Abstract: An ink container has a housing having a chamber formed therein for receiving ink and a first surface containing an outlet passage communicating with the chamber and through which ink is selectively dispensed. An air impermeable, non-porous seal member is received in the outlet passage, and has raised portions on opposite sides of the member. A cap member is provided to compress the seal within the outlet passage to form a seal therein.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having an ink chamber including a wall, an outlet port extending from the wall, an outlet passage through the port and communicating with said chamber and an ink absorbing member in the chamber, is provided with a filter member of sintered plastic material between the ink absorbent member and the passage and a wick member of sintered plastic material in the passage. The wick member has a downstream end in the outlet passage and a printer needle passage extends into the wick member from the downstream end thereof.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having a one-piece housing including a plurality of walls to form a chamber for receiving ink. The housing is formed of a blow-molded plastic material. An outlet passage extends from a bottom wall communicating with the chamber. A seal and cap assembly are secured to the outlet passage. A vent opening is provided in a top wall. The vent includes a porous member and a cap to secure the porous member within the vent. The housing is fully filled with ink. The housing allows for the use of pigmented ink since no foam reservoir is provided.

Abstract: An interlock arrangement for selectively removably mounting an ink cassette in the chute of a printer carriage comprises an ink cassette including a notch or recess and an interlock clip selectively connectable to a side of a printer carriage chute and cooperates with the notch member to provide an interlock which allows insertion of the ink cassette into the chute and prevents insertion of an ink cassette that does not have a notch or recess.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge includes a housing having a chamber in which ink is stored. A screen is secured to a surface of the housing through which an outlet passage communicates with the chamber. The screen is fused to the first surface by melting a continuous portion or bead around the outlet passage with a heated ram, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, etc. A vacuum can be applied through the outlet port to assist in locating and removing wrinkles from the screen. A recess can also be provided in the first surface of the housing to locate the screen and allow the ink absorbing member, filled with ink, to form a liquid-tight seal with the remainder of the first surface about the recess.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge includes a housing having a chamber defined by a set of side walls, a lid, and a first surface. An outlet port is formed in the first surface for communicating ink from the chamber. An ink receiving member for holding the ink is received in the chamber and is held in compression between the side walls. A substantial portion of the surface of the ink receiving member is compressed, preferably more than ?of the total surface. The ink receiving member is held uncompressed between the lid and the first surface. A method of assembling an ink cartridge includes providing a housing and a porous ink storage element. The ink storage element is compressed by a set of side walls defining a chamber formed in the housing. The ink storage element is compressed within a range of about 0.5%-50%.

Abstract: A method of filling ink into a dual chamber ink-jet cartridge for use with an ink-jet printer includes applying a vacuum to the cartridge through a fill hole of the cartridge to substantially eliminate air within an ink absorbing member of the cartridge. The fill hole is sealed and then ink is pressure filled into the cartridge through the fill hole. A vacuum is again applied to the cartridge to substantially eliminate any residual air in the cartridge due to the pressure filling of the ink. The fill hole may be positioned over a free ink chamber or over the ink absorbing member of the cartridge. The vacuum includes applying a negative pressure of about 27.5 in/Hg. The negative pressure is applied at a cycle rate of 5-30 seconds.

Abstract: A toner cartridge has a base and a slide slidably received in a slot of the base with at least one opening therein. A rotatable knob is inserted into the slide opening, wherein knob rotation results in a portion of the knob contacting a slide opening, thus moving the slide with respect to the base to one of a fully opened and fully closed position. The knob can include an eccentric cam which engages the slide opening to cause slide movement. The knob can have an axle which engages an opening in the base. The knob also can have a plurality of teeth on an outer edge thereof. The slide opening can have teeth which engage the teeth of the knob to move the slide with respect to the base.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having a one-piece housing including a plurality of walls to form a chamber for receiving ink. The housing is formed of a blow-molded plastic material. An outlet passage extends from a bottom wall communicating with the chamber. A seal and cap assembly are secured to the outlet passage. A vent opening is provided in a top wall. The vent includes a porous member and a cap to secure the porous member within the vent. The housing is fully filled with ink. The housing allows for the use of pigmented ink since no reservoir is provided.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge for an ink-jet type recording apparatus includes a housing with a plurality of walls forming a cavity and a bottom wall. A removable divider wall or spacer is inserted into the cavity which divides the cavity into first and second chambers. The spacer includes a wall section and a pair of legs extending from the wall which are spaced apart and are parallel to each other. The spacer is substantially U-shaped where the U-shape is formed by the legs and the wall section. A porous member is inserted into one of the chambers and resiliently abuts an opening of the supply port. The other chamber is at least partially filled with ink. The spacer has an opening to allow the ink to pass from the ink chamber to the foam chamber. The spacer is inserted into the chamber so that the opening is adjacent the bottom wall of the housing.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge (A) includes a housing (10) having a bottom wall (28) and a plurality of side walls (12, 14, 16, 18) forming a cavity (20). A divider wall (22) is positioned within the cavity to divide the cavity into first and second chambers (24, 26). An ink supply port (42) projects from the bottom wall of the housing. A porous member (40) is accommodated in the chamber having the ink supply port. The other chamber is partially filled with ink. The divider wall has an opening (30) allowing ink to pass from one of the chambers to the other chamber. A cover (50) having a fill hole (94) is secured to the housing.

