Abstract: The present invention is an ink container for use in an ink jet printing system. The printing system has a printhead under control of printing system electronics and an ink container receiving station for providing ink to the printhead. The replaceable ink container includes a plurality of container interfacing features positioned on the ink container to engage corresponding ink container receiving station interfacing features. The ink container interfacing features are disposed and arranged to allow a plurality of different sizes of the ink container to be installed at a particular location of the receiving station. The ink container also includes an information storage device that provides information indicative of a volume of ink contained in said ink container.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 4, 1997
Date of Patent:
September 21, 1999
Assignee:
Hewlett-Packard Company
Inventors:
Winthrop D. Childers, Michael L. Bullock, Bruce Cowger, John A. Underwood, Susan M. Hmelar, James E. Clark, Paul D. Gast, John A. Barinaga, David O. Merrill