Abstract: Techniques for liquid replenishment in a printer/plotter. An ink delivery system (IDS) is employed wherein the on-carriage spring reservoir of the print cartridge is manually and securely connected to the off-carriage reservoir. A pen cartridge that uses an internal spring to provide vacuum pressure is connected from an inlet port through a unitary coupler to an ink reservoir located off the scanning carriage axis. The coupler serves to align as well as to secure two mating valves to securely hold them together in an open latched position which is not intended to be modified or disconnected until the entire ink supply has been depleted. A replaceable ink supply module for providing replenishment of an inkjet printhead includes a collapsible bag, an enclosure box, a connective tube, and an on/off valve. These four components are incorporated into a composite sealed system which remains intact during shipment, storage, installation and operation.

Abstract: Techniques for liquid replenishment in a printer/plotter. An ink delivery system (IDS) is employed wherein the on-carriage spring reservoir of the print cartridge is manually and securely connected to the off-carriage reservoir. A pen cartridge that uses an internal spring to provide vacuum pressure is connected from an inlet port through a unitary coupler to an ink reservoir located off the scanning carriage axis. The coupler serves to align as well as to secure two mating valves to securely hold them together in an open latched position which is not intended to be modified or disconnected until the entire ink supply has been depleted. A replaceable ink supply module for providing replenishment of an inkjet printhead includes a collapsible bag, an enclosure box, a connective tube, and an on/off valve. These four components are incorporated into a composite sealed system which remains intact during shipment, storage, installation and operation.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system provides an on/off valve adapted for periodic engagement with an inlet port on a print cartridge mounted in a carriage. The valve is connected to an ink supply which is located off the carriage. A manually actuated set of individual locking gates allows each valve to be separately mounted on a holder capable of carrying multiple valves. As the ink reservoir in the print cartridge is slowly depleted during operation of the printing system, a mechanism periodically moves the valves from a first passive position separated from the print cartridges to a second active position engaged with the inlet port of the print cartridges in order to allow replenishment without removing the print cartridges from the carriage.

Abstract: A replaceable ink supply module which provides replenishment of an inkjet printhead includes a collapsible bag, an enclosure box, a connective tube, and an on/off valve. These four components are incorporated into a composite sealed system which remains intact during shipment, storage, installation and operation. The collapsible bag is placed inside of the protective enclosure box and has an end-connect outlet permanently attached to one end of the connective tube. The other end of the connective tube carries a permanently attached on/off valve designed for periodic engagement with an inlet valve of an inkjet printhead.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an improved ink seal between a print cartridge body and an inkjet printhead. In a preferred embodiment, a nozzle member containing an array of orifices has a substrate, having heater elements formed thereon, affixed to a back surface of the nozzle member. Each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a single heating element formed on the substrate. The back surface of the nozzle member extends beyond the outer edges of the substrate. Ink is supplied from an ink reservoir to the orifices by a fluid channel within a barrier layer between the nozzle member and the substrate. The fluid channel in the barrier layer may receive ink fl owing around two or more outer edges of the substrate or may receive ink which flows through a hole in the center of the substrate.