Abstract: An ink supply tank has a plurality of walls forming a cavity and a bottom wall formed with an ink outlet port. An ink absorbing member is disposed within the cavity positioned adjacent the ink outlet port. A plurality of grooves are recessed within the bottom wall and have a depth which gradually increases toward the ink outlet port. The grooves are approximately parallel to and are equally spaced apart from each other. The grooves extend along the longitudinal axis of the tank and are of the same width. A pair of grooves also extend along a transverse axis of the tank and are positioned on opposed sides of the ink outlet port and are parallel to each other. The transverse grooves have a width greater than the width of the longitudinal grooves.

Abstract: An ink cartridge (10) for dispensing ink (IK) having a housing (12) with a cavity (22) therein for storing a quantity of ink, and a dispensing port (26) for delivering the ink to an output recordation device, such as a printer. The housing further having one or more additional ports (32, 34) extending through the housing in fluid communication with the cavity, and a self-sealing plug (16) received in one of the additional ports. The self-sealing plug being pierceable by a hollow instrument (H), such as a needle, to form a fluid passage therethrough, the self-sealing plug re-forming a fluid-tight seal in the port upon the removal of the hollow instrument.

Abstract: An air-impermeable, nonporous seal member is disposed in the outlet passage of an ink cartridge. A housing in the cartridge has a chamber that stores ink therein and communicates with the outlet passage. The seal member is preferably formed of one of a rubber, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic rubber, or silicone rubber. The seal member frictionally engages an inner wall of the outlet passage and has a thin membrane that is selectively pierced by an associated needle of the printer.

Abstract: An ink cartridge (10) for dispensing ink (IK) having a housing (12) with a cavity (22) therein for storing a quantity of ink, and a dispensing port (26) for delivering the ink to an output recordation device, such as a printer. The housing further has one or more additional ports (32, 34) extending through the housing in fluid communication with the cavity, and a check valve (16) received in one of the additional ports. The check valve is adapted to permit fluid flow in substantially one direction.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge (A) includes a housing (10) having a plurality of walls forming a cavity. Divider walls (22, 24) divide the cavity into first, second and third chambers (26, 29, 30). Removable spacers (40, 70, 90) further divide each chamber into substantially equally sized sub-chambers (42, 47, 48, 44, 45, 46). Ink absorbing members (100, 102, 104) are inserted into the sub-chambers. The ink absorbing members are compressed by the removable spacers to regulate the flow of ink therethrough. Each of the chambers is filled with inks of different viscosities. The ink absorbing members are compressed in proportion to the viscosity of the ink carried by the ink absorbing member.

Abstract: An ink cartridge (10) for dispensing ink (IK) having a housing (12) with a cavity (22) therein for storing a quantity of ink, and a dispensing port (26) for delivering the ink to an output recordation device, such as a printer. The housing further has one or more additional ports (32, 34) extending through the housing in fluid communication with the cavity, and a check valve (16) received in one of the additional ports. The check valve is adapted to permit fluid flow in substantially one direction.

Abstract: An ink supply tank (A) has a plurality of walls (12, 14, 28) forming a cavity and a bottom wall (28) formed with an ink outlet port (42). An ink absorbing member (40) is disposed within the cavity positioned adjacent with the ink outlet port (42). A plurality of grooves (64) are recessed within the bottom wall (28) and have a depth which gradually increases toward the ink outlet port (42). The grooves (64) are approximately parallel to and are equally spaced apart from each other. The grooves (64) extend along the longitudinal axis of the tank (A) and are of the same width. A pair of grooves (64) also extend along a transverse axis of the tank (A) and are positioned on opposed sides of the tank (A) and are positioned on opposited sides of the ink outlet port (42) and are parallel to each other. The transverse grooves (64) have a width greater than the width of the longitudinal grooves.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge (A) for an ink-jet type recording apparatus includes a housing (10) with a plurality of walls (12, 14, 16, 18) forming a cavity and a bottom wall (28). A removable divider wall or spacer (22) is inserted into the cavity which divides the cavity into first and second chambers (24, 26). The spacer includes a wall section (29) and a pair of legs (25, 27) extending from the wall which are spaced apart and are parallel to each other. The spacer is substantially U-shaped where the U-shape is formed by the legs and the wall section. A porous member (40) is inserted into one of the chambers and resiliently abuts an opening (44) of the supply port (42). The other chamber is at least partially filled with ink. The spacer has an opening (30) to allow the ink to pass from the ink chamber to the foam chamber. The spacer is inserted into the chamber so that the opening is adjacent the bottom wall of the housing.

Abstract: An air-impermeable, nonporous seal member is disposed in the outlet passage of an ink cartridge. A housing in the cartridge has a chamber that stores ink therein and communicates with the outlet passage. The seal member is preferably formed of one of a rubber, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic rubber, or silicone rubber. The seal member frictionally engages an inner wall of the outlet passage and has a thin membrane that is selectively pierced by an associated needle of the printer.