS. 14,  15  and  16  of the ink supply of FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken on line  18 — 18  of FIG. 14; 
     FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken on line  19 — 19  of FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken on line  20 — 20  of FIG. 16; and 
     FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken on line  21 — 21  of FIG.  17 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An ink containment and dispensing device in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in the aforesaid U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/429,987 is identified in FIG. 1 by reference numeral  10 . The device  10  has a hard protective shell  12  which contains a flexible pouch  14  (FIG. 7) for containing ink. The shell  12  is attached to a chassis  16  (FIGS.  2  and  4 - 9 ), which houses a pump  18  and a fluid outlet  20 . A protective cap  22  is attached to the chassis  16  and a label  24  is glued to the outside of the shell  12  and cap  22  elements of the device  10  to secure the shell  12 , chassis  16 , and cap  22  firmly together. The cap  22  is provided with apertures which allow access to the pump and the fluid outlet. 
     The device  10  is adapted to be removably inserted into a docking bay (not shown) within an ink-jet printer. When the device  10  is inserted into the printer, a fluid inlet in the docking bay is adapted to engage the fluid outlet  20  to allow ink flow from the device  10  to the printer. An actuator (not shown) in the docking bay is adapted to engage the pump  18 . Operation of the actuator causes the pump  18  to provide ink in a series of small doses of a predetermined volume from the flexible pouch  14 , through the fluid outlet  20 , to the fluid inlet of the docking bay and then to the printer. 
     The chassis  16  is provided with a fill port  32  at one end and an exhaust port  34  at the other end. Ink can be added to the ink supply through the fill port  32  while air displaced by the added ink is exhausted through the exhaust port  34 . After the ink supply is filled, the fill port  32  is sealed with a ball  35  press fit into the fill port  32 . 
     A pumping chamber  36  having an open bottom is formed on the bottom of the chassis  16  within a rigid perimetrical wall  37 , which is preferably formed integrally with the chassis  16 . As described in more detail below, the chamber  36  can be pressured to supply ink to the printer without pressurizing the interior of the pouch  14 . The top of the chamber  36  is provided with an inlet port  38  through which ink may enter the chamber  36  from the pouch  14  by gravity and/or by a negative pressure within the chamber  36 . An outlet port  40  through which ink may be expelled from the chamber  36  is also provided. 
     A one-way flapper valve  42  located at the bottom of the inlet port  38  serves to limit the return of ink from the chamber  36  to the pouch  14 . The flapper valve  42  is a rectangular piece of flexible material. In the illustrated embodiment the valve  42  is positioned over the bottom of the inlet port  38  and is heat staked to the chassis  16  at the midpoints of its short sides. When the pressure within the chamber  36  drops below that in the pouch  14 , the unstaked sides of the valve  42  each flex to allow the flow of ink through the inlet port  38  and into the chamber  36 . By heat staking the valve  42  to the chassis  16  along an opposed pair of sides, less flexing of the valve  42  is required or permitted than would be the case if the valve  42  were staked only along a single side, thereby ensuring that it closes more securely, and this effect is enhanced by doing the heat staking at the midpoints of the shorter sides, as opposed to the longer sides. 
     In the illustrated embodiment the flapper valve  42  is made of a two ply material. The outer ply is a layer of low density polyethylene 0.0015 inches thick. The inner ply is a layer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 0.0005 inches thick. The illustrated flapper valve  42  is approximately 5.5 millimeters wide and 8.7 millimeters long. Such a material is impervious to the flow of ink therethrough when the valve  42  is in its closed position. 
