EP 0676293 A3 19971001 - Ink jet needle humidor sealing system.
Title (en)
Ink jet needle humidor sealing system.
Title (de)
Dichtungssystem für Tintenstrahldruckernadel.
Title (fr)
Système d'étanchéité pour aiguille utilisée pour le transport d'encre.
Publication
Application
Priority
- US 22326894 A 19940404
- US 29946394 A 19940831
Abstract (en)
[origin: EP0676293A2] A sealing apparatus or humidor (50; 200) selectively seals an orifice (80) of a hollow ink needle (75) used to transport ink (45) from a reservoir (40; 40') to a printhead (30; 30') of an inkjet printing mechanism (20). The humidor (50) has a resilient elastomeric body (52) that forms a needle parking core (82; 202) where the body (52) extrudes into the needle orifice (80) to form a pseudopod plug (88) that seals the orifice (80). Alternatively, the humidor body (202) is a foam material surrounded by a substantially moisture impervious skin (205) that defines a humidically isolating parking core. Inserting the needle (75) through the humidor (50; 200) pierces the body (52, 202) to either extract ink (45) from the reservoir (40; 40') or infuse ink (45) into the printhead (30: 30'). During refilling, or replacement of the reservoir or printhead (40,40'; 30,30'), the needle (75) is retracted into the humidor (50; 200) until the orifice (80) is surrounded by the parking core (82; 202). The humidor body (52; 202) humidically isolates the needle orifice (80), which virtually eliminates ink spills, drying or contamination of the ink (45) within the needle (75), and prevents operator injury by the needle tip (78). <IMAGE>
IPC 1-7
IPC 8 full level
B41J 2/175 (2006.01)
CPC (source: EP KR)
B41J 2/175 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 2/17513 (2013.01 - KR)
Citation (search report)
- [XA] DE 3401071 A1 19850725 - SIEMENS AG [DE]
- [A] DE 4139731 A1 19930609
- [A] US 4867207 A 19890919 - CRAWFORD THOMAS [US]
- [A] EP 0567308 A2 19931027 - LEXMARK INT INC [US]
- [A] PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 013, no. 380 (M - 863) 23 August 1989 (1989-08-23)
- [A] PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 012, no. 416 (M - 759) 4 November 1988 (1988-11-04)
Designated contracting state (EPC)
DE FR GB IT
DOCDB simple family (publication)
EP 0676293 A2 19951011; EP 0676293 A3 19971001; JP H07290719 A 19951107; KR 950031523 A 19951218
DOCDB simple family (application)
EP 95302152 A 19950330; JP 7900195 A 19950404; KR 19950007711 A 19950403