EXPANDABLE WASTE INK RECEPTACLE FOR MICRO-FLUID SUPPLY ITEM
A consumable supply item for an imaging device holds an initial or refillable volume of fresh fluid for use in an imaging device. A housing defines an interior having an expandable fluid receptacle to receive waste fluid from the imaging device. As the fresh fluid depletes in the interior over time, the fluid receptacle expands as it accommodates waste fluid. In this way, a single container can both 1) supply fresh fluid and 2) retrieve waste fluid. When full of fresh fluid initially, the fluid receptacle is empty in a compressed state. Upon fresh fluid leaving the container for the imaging device, waste fluid can begin filling the receptacle. Upon depletion of fresh fluid, the container is full of waste fluid. The container is ready for disposal or recycling.
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The present invention relates to micro-fluid applications, such as inkjet printing. It relates particularly to supply item containers holding fresh fluid, but doubling as a receptacle for waste fluid as the fresh fluid depletes over time. Expandable fluid receptacles facilitate the embodiments.
BACKGROUNDThe art of printing images with micro-fluid technology is relatively well known. A replaceable or (semi)permanent ejection head has access to a local or remote supply of fluid (e.g., ink). The fluid ejects from an ejection zone to a print media in a pattern of pixels corresponding to images being printed.
In industrial or high-capacity printers, large volumes of waste ink accumulate during times of head maintenance or the like. While such printers have devices to accommodate waste ink, each has its shortcomings. Some printers utilize felt or other materials to absorb waste ink and let it evaporate over time. Some printers utilize waste cartridges that users put in place, swap, empty, dispose, etc. during times of maintenance to capture waste ink in a specialty container. The former is messy. It also demands copious amounts of absorbent material in high volume printers. The latter is inconvenient and similarly can be messy.
A need exists in the art to better handle waste ink. The need extends not only to convenience and clean handling, but to simplicity and financial economy. Additional benefits and alternatives are also sought.
SUMMARYThe above-mentioned and other problems become solved with containers having expandable waste ink receptacles for micro-fluid applications. The containers doubly serve as sources of fresh fluid for imaging devices and receptacles for waste fluid spent by the same imaging devices.
A consumable supply item for an imaging device holds an initial or refillable volume of fresh fluid for use in an imaging device. A housing defines an interior having an expandable fluid receptacle to receive waste fluid from the imaging device. As the fresh fluid depletes in the interior over time, the fluid receptacle expands as it accommodates waste fluid. In this way, a single container supplies fresh fluid and retrieves waste fluid from an imaging device. When initially full of fresh fluid, the fluid receptacle is empty in a compressed state. Upon fresh fluid leaving the container for the imaging device, waste fluid is able to enter the receptacle. Upon depletion of fresh fluid, the container is full of waste fluid. The container is ready for disposal or recycling.
Other embodiments contemplate a hydrophobic membrane on the fluid receptacle that is permeable to air to equalize pressure inside the fluid receptacle as the fluid receptacle fills with waste fluid during use. The receptacle is a polymer film or other structure that can be compressed initially and expanded later. The film is impermeable to fluid. Plastic films having been folded and elastomers having been deflated or crumpled typify initial states. Other films contemplate polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or polytetrafluoroethylene.
In other embodiments, fluid ports reside on the housing to communicate the interior of the housing to fluid or air sources outside of the housing. A first port is a fresh fluid exit port to supply the volume of fresh fluid to an imaging device. A second port is an air vent port to vent the interior with air from outside the housing. A third port is a waste fluid inlet port to receive waste fluid from the imaging device. The ports are any of a variety but contemplate a ball biased shut with a spring.
These and other embodiments are set forth in the description below. Their advantages and features will become readily apparent to skilled artisans. The claims set forth particular limitations.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings where like numerals represent like details. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims and their equivalents. In accordance with the features of the invention, containers have expandable fluid receptacles to receive waste fluid from imaging devices for use in micro-fluid applications.
