| US 7,524,023 B2 | ||
| Ink reservoir with constant hydrostatic pressure outlet | ||
| Kia Silverbrook, Balmain (Australia); Norman Michael Berry, Balmain (Australia); Akira Nakazawa, Balmain (Australia); Paul Ian Mackey, Balmain (Australia); and Garry Raymond Jackson, Balmain (Australia) | ||
| Assigned to Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd, Balmain, New South Wales (Australia) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 05, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/293,807. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0126807 A1, Jun. 07, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B41J 2/14 (2006.01); B41J 2/175 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 347—49 [347/87] | 8 Claims |
| 1. An ink reservoir for a printer with an inkjet printhead, the ink reservoir comprising:
a sealed ink storage volume;
an ink outlet for sealed fluid communication between the printhead and the ink storage volume such that during use, the ink
outlet faces downwards;
an air inlet;
an air bag in the ink storage volume, the air bag in fluid communication with the air inlet for expanding as ink is drawn
through the ink outlet to keep a constant pressure in the inkjet printhead, the air bag expanding upwardly within the ink
storage volume as air inflates the air bag during use; wherein,
the ink reservoir is a replaceable ink cartridge for installation in the printer and the ink outlet has an outlet valve that
is biased closed and opens upon installation in the printer; and
the air inlet has a frangible seal that is ruptured upon installation in the printer.
|