U.S. patent application number 14/174597 was filed with the patent office on 2015-08-06 for collapsible fluid cartridge with elastic membrane.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Dilan N. Fernando, David M. Price. Invention is credited to Dilan N. Fernando, David M. Price.
Application Number | 20150217928 14/174597 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53754207 |
Filed Date | 2015-08-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150217928 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fernando; Dilan N. ; et
al. |
August 6, 2015 |
Collapsible Fluid Cartridge With Elastic Membrane
Abstract
A fluid cartridge is disclosed. The fluid cartridge includes a
flexible bag body to store a fluid, a nozzle to discharge the fluid
and a membrane inside the bag body to assist in the collapse of the
bag body during discharging of the fluid.
Inventors: |
Fernando; Dilan N.;
(Thornton, CO) ; Price; David M.; (Loveland,
CO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Fernando; Dilan N.
Price; David M. |
Thornton
Loveland |
CO
CO |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
53754207 |
Appl. No.: |
14/174597 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/95 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0061 20130101;
B65D 2231/001 20130101; B65D 75/5883 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/00 20060101
B65D083/00; B65D 47/06 20060101 B65D047/06 |
Claims
1. A fluid cartridge comprising: a flexible bag body to store a
fluid; a nozzle to discharge the fluid; and an elastic membrane
inside the bag body to assist in the collapse of the bag body
during discharging of the fluid.
2. The fluid cartridge of claim 1 wherein the bag body comprises
sidewalls having creases.
3. The fluid cartridge of claim 2 wherein the membrane assists in
the collapse of the bag by pulling in the sidewall creases.
4. The fluid cartridge of claim 3 wherein the membrane exerts an
elastic force in a perpendicular direction to the sidewall creases
to aid in collapsing of the bag.
5. The fluid cartridge of claim 4 wherein the membrane exerts a
maximum elastic force when the bag body is full.
6. The fluid cartridge of claim 5 wherein the membrane exerts a
minimum elastic force when the bag body is empty.
7. The fluid cartridge of claim 2 wherein the membrane is fused
into the sidewall creases.
8. The fluid cartridge of claim 2 wherein the membrane comprises: a
plurality of vertical bands; and a plurality of horizontal
bands.
9. The fluid cartridge of claim 8 wherein the horizontal bands hold
the vertical bands in place.
10. The fluid cartridge of claim 8 wherein an angle between
horizontal bands and the vertical bands is 90 degrees.
11. The fluid cartridge of claim 8 wherein an angle between
horizontal bands and the vertical bands is less than 90
degrees.
12. The fluid cartridge of claim 8 wherein the vertical bands are
fused perpendicular to a line of the sidewall creases to permit
folding.
13. The fluid cartridge of claim 8 wherein the vertical bands are
elastic.
14. The fluid cartridge of claim 2 wherein the membrane comprises
circular cutouts.
15. The fluid cartridge of claim 12 wherein the circular cutouts
have a horizontal orientation.
16. The fluid cartridge of claim 2 wherein the membrane is
comprised of an elastic permeable material.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to an ink cartridge used in an ink jet
printer.
BACKGROUND
[0002] High speed production ink jet printers typically implement a
fluid cartridge (or ink bag). Such a cartridge employs a flexible
casing that is deformable in accordance with consumption of ink
therein. However, fluid cartridges tend not to empty fully when
external air pressure is applied. This is mainly due to wrinkles
forming on the creases of the side walls that do not flatten out as
the bag empties, thus trapping fluid when emptying.
[0003] Accordingly, a mechanism to enable full emptying of a fluid
cartridge is desired.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one embodiment, a fluid cartridge is disclosed. The fluid
cartridge includes a flexible bag body to store a fluid, a nozzle
to discharge the fluid and a membrane inside the bag body to assist
in the collapse of the bag body during discharging of the
fluid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] A better understanding of the present invention can be
obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction
with the following drawings, in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of a fluid
cartridge;
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of one embodiment of a fluid
cartridge;
[0008] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate embodiments of a permeable
membrane; and
[0009] FIGS. 4A-4C further illustrate rear view embodiments of a
fluid cartridge.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] A mechanism to enable full emptying of a fluid cartridge is
described. In the following description, for the purposes of
explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will
be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present
invention may be practiced without some of these specific details.
