Printers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9555636-B2
Application number	US-201615014845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Apr 18, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Fluid couplings examples are disclosed in examples herein. An example printer includes a housing; and a fluid reservoir permanently fixed within the housing, the fluid reservoir having a capacity sufficient to store enough ink to print a number of pages that corresponds to an expected useful life of the printer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer, comprising:
a housing;
a fluid reservoir permanently fixed within the housing, the fluid reservoir having a capacity sufficient to store enough ink to print a number of pages that corresponds to an expected useful life of the printer;
a printhead to image a substrate, the printhead to receive ink from the fluid reservoir;
a regulator to regulate a flow of ink between the fluid reservoir and the print head;
a tube to couple the regulator and the fluid reservoir, the tube to be disposed in a channel to guide the tube from the regulator toward the fluid reservoir, and
a tray including the channel, the tray including a retainer extending into the channel to retain the tube within the channel.

2. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the tray defines a first aperture and the regulator defines a second aperture, the first and second apertures to couple the tray and the regulator, and further including a lock to extend through the first and second apertures when the first and second apertures are aligned.

3. The printer of claim 2 , wherein the lock is a bar.

4. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the regulator includes a first regulator and a second regulator, the fluid reservoir includes a first fluid reservoir and a second fluid reservoir, the first fluid reservoir to supply ink to the first regulator during a printing operation and the second fluid reservoir to supply ink to the second regulator during the printing operation.

5. The printer of claim 4 , further including a guide to encourage the first fluid reservoir to be in fluid communication with the first regulator and to encourage the second fluid reservoir to be in fluid communication with the second regulator.

6. The printer of claim 5 , wherein the guide is to deter the first fluid reservoir from being in fluid communication with the second regulator and to deter the second fluid reservoir from being in fluid communication with the first regulator.

7. The printer of claim 1 , further including a receptacle to receive one of the regulator and an exchangeable ink cartridge, the regulator to receive ink from the fluid reservoir when the regulator is received within the receptacle.

8. The printer of claim 7 , wherein, when the ink cartridge is received within the receptacle, the ink cartridge is not to receive ink from the fluid reservoir.

9. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the fluid reservoir is an off-axis fluid reservoir.

10. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the regulator is coupled to the fluid reservoir via a snap-fit connection.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Studer Anthony D
• Mcfadden Bruce A
• Shibata Alan

Classifications

• F16L17/00

  Joints with packing adapted to sealing by fluid pressure · CPC title

• B41J2/17556

  Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge · CPC title

• Y10T29/53

  Means to assemble or disassemble · CPC title

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2/1752 Primary

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title