     The bottom of the chamber  36  is covered with a flexible diaphragm  44 . The diaphragm  44  is slightly larger than the opening at the bottom of the chamber and is sealed around the free edge of the perimetrical wall  37  that defines the chamber  36 . The excess material in the oversized diaphragm  44  allows the diaphragm to flex up and down to vary the volume of the chamber  36 . In the illustrated device, the displacement of the diaphragm  44  allows the volume of the chamber  36  to be varied by about 0.7 cubic centimeters. The fully expanded volume of the illustrated chamber  36  is between about 2.2 and 2.5 cubic centimeters. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the diaphragm  44  is made of a multi-ply material having a layer of low density polyethylene 0.0005 inches thick, a layer of adhesive, a layer of metallized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 0.00048 inches thick, a layer of adhesive, and a layer of low density polyethylene 0.0005 inches thick. Of course, other suitable materials may also be used to form the diaphragm  44 . The diaphragm  44  in the illustrated embodiment is heat staked, using conventional methods, to the free edge of the wall  37  of the chamber  36 . During the heat staking process, the low density polyethylene in the diaphragm will seal any folds or wrinkles in the diaphragm  44 . The diaphragm  44 , thus, is impervious to the transmission of oxygen and moisture therethrough, thereby safeguarding the ink in the chamber  36  from degradation by exposure to any such substance. 
     Within the chamber  36  a pressure plate  46  is positioned adjacent the diaphragm  44 , the pressure plate  46  serving as a piston with respect to the chamber  36 . A pump spring  48 , made of stainless steel in the illustrated embodiment, biases the pressure plate  46  against the diaphragm  44  to urge the diaphragm outward so as to expand the size of the chamber  36 . One end of the pump spring  48  is received on a spike  50  formed on the top of the chamber  36  and the other end of the pump spring  48  is received on a spike  52  formed on the pressure plate  46  in order to retain the pump spring  48  in position. The pressure plate  46  in the illustrated embodiment is molded of high density polyethylene. 
     A hollow cylindrical boss  54  extends downward from the chassis  16  to form the housing of the fluid outlet  20 , the boss  54  being formed integrally with the chassis  16 . A bore  56  of the hollow boss  54  has a narrow throat  54   a  at its lower end. A sealing ball  58 , made of stainless steel in the illustrated embodiment, is positioned within the bore  56 . The sealing ball  58  is sized such that it can move freely within the bore  56 , but cannot pass through the narrow throat portion  54   a  thereof. A sealing spring  60  is positioned within the bore  56  to urge the sealing ball  58  against the narrow throat  54   a  to form a seal and prevent the flow of ink through the fluid outlet. A retaining ball  62 , made of stainless steel in the illustrated embodiment, is press fit into the top of the bore to retain the sealing spring  60  in place. The bore  56  is configured to allow the free flow of ink past the retaining ball  62  and into the bore  56 . 
     A raised manifold  64  is formed on the top of the chassis  16 . The manifold  64  forms a cylindrical boss around the top of the fill port  32  and a similar boss around the top of the inlet port  38  so that each of these ports is isolated. The manifold  64  extends around the base of the fluid outlet  20  and the outlet port  40  to form an open-topped conduit  66  joining the two outlets. 
     The flexible ink pouch  14  is attached to the top of the manifold  64  so as to form a top cover for the conduit  66 . In the illustrated embodiment, this is accomplished by heat staking a rectangular plastic sheet  68  to the top surface of the manifold  64  to enclose the conduit  66 . In the illustrated embodiment, the chassis  16  molded of high density polyethylene and the plastic sheet is low density polyethylene that is 0.002 inches thick. These two materials can be easily heat staked to one another using conventional methods and are also readily recyclable. 
     After the plastic sheet  68  is attached to the chassis  16 , the sheet is folded and sealed around its two sides and top to form the flexible ink pouch  14 . Again, in the illustrated embodiment, heat staking can be used to seal the perimeter of the flexible pouch  14 . The plastic sheet over the fill port  32  and over the inlet port  38  can be punctured, pierced, or otherwise removed so as not to block the flow of ink through these ports. 
     Although the flexible pouch  14  provides an ideal way to contain ink, it may be easily punctured or ruptured and allows a relatively high amount of water loss from the ink. Accordingly, to protect the pouch  14  and to limit water loss, the pouch  14  is enclosed within the protective shell  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the shell  12  is made of clarified polypropylene, which is sufficiently translucent to permit inspection of the ink within the pouch  14  to determine that an adequate volume of ink remains for proper operation of the printer. A thickness of about one millimeter has been found to provide robust protection and to prevent unacceptable water loss from the ink. However, the material and thickness of the shell may vary in other embodiments. 