In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in
block diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of
the present invention.
[0011] Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The
appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in
the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same
embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of a fluid
cartridge 100. In one embodiment, fluid cartridge 100 includes a
bag body 102 formed by flexible sheet members and configured in a
manner, for example, that flexible sheet members such as
gas-barrier laminate films each formed by depositing aluminum on a
polyethylene film are overlapped, and heat welding seal is
performed along the outer periphery of the overlapped sheet members
to form a welded portion.
[0013] Fluid (e.g., ink used for printing) is stored within
cartridge 100 and is discharged via a nozzle 105 at one end edge of
body 102. In one embodiment, nozzle 105 is formed by a hard
material, such as composite resin. Body 102 includes sidewalls 107,
sidewall creases 110 and a membrane 120 attached to sidewall
creases 110. In one embodiment, membrane 120 is an elastic
permeable membrane that is implemented to pull in the sidewalls 107
such that the side walls 107 fold and collapse along respective
creases 110 to aid in the collapse of cartridge 100. In other
embodiments, membrane 120 may be comprised of any elastic material
that does not interact with the ink within cartridge 100.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of one embodiment of fluid
cartridge 100 in which membrane 120 is attached to creases 110. As
shown in FIG. 2, sidewalls 107 are folded, and the cartridge 100
material is fused with membrane 120 inserted in between.
Accordingly, membrane 120 is comprised of material that is able to
withstand fusing temperatures.
[0015] FIG. 3A illustrates one embodiment of a membrane 120 used to
pull in side walls 107. In this embodiment, vertical bands 310 are
elastic, while horizontal bands 320 are not. In such an embodiment,
horizontal bands 320 are implemented to hold vertical bands 310 in
place, with the gap between bands 310 enabling the cartridge 100
material to come together to provide a better fuse at crease 110.
In a further embodiment, vertical bands 310 are fused perpendicular
to the crease 110 line to permit crease 110 to fold properly. In
still a further embodiment, the angle (.sigma.) between bands 310
and 320 is 90.degree.. However in other embodiment, .sigma. may
vary between 0.degree. and 90.degree..
[0016] FIG. 3B illustrates another embodiment of a membrane 120
having circular cutouts 330. In this embodiment, cutouts 330 have a
horizontal orientation to enable membrane 120 to stretch. In one
embodiment, membrane 120 exerts an elastic force in a perpendicular
direction to that of the crease 110 to aid in collapsing of the
bag. FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate embodiments of a rear view of fluid
cartridge 100 during various stages of ink fill.
[0017] As shown in FIGS. 4A-4C elastic membrane 120 pull together
sidewalls 107 at crease 110, aiding in the collapse of fluid
cartridge 100. For instance, when bag body 102 is at the fullest
position, the membrane is exerting a maximum elastic force on the
side wall creases 110. FIG. 4A shows cartridge 100 at the fullest
position, with the elastic force being measured at X. As ink is
drained from bag body 102, membrane 120 exerts a force in the
collapsing direction to assist in the draining.
[0018] FIG. 4B illustrates a further embodiment of cartridge 100
after fluid has been discharged. As shown in FIG. 4B, the
dimensions of bag body 102 are unchanged. However, the elastic
force of membrane 120 is measured at Y, where X>Y. has moved in
a perpendicular direction marked by a location at a distance Y.
FIG. 4C illustrates yet another embodiment of cartridge 100 after
fluid has been completely drained. In this embodiment, bag body 102
is at its flattest position with the dimensions remaining
unchanged. However, membrane 120 is exerting a minimal elastic
force measured at Z, where X>Y>Z.
[0019] Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present
invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary
skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is
to be understood that any particular embodiment shown and described
by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered
limiting. Therefore, references to details of various embodiments
are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which in
themselves recite only those features regarded as essential to the
invention.
* * * * *