Ink fill device, ink filling method, ink cartridge manufacturing method and ink cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099481-B2
Application number	US-201715432061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A joint section of a fill device is coupled to a supply opening of an ink cartridge, and a pressing force section presses an inside plug of the ink cartridge into the supply opening, to press down the inside plug against a biasing unit and release an opening to connect an ink fill section with an ink container. A first pump is operated and fills ink to the inside of the ink container. After the filling, the joint section separates from the supply opening, and the inside plug seals the supply opening by the biasing unit. Ink is filled with no spilling, into the ink container having an ink supply section with valve, and the ink cartridge can be manufactured with good efficiency.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ink fill device for filling an ink cartridge with ink, the ink cartridge comprising:
an ink container for storing the ink;
a supply opening for connecting an inner section and an outer section of the ink container, the supply opening including an opening and a concave part surrounding the opening;
an inner plug for opening and closing the supply opening; and
a biasing unit for applying force on the inner plug in a closing direction,

the ink fill device comprising:
a pressing force section freely moving relative to the inner plug along a movement direction of the inner plug, and making the inner plug move relatively against the biasing force of the biasing unit;
a joint section being outwardly inserted over the pressing force section, and coupling to the supply opening released by the pressing force section, the joint section including a stud whose configuration matches the configuration of the concave part to permit mating therewith when the joint section is coupled to the supply opening; and
an ink fill section coupled to the joint section, said ink fill section filling ink into the ink container from the supply opening released by the pressing force section.

2. The ink fill device according to claim 1 , wherein the ink cartridge includes a covering member mounted in the inner section of the ink container, said covering member covering the inner plug and also restricting the movement direction of the inner plug.

3. The ink fill device according to claim 2 , wherein the ink fill device includes a suction section that suctions the inner section of the ink container from the supply opening released by the pressing force section to be coupled to the joint section, said suction section suctioning out at least one of the air and ink inside the ink container.

4. The ink fill device according to claim 3 , wherein the ink fill device includes a selector valve for alternatively coupling the ink fill section and the suction section to the joint section.

5. An ink fill device for filling ink into an ink cartridge, the ink cartridge comprising:
an ink container for storing the ink;
a supply opening for connecting an inner section and an outer section of the ink container;
an inner plug containing a plug part for opening and closing the supply opening, and a shaft part extending inside the ink container from the plug part;
a biasing unit for applying force on the inner plug in a closing direction; and
a covering member extending inside the ink container, said covering member guiding a movement direction of the shaft part of the inner plug, also covering at least a portion of the shaft part extending inside the ink container so as to prevent contact with the ink container even in a state in which the plug part seals the supply opening and even in a state in which the plug part opens the supply opening,

the ink fill device comprising:
a pressing force section freely moving relative to the inner plug along the movement direction of the inner plug, and making the inner plug move relatively against the force of the biasing unit; and
a joint section being outwardly inserted over the pressing force section, and coupling to the supply opening released by the pressing force section.

6. The ink fill device according to claim 5 , wherein the ink fill device includes a suction section that suctions the inner section of the ink container from the supply opening coupled to the joint section released by the pressing force section, said suction section suctioning out at least one of the ink and air inside the ink container.

7. The ink fill device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an ink fill section coupled to the joint section, said ink fill section filling ink into the ink container from the supply opening released by the pressing force section; and
a selector valve for alternatively coupling the ink fill section and suction section to the joint section.

8. An ink filling method for filling the ink cartridge recited in claim 1 with the ink fill device recited in claim 1 , the ink filling method comprising:
opening the supply opening by pressing with a pressing force of the pressing force section the inner plug inside the ink container against the force of the biasing unit;
injecting ink with the ink fill section from the supply opening that is opened; and
releasing the pressing force on the inner plug at a stage in which the ink within the ink container attains a specified quantity.

9. The ink filling method according to claim 8 , wherein the ink cartridge includes a covering member mounted in the inner section of the ink container, said covering member covering the inner plug and also restricting a movement direction of the inner plug.

10. The ink filling method according to claim 9 , wherein after completing the injecting, the air inside the ink container is discharged to outside the ink container by pressing the ink container with the supply opening released.

11. The ink filling method according to claim 10 , wherein after completing the injecting, the air inside the ink container is discharged to outside the ink container by suctioning out a portion of the ink inside the ink container from the supply opening.

12. The ink filling method according to claim 11 , further comprising suctioning out the ink remaining in the inside of the ink container between the opening and the injecting operations.

13. The ink filling method according to claim 12 , wherein the ink cartridge is placed so that the supply opening faces laterally.

14. An ink filling method for filling the ink cartridge recited in claim 5 with the ink fill device recited in claim 5 , the ink filling method comprising:
opening the supply opening by pressing with a pressing force of the pressing force section the inner plug inside the ink container against the force of the biasing unit;
injecting ink from the supply opening that is opened; and
releasing the pressing force on the inner plug at a stage in which the ink within the ink container attains a specified quantity.

15. The ink filling method according to claim 14 , wherein after completing the injecting, the air inside the ink container is discharged to outside the ink container by pressing the ink container with the supply opening released.

16. The ink filling method according to claim 15 , wherein after completing the injecting, the air inside the ink container is discharged to outside the ink container by suctioning out a portion of the ink inside the ink container from the supply opening.

17. The ink filling method according to claim 16 , further comprising suctioning out the ink remaining in the inside of the ink container between the opening and injecting operations.

18. The ink filling method according to claim 17 , wherein the ink cartridge is placed so that the supply opening faces laterally.

19. An ink cartridge manufacturing method for manufacturing the ink cartridge recited in claim 1 with the ink fill device recited in claim 1 , the ink cartridge manufacturing method comprising:
opening the supply opening by pressing with a pressing force of the pressing force section the inner plug inside the ink container against the force of the biasing unit;
injecting with the ink fill section ink from the supply opening that is opened; and
releasing the pressing force on the inner plug at a stage in which the ink within the ink container attains a specified quantity.

20. An ink cartridge manufacturing method for manufacturing the ink cartridge reci

Assignees

• Riso Kagaku Corp

Inventors

• Arimura Eijiro
• Hoshino Toshimasa

Classifications

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17506 Primary

  Refilling of the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title