Abstract: An ink cartridge has a body comprised of a plurality of wall panels that are resiliently hinged to adjacent wall panels. The wall panels define a cavity within the body for storing ink when the body is in a full configuration. The body collapses from the full configuration to an empty configuration as ink is removed from the body. The wall panels collapse inwardly about the hinges to lie flat against one another to reduce the cavity volume. A frame frames the plurality of wall panels of the body. The frame resiliently expands as the wall panels collapse flat together within the frame. The resilient expansion of the frame and the panel collapse about the hinges biases the body toward the full configuration.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink composition and a method for printing are provided which involve the use of tetrafluoropropanol (TFP), and preferably 2,2,3,3-TFP, as a co-solvent to impart improved bleed control, dot gain, and edge acuity characteristics to the ink as well as to reduce the dry time upon printing onto a print medium. Preferably, the ink-jet ink composition comprises a dye, 2,2,3,3-TFP, 2-ethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol, sodium alginate, and water. In an ink-jet ink set in which the color inks are dye-based ink-jet inks compositions formulated to include 2,2,3,3-TFP in accordance with the invention, but when the black ink is a pigment-based suspension without 2,2,3,3-TFP, black to color bleed may be controlled by further adding any one of calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, tetraethylenepentamine, or polyethylenimine to the color dye-based inks.

Abstract: The valving assembly includes an ink container, a valve body, a rotatable valve having a conduit, a receptacle configured to mate with the conduit and a rotatable valve actuator. The ink container is mounted to the valve body that receives the rotatable valve therein. The valve is rotatable into a position that permits ink to flow from the container. The valve is firmly held against the valve body to prevent leaks from the closed valve. The container, valve and valve body are all formed of the same plastic material, thereby to facilitate recycling of the ink container with its valve.

Abstract: An ink-jet ink composition is provided which includes at least one primary surfactant and at least one co-surfactant, with the co-surfactant having an HLB at least about 1.5 units higher than that of the primary surfactant. The co-surfactant imparts good wetting and cloud point characteristics to the ink-jet ink composition without sacrificing the bleed control achieved with the use of the low-HLB surfactant. The improvement in wetting and cloud point characteristics achieved in the practice of the invention enables ink-jet printers to effect high print quality in a cost-effective manner. A method for increasing the wettability and cloud point of an ink-jet ink by including at least one co-surfactant having an HLB is also provided.

Abstract: The connector assembly provides leak protection to enable the disconnection of a filled or partially filled ink cartridge from an ink-jet printer without leaking ink. The connector assembly includes a valve assembly having a fitment and a valve attached thereto. The valve is movable to close a passageway formed through the fitment when the ink cartridge is disconnected from a coupler connected to the printer. The coupler may be used to open the valve to permit ink flow from the ink cartridge to the printer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to Ink Level Detection in a Pressure Regulated Pen. A liquid level detector for a liquid containment device, such as an ink-jet pen, provides a signal indicative of a lowering level of liquid in the containment device. In exemplary embodiments, a refillable or replaceable ink reservoir supplies ink to the printhead of the pen under pressure. Electrical or electromagnetic devices are used individually or in combination with a pressure regulator apparatus to sense a back pressure in the containment device after the reservoir has gone dry to trigger a signal indicating a low or out-of-ink condition.

Abstract: A set of thermal ink-jet inks and method for formulating the same are provided in which the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks contain a combination of surfactants and inorganic salts designed to reduce both color to color bleed as well as black to color bleed. In general, the present cyan, magenta, and yellow inks each comprise about 0.1 to 4 wt. % of at least one dye; about 3 to 20 wt. % of at least one diol; 0 to about 5 wt. % of at least one glycol ether; about 3 to 9 wt. % of 2-pyrrolidone; up to about 4 wt. % of at least one component selected from the group consisting of biocides and buffers; and water. To achieve a reduction in color to color and black to color bleed, the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are formulated to further comprise the following combination of surfactants and inorganic salts: (a) a surfactant component comprising about 1 to 4 wt.