With reference to
During use, the volume of ink depletes downward toward a bottom surface 18 of the interior of the housing in a direction of gravity G. The bottom surface is generally flat or inclined to funnel ink out of the interior. The ink flows to an imaging device by way of a fresh fluid exit port 20. An air venting port 22 provides an intake of ambient, recycled or other air to overcome backpressure in the interior 14 that increases during imaging operations. The ports are any of a variety but typify cylindrical tubes 24 biased shut with an internal ball 26 and spring 28 (
Within the interior 14, an expandable fluid receptacle 50 receives waste fluid 52 from outside the housing and expands in size as the volume of fresh fluid 16 depletes in the interior over time. The waste ink comes from the imaging device that accumulates during times of head maintenance or the like. The waste ink is received by the housing at a waste fluid inlet port 40 connected to the expandable fluid receptacle. The waste fluid inlet port is the same as the other ports (
With reference to
The receptacle itself is a polymer film or other structure that can be compressed initially and expanded later. The film is impermeable to fluid. With reference to
During use, a polymer film in a container is used to separate the supply of fresh ink from waste ink. When the container is new, the fresh ink occupies nearly all the volume of the container interior leaving little volume for the film which is otherwise empty of waste ink and compressed. When the container is 75% full of fresh ink, the volume of the interior is now able to accommodate expansion of the polymer film and waste ink up to 25%. Upon the container reaching 50% fresh fluid, up to 50% of the container is available for expansion of the film and waste ink. This continues until the fresh ink is depleted from the container (or mostly depleted as residual fresh ink will remain stranded in a bottom of the container) and the expandable fluid receptacle is full (or partially full as imaging devices do not necessarily create waste ink in an exact proportion to its consumption of fresh ink). When the container depletes itself of fresh ink, the container and its waste ink can be disposed, recycled, etc.
Regardless of design, common constraints for containers are noted. For example, it is expected that the housing is any of a variety of containers for holding fluid. It can typify plastic, glass, metal, etc. It can be recyclable or not. It can contemplate simplicity or complexity. Techniques for production are varied, but blow molding, injection molding, etc. are common considered herein. With blow molding, the housing 12 can be made of unitary construction to define the interior 14. Welding, heat-staking, bonding, dies, etc. are also envisioned. The materials, construction, shipping, storage, use, etc. of the housing can also focus design criteria on items, such as cost, ease of manufacturing, durability, or other. Its shape is nearly infinite. Implicating its selection are good engineering practices such as contemplation of a larger imaging context in which the housing will be used. In the design given, the housing is generally elongated from its back end 39 to its port end 41. The port end inserts forward into an imaging device as the back end is pushed upon by users. The shape also contemplates seals and septums or the like which may find utility in the design at the interface joints between the ports and the imaging device.
The foregoing illustrates various aspects of the invention. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, it is chosen to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention. All modifications and variations are contemplated within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims. Relatively apparent modifications include combining one or more features of various embodiments with features of other embodiments.
Claims
1. A container to hold an initial or refillable volume of fresh fluid, comprising:
- a housing defining an interior to retain the volume of fresh fluid, and
- an expandable fluid receptacle inside the interior to receive waste fluid from outside the housing, wherein the expandable fluid receptacle has a hydrophobic membrane permeable to air to equalize pressure inside the expandable fluid receptacle as the fluid receptacle fills with the waste fluid.
2. (canceled)
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a fresh fluid exit port, the interior being oriented during use to deplete the volume of fresh fluid toward the fresh fluid exit port.
4. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes an air vent port to vent the interior with air from outside the housing.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a waste fluid inlet port.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes three ports to communicate the interior of the housing to outside of the housing, a first port being a fresh fluid exit port to supply the volume of fresh fluid. to an imaging device, a second port being an air vent port to vent the interior with air from outside the housing, and a third port being a waste fluid inlet port to receive said waste fluid from the imaging device.
7. A container to hold an initial or refillable volume of fresh fluid, comprising:
- a housing defining an interior to retain the volume of fresh fluid; and
- an expandable fluid receptacle inside the interior to receive waste fluid from outside the housing and. keep separate the waste fluid from the fresh fluid as the fluid receptacle fills with the waste fluid and expands in size as the volume of fresh fluid depletes in the interior over time,. wherein the expandable fluid receptacle includes a hydrophobic membrane permeable to air to equalize pressure inside the expandable fluid receptacle as the fluid receptacle fills with the waste fluid.
8. The container of claim 7, wherein the expandable fluid receptacle is a polymer film impermeable to fluid that is initially configured in the interior in a collapsed state.
9. The container of claim 8, wherein the collapsed state includes a plastic film having been folded.
10. The container of claim 8, wherein the collapsed state includes an elastomer in a deflated or crumpled state.
11. The container of claim 8, wherein the polymer film includes polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride or polytetrafluoroethylene.
12. (canceled)
13. The container of claim 7, wherein the hydrophobic membrane is polytetrafluoroethylene or a breather vent.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 26, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 27, 2014
Applicant: Funai Electric Co., LTD. (Osaka)
Inventors: Robin Ian Paran Vivas (Lipa City), Miguel A. Edombingo (Dipolog), Jeffrey G. Abanto (Cebu), Sulpecio H. Escuña (Cebu), Michael R. Larrobis (Lapu-Lapu)
Application Number: 13/626,921
International Classification: B65D 21/02 (20060101); B65D 30/00 (20060101); B65D 33/01 (20060101); B65D 51/16 (20060101);