     The top of the shell  12  has a number of raised ribs  70  to facilitate gripping of the shell  12  as it is inserted in or withdrawn from the docking bay. A vertical rib  72  projects laterally from each side of the shell  12 . The vertical rib  72  can be received within a slot (not shown) in the docking bay to provide lateral support and stability to the ink supply when it is positioned within the printer. The bottom of the shell  12  is provided with two circumferential grooves or recesses  76  which engage two circumferential ribs or beads  78  formed on a depending perimetrical wall  79  of the chassis  16  to attach the shell  12  to the chassis  16  in a snap fit. 
     The attachment between the shell  12  and the chassis  16  should, preferably, be snug enough to prevent accidental separation of the chassis from the shell and to resist the flow of ink from the shell should the flexible reservoir develop a leak. However, it is also desirable that the attachment not form a hermetic seal to allow the slow ingress of air into the shell as ink is depleted from the reservoir  14  to maintain the pressure inside the shell generally the same as the ambient pressure. Otherwise, a negative pressure may develop inside the shell and inhibit the flow of ink from the reservoir. The ingress of air should be limited, however, in order to maintain a high humidity within the shell and minimize water loss from the ink. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the shell  12  and the flexible pouch  14  which it contains have the capacity to hold approximately thirty cubic centimeters of ink. The shell is approximately 67 millimeters wide, 15 millimeters thick, and 60 millimeters high. The flexible. pouch  14  is sized so as to fill the shell without undue excess material. Of course, other dimensions and shapes can also be used depending on the particular needs of a given printer. 
     To fill the device  10 , ink can be injected through the fill port  32 . As it is filled, the flexible pouch  14  expands so as to substantially fill the shell  12 . As ink is being introduced into the pouch, the sealing ball  58  can be depressed to open the fluid outlet and a partial vacuum can be applied to the fluid outlet  20 . The partial vacuum at the fluid outlet causes ink from the pouch  14  to fill the chamber  36 , the conduit  66 , and the bore  56  of the cylindrical boss  54  such that little, if any, air remains in contact with the ink. The partial vacuum applied to the fluid outlet  20  also speeds the filling process. To further facilitate the rapid filling of the pouch, an exhaust port  34  is provided to allow the escape of air from the shell as the reservoir expands. Once the ink supply is filled, a ball  35  is press fit into the fill port  32  to prevent the escape of ink or the entry of air. 
     Of course, there are a variety of other ways which can also be used to fill the present ink containment and dispensing device. In some instances, it may be desirable to flush the entire device with carbon dioxide prior to filling it with ink. In this way, any gas trapped within the device during the filling process will be carbon dioxide, not air. This may be preferable because carbon dioxide may dissolve in some inks while air may not. In general, it is preferable to remove as much gas from the device as possible so that bubbles and the like do not enter the print head or the trailing tube. 
     The protective cap  22  is placed on the device  10  after the reservoir is filled. The protective cap is provided with a groove  80  which receives a rib  82  on the chassis to attach the cap to the chassis. The cap carries a lug  84  which plugs the exhaust port  34  to limit the flow of air into the chassis-and reduce water loss from the ink. A stud  86  extends from each end of the chassis  16  and is received within an aperture in the cap  22  to aid in aligning the cap and to strengthen the union between the cap and the chassis. The free ends of the studs  86 , which extend beyond the apertures of the cap  22 , are preferably deformed after the cap  22  is in place, for example, by contacting them with a heated tool, to provide a tamper resistant attachment of the cap  22  to the chassis  16 . Further, the label  24  is glued to the sides of the device  10  to hold the shell  12 , chassis  16 , and cap  22  firmly together. In the illustrated embodiment, a hot-melt pressure sensitive or other adhesive is used to adhere the label in a manner that prevents the label from being peeled off and inhibits tampering with the ink supply. 
     The cap  22  in the illustrated embodiment is provided with a vertical rib  90  protruding from each side. The rib  90  is an extension of the vertical rib  72  on the shell and is received within the slot provided in the docking bay in a manner similar to the vertical rib  72 . In addition to the rib  90 , the cap  22  has protruding keys  92  located on each side of the rib  90 . One or more of the keys  92  can be optionally deleted or altered so as to provide a unique identification of the particular ink supply by color or type. Mating keys (not shown), identifying a particular type or color of ink supply can be formed in the docking bay. In this manner, a user cannot inadvertently insert an ink supply of the wrong type or color into a docking bay. This arrangement is particularly advantageous for a multi-color printer where there are adjacent docking bays for ink supplies of various colors. 
     In developing an ink supply according to that of FIGS. 1-9, it was found to be useful to circumscribe the flexible ink pouch  14  within a perimetrical frame to protect it from impact and shock loads, and to facilitate the assembly of the chassis  16 , to which the flexible ink pouch  14  was attached, into the shell  12 . Unfortunately, such a perimetrical frame tends to reduce the volume of ink that can be contained within the pouch  14  if the design of the protective shell  12  is not modified to accommodate a protective perimetrical frame without reducing the volume within the protective shell that is available to surround an ink-containing pouch  14 . This requirement can be met in various ways, as illustrated in the embodiments of the invention depicted in FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 ; FIGS. 11,  15  and  19 ; and FIGS. 13,  16  and  21 , respectively. 
     In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 , elements corresponding to the elements of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9 are identified by a  100  series numeral, the last two digits of which are the two digits of the corresponding element of the invention of FIGS. 1-9. 
     The ink containment and dispensing device of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18  is generally identified by reference numeral  110  and, except as hereinafter described, corresponds to the device  10  of FIGS. 1-9. The device  110  has a hard protective shell  112  which is open at one end and contains a flexible pouch  114  for containing ink. The shell  112  and an open end of the pouch  114  are attached to a chassis  116 , which houses a pump  118  and a fluid outlet  120 . A protective cap  122  is attached to the chassis  116 . The opposed end of the pouch  114  is closed. 
     The device  110  is adapted to be removably inserted into a docking bay (not shown) within an ink-jet printer in the same manner as the device  10  of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9. When the device  110  is inserted into the printer, a fluid inlet in the docking bay is adapted to engage the fluid outlet  120  to allow ink flow from the device  110  to the printer, similar to the arrangement of the device of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9. An actuator (not shown) in the docking bay is adapted to engage the pump  118 . Operation of the actuator causes the pump  118  to provide ink in a series of small doses of a predetermined volume from the flexible pouch  114 , through the fluid outlet  120 , to the fluid inlet of the docking bay and then to the printer. 
     To protect the flexible pouch  114  from impact and shock loads, and to facilitate the insertion of the chassis  116  into the shell  112 , the shell  112  is provided with an annular frame  117  formed integrally therewith in a single piece, as by injection molding from a suitable thermoplastic material. The annular frame  117 , which extends transversely from a planar portion of the chassis that extends transversely of the open end of the shell  112 , has a spaced-apart pair of short side members  117   a,    117   b,  and surrounds the flexible pouch  114 . For added rigidity each of the side members  117   a,    117   b  has a rib  117   c,    117   d,  respectively, projecting perpendicularly outwardly therefrom. 
     The shell  112  is generally rectangularly shaped, with a spaced-apart pair of shorter sides  112   a,    112   b  that are disposed adjacent the side members  117   a,    117   b,  respectively, of the annular frame  117 . To accommodate the projection of the ribs  117   c,    117   d  of the side members  117   a,    117   b,  respectively, of the perimetrical frame  117 , the shorter sides  112   a,    112   b  of the shell  112  are provided with elongate slots  112   c,    112   d,  respectively, and the ribs  117   c,    117   d  project into the slots  112   c,    112   d,  respectively, as is clearly illustrated in FIG.  18 . This arrangement between the ribs  117   c,    117   d  and the slots  112   c,    112   d  increases the spacing between the side members  117   a,    117   b  for a given width of the shell  112 , and thereby increases the volume of ink that can be contained within the flexible pouch  114 . 