Abstract: A method is provided for enhancing and accelerating wetting of hydrophobic foams for use as ink reservoirs in ink-jet printer pens. First, the foam is placed in a prewet bath, having already been compressed to expel air. The prewet bath contains an aqueous solution with a low molecular weight alcohol additive, such as n-propanol, ranging in concentration from about 3 to 10 wt. %. Second, the foam is repeatedly compressed and allowed to expand while in the prewet bath, thereby promoting the foam's absorbance of prewetting solution and further improving foam wettability. Finally, the foam is removed from the prewet bath and is compressed to expel excess prewetting solution. The foam retains residual alcohol from the prewet bath that subsequently becomes a constituent of the ink stored in the foam.

Abstract: A water-soluble ink-jet dye for use in ink-jet printing is designed to undergo a reaction, initiated by the loss of water and natural neutralization, as the ink dries on paper, causing the dye to (1) change and lose solubility and (2) bind to the paper. The dye comprises a polymeric chain, to which one or more chromophores are attached. Also attached to the chain are a plurality of hydroxyl or amine groups, up to approximately one-half of which are converted to carboxyl groups. The ink containing the dye is maintained at a basic pH. Upon printing on a print substrate, the dye is neutralized, causing lactone (from hydroxyl groups) or lactam (from amine groups) ring formation. The resulting reacted dye is substantially totally waterfast on the print substrate.

Abstract: If a small amount of alcohol (about 0.05 to 6 wt %) is added to water-based inks for thermal ink-jet printing, the resultant print has a rapid dry time and improved smear resistance. In addition, a high quality print is obtained, even on plain paper.

Abstract: Boronic dyes corresponding to the formula ##STR1## wherein D is an organic dye moiety, and n is 1 or 2 are described. Inks which are formulated for ink-jet printing and contain such a dye provide excellent images when printed on paper.

Abstract: A dye used in ink compositions for ink-jet printing comprises an aromatic dye molecule having attached to the aromatic nucleus thereof from 2 to 10 alkylamino groups having the formula selected from the group consisting of:(a) --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NH.sub.2, where n=2 to 4,(b) --NH--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NH.sub.2, where n=2 to 5, and(c) --NH--(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 NH).sub.x C.sub.2 H.sub.4 NH.sub.2, where x=0 to about 100. These dyes have good water solubility at near neutral pH and interact well with paper.

Abstract: An ink composition for printing on plain paper and other media using a thermal ink-jet printer is provided. The ink composition comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, present in an amount ranging from about 5 to 10 wt %; dye, ranging from about 1 to 4 wt %; and the balance water. A biocide ranging from about 0.01 to 0.3 wt % and/or a buffering agent ranging in concentration from about 0.05 to 0.5 wt % may also be included.The ink compositions of the invention permit printing on a large variety of plain papers, including bonds, photocopy paper and laser jet paper. These compositions are an improvement over other ink compositions and permit both high quality and letter quality printing to be achieved.

Abstract: A dye used in ink compositions for ink-jet printing comprises an aromatic dye molecule having attached to the backbone thereof from one to four polyhydroxyl-substituted groups having the formula selected from the group consisting of:(a) CH.sub.2 OH-(CHOH).sub.n CH.sub.2 O-, where n=2 to 10;(b) O.sub.n-1 C.sub.n H.sub.2n-1 -O-, where n=5 to 7; and(c) C.sub.6n H.sub.5n+1 O.sub.5n -O-, where n=1 to about 100. These dyes have improved water solubility and improved interaction with paper.

Abstract: Inks used in ink-jet printing comprise a vehicle and a dye. The dye is typically an anionic dye, associated with undesirable cations such as sodium or potassium cations. Several properties of such inks are improved by replacing at least about one-fourth of such cations on the anionic dye with tetramethylammonium cations.

Abstract: A method of increasing the water fastness and print quality of an ink employed in ink-jet printers is provided. The method involves providing a reactive species that reacts with a component in the substrate (i.e., paper) to form a polymer that binds the dye in the ink to the polymeric lattice. Alternatively, a separate reactive component may be deposited on the substrate on the same location as the reactive species which causes a polymeric reaction to occur. In this case, the ink may be in one or the other or both reactive components. An ink-jet printer having indexed orifices permits registration of deposited droplets of ink and reactive species to form the desired product.