| (19) |
 |
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(11) |
EP 0 745 481 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
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01.04.1998 Bulletin 1998/14 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
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04.12.1996 Bulletin 1996/49 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 10.05.1996 |
|
| (51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)6: B41J 2/175 |
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
DE GB IT |
| (30) |
Priority: |
31.05.1995 US 455478
|
| (71) |
Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Company |
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Palo Alto,
California 94304 (US) |
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
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- Bohorquez, Jaime H.
Escondido, CA 92025 (US)
- Clark, James E.
Albany, OR 97321 (US)
- Courian, Kenneth J.
San Diego, CA 92127 (US)
- Khodapanah, Tofigh
San Diego, CA 92129 (US)
- Kaplinsky, George T.
San Diego, CA 92129 (US)
- Hamlin, Mindy A.
San Diego, CA 92116 (US)
- Swanson, David W.
Escondido, CA 92020 (US)
- Salter, James G.
San Diego, CA 92106 (US)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Williams, John Francis et al |
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WILLIAMS, POWELL & ASSOCIATES
34 Tavistock Street
London WC2E 7PB
London WC2E 7PB (GB) |
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| |
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| (54) |
Ink-jet swath printer with auxiliary ink reservoir |
(57) An ink-jet swath printer employing a cartridge (50) with a spring bag primary reservoir
(62) and an auxiliary ink reservoir (230) interconnected via a tube (240) to form
a closed ink replenishment system. The primary reservoir creates