     To increase the resistance of the device  110  to inadvertent disengagement of any of the shell  112 , chassis  116  or cap  122  from one another due to shock or impact loads, the chassis  116  is contained entirely within the shell  112 , and the cap  122 , which has a top panel portion  122   a  with a perimetrical depending flange  122   b,  is secured to the shell  112  by telescopically inserting the flange  122   b  into the upper open end of the shell  122 . The engagement of the cap  122  to the shell  112  is positively restrained by providing the exterior of the flange  122   b  with an outwardly projecting rib  122   c,  and by providing the interior of the upper open end of the shell  112  with an inwardly projecting recess  112   f  into which the rib  122   c  is received in an interference fit. Further, the cap  122  can then be even more positively secured to the shell  112  by heat sealing or sonically welding the cap  122  and the shell  112  to one another. 
     In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 11,  15  and  19 , elements corresponding to the elements of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18  are identified by a  200  series numeral, the last two digits of which are the last two digits of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 . 
     The ink containment and dispensing device of FIGS. 11,  15  and  19  is generally identified by reference numeral  210  and, except as hereinafter described, corresponds to the device  110  of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 . The device  210  has a hard protective shell  212  which is open at one end and contains a flexible pouch  214  for containing ink. The shell  212  and an open end of the pouch  214  are attached to a chassis  216 , which houses a pump  218  and a fluid outlet  220 . A protective cap  222  is attached to the chassis  216 . The device  210  is adapted to be removably inserted into a docking bay (not shown) within an ink-jet printer. When the device  210  is inserted into the printer, a fluid inlet in the docking bay is adapted to engage the fluid outlet  220  to allow ink flow from the device  216  to the printer. An actuator (not shown) in the docking bay is adapted to engage the pump  218 . Operation of the actuator causes the pump  218  to provide ink in a series of small doses of a predetermined volume from the flexible pouch  214 , through the fluid outlet  220 , to the fluid inlet of the docking bay and then to the printer. 
     To protect the flexible pouch  214  from impact and shock loads, and to facilitate the insertion of the chassis  216  into the shell  212 , the chassis  216  is provided with a depending annular frame  217  formed integrally therewith and in a single piece, as by injection molding from a suitable thermoplastic material. The annular frame  217 , which extends transversely from a planar portion that extends transversely of the open end of the shell  212 , has a spaced-apart pair of short side members  217   a,    217   b,  and surrounds the flexible pouch  214 . For added rigidity each of the side members  217   a,    217   b  has a rib  217   c,    217   d,  respectively, projecting perpendicularly outwardly therefrom. 
     The shell  212  is generally rectangularly shaped, with a spaced-apart pair of shorter sides  212   a,    212   b  that are disposed adjacent the side members  217   a,    217   b,  respectively, of the perimetrical frame  217 . To adequately restrain the side members  217   a,    217   b,  with respect to the shell  212  during the insertion of the frame  217  of a chassis  216  into the shell  212  and thereafter, the sides  212   a,    212   b  of the shell  212  are provided with inwardly facing recesses  212   c,    212   d,  respectively. The interaction between the ribs  217   c,    217   d,  and the recesses  212   c,    212   d,  respectively, thus, facilitates the insertion of the chassis  216 , with the perimetrical frame  217 , into the shell  212 , and the retention of the chassis  216  and the frame  217  in the shell  212 , notwithstanding shock or impact loads encountered by the device  210  during shipping, handling or service. 
     To increase the resistance of the device  210  to inadvertent disengagement of any of the shell  212 , chassis  216  or cap  222  from one another due to shock or impact loads, the chassis  216  is contained entirely within the shell  212 , and the cap  222 , which has a top panel portion  222   a  with a perimetrical depending flange  222   b,  is secured to the shell  212  by telescopically inserting the flange  222   b  into the upper open end of the shell  212 . The engagement of the cap  222  to the shell  212  is positively restrained by providing the exterior of the flange  222   b  with an outwardly projecting rib  222   c,  and by providing the interior of the upper open end of the shell  212  with an inwardly projecting recess  212   f  into which the rib  222   c  is received in an interference fit. Further, the cap  222  can then be even more positively secured to the shell  212  by heat sealing or sonically welding the cap  222  and the shell  212  to one another. 
     To positively axially position the cap  222  and the chassis  216  with respect to one another, the sides of the pump  218  of the chassis  216  are provided with opposed outwardly projecting ribs  219  (only one such rib shown in FIG. 11) and the flange  222   b  of the cap  222  is provided with slots  222   d  (only one such slot shown in FIG. 11) along its opposed longer sides. The ribs  219  are received in the slots  222   d  when the cap  222  and the chassis  216  are assembled together, with the ribs  219  engaging the interior ends of the slots  222   c  to properly axially position the cap  222  and the chassis  216  with respect to one another. 
     In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 12,  16  and  20 , elements corresponding to the elements of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18  are identified by a  300  series numeral, the last two digits of which are the last two digits of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 . 
     The ink containment and dispensing device of FIGS. 12,  16  and  20  is generally identified by reference numeral  310  and, except as hereinafter described, corresponds to the device  110  of the embodiment of FIGS.  10 ,  14  and  18 . The device  310  has a hard protective shell  312  which is open at one end and contains a flexible pouch  314  for containing ink. An open end of pouch  314  is attached to a chassis  316 , which houses a pump  318  and a fluid outlet  320 . A protective cap  322  is attached to the chassis  316 . 
     The device  310  is adapted to be removably inserted into a docking bay (not shown) within an ink-jet printer. When the device  310  is inserted into the printer, a fluid inlet in the docking bay is adapted to engage the fluid outlet  320  to allow ink flow from the device  310  to the printer. An actuator (not shown) in the docking bay is adapted to engage the pump  318 . Operation of the actuator causes the pump  318  to provide ink in a series of small doses of a predetermined volume from the flexible pouch  314 , through the fluid outlet  320 , to the fluid inlet of the docking bay and then to the printer. 
     To increase the resistance of the device  310  to inadvertent disengagement of any of the shell  312 , chassis  316  or cap  322  from one another due to shock or impact loads, the chassis  316  is contained entirely within the shell  312 , and the cap  322 , which has a top panel portion  322   a  with a perimetrical depending flange  322   b,  is secured to the shell  312  by telescopically inserting the flange  322   b  of the cap  322  into the upper open end of the shell  312 . The engagement of the cap  322  to the shell  312  is positively restrained by providing the exterior of the flange  322   b  with an outwardly projecting rib  322   c,  and by providing the interior of the upper open end of the shell  312  with an inwardly projecting recess  312   f  into which the rib  322   c  is received in an interference fit. Further, the cap  322  can then be even more positively secured to the shell  312  by heat sealing or sonically welding the cap  322  and the shell  312  to one another. 
     The engagement of the chassis  316  to the shell  312  is positively restrained by molding the chassis  316  with a thin, planar member  316   a  and by providing the shell  312 , and preferably its opposed, short side members  312   a,    312   b,  with interior, longitudinally extending ribs  312   g,    312   h,  respectively, that extend partly to the open end of the shell  312 . The tops of the ribs  312   g,    312   h,  then, form stops against which the bottom of the planar member  316   a  of the chassis  316  is restrained by the telescopic engagement of the chassis  316  into the open end of the shell  312 . In that regard, the flange  322   b  of the cap  322  is provided with ribs  322   h,    322   g,  on opposed ends of its inside surface. The ribs  322   h,    322   g  extend partly to the open end of the cap  322  to engage the top of the planar member  316   a  of the chassis  316 , and preferably in alignment with the ribs  312   g,    312   h,  respectively, of the shell  312 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 16, the top panel portion  322   a  of the cap  322  is planar and fits entirely within the open end of the shell  312 , unlike the top panel portion  222   a  of the cap  222  of the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 15 and the top panel portion  122   a  of the cap  122  of the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 14, which are domed upwardly and extend beyond the open ends of the shells  212 ,  112 , respectively. 
     In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 13,  17  and  21 , elements corresponding to the elements of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18  are identified by a  400  series numeral, the last two digits of which are the last two digits of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 . 
     The ink containment and dispensing device of FIGS. 13,  17  and  21  is generally identified by reference numeral  410  and, except as hereinafter described, corresponds to the device  110  of the embodiment of FIGS. 10,  14  and  18 . The device  410  has a hard protective shell  412  which is open at one end and contains a flexible pouch  414  for containing ink. The shell  412  is attached to a chassis  416 , which houses a pump  418  and a fluid outlet  420 . A protective cap  422  is attached to the chassis  416 . 
     The device  410  is adapted to be removably inserted into a docking bay (not shown) within an ink-jet printer. When the device  410  is inserted into the printer, a fluid inlet in the docking bay is adapted to engage the fluid outlet  420  to allow ink flow from the device  410  to the printer. An actuator (not shown) in the docking bay is adapted to engage the pump  418 . Operation of the actuator causes the pump  418  to provide ink in a series of small doses of a predetermined volume from the flexible pouch  414 , through the fluid outlet  420 , to the fluid inlet of the docking bay and then to the printer. 
     To increase the resistance of the device  410  to inadvertent disengagement of any of the shell  412 , chassis  416  or cap  422  from one another due to shock or impact loads, the chassis  416  is contained entirely within the shell  412 , and the cap  422 , which has a top panel portion  422   a  with a perimetrical depending flange  422   b,  is secured to the shell  412  by telescopically inserting the flange  422   b  into the upper open end of the shell  422 . 
     To protect the flexible pouch  414  from impact and shock loads, the chassis  416  is provided with an annular frame  417  formed integrally therewith in a single piece, as by injection molding from a suitable plastic material. The annular frame  417 , which extends transversely from a planar portion of the chassis for  416  that extends transversely of the open end of the shell  412 , has a spaced-apart short side members  417   a,    417   b,  surrounds the flexible pouch  414 . For added rigidity each of the side members  417   a,    417   b  has a hollow rib  417   c,    417   d,  projecting perpendicularly outwardly therefrom. In that regard, the flexible pouch  414  extends partly into the hollow ribs  417   c,    417   d,  as is shown in connection with the hollow rib  417   c  in FIG. 21, to maximize the internal volume of the flexible pouch  414 . 
     The shell  412  is generally rectangularly shaped, with a spaced-apart pair of shorter sides  412   a,    412   b  that are disposed adjacent the side members  417   a,    417   b,  respectively, of the perimetrical frame  417 . To adequately restrain the side members  417   a,    417   b,  with respect to the shell  412 , the sides  412   a,    412   b  of the shell  412  are provided with outwardly facing hollow recesses  412   c,    412   d,  respectively. The interaction between the hollow ribs  417   c,    417   d  and the recesses  412   c,    412   d,  respectively, thus, facilitates the insertion of the chassis  416 , with the perimetrical frame  417 , into the shell  412  and the retention of the chassis  416  and the frame  417  in the shell  412 , notwithstanding shock or impact loads encountered by the device  410  during shipping, handling or service. Further, to assist in the proper axial orientation of the chassis  416 , with the perimetrical frame  417 , with respect to the shell  412 , the hollow ribs  417   c,    417   d  of the perimetrical frame  417  are provided with inwardly projecting notches  417   e,    417   f,  respectively, and the hollow recesses  412   c,    412   d  of the short sides  412   a,    412   b,  respectively, of the shell  412  are provided with inwardly projecting ribs  412   e,    412   f  that are received in the notches  412   e,    412   f,  of the shell  412 , respectively. 
     The liquid containment and dispensing device of the various embodiments of the present invention has been specifically described as a device for containing and dispensing a supply of printing ink in an ink jet printer as the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is also contemplated that the present invention can easily be adapted to the containment and dispensing of other Newtonian (low viscosity) liquids. 
     Although the best mode contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the present invention as of the filing date hereof has been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that suitable modifications, variations, and equivalents may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, such scope being limited solely by the terms of the following claims and the legal equivalents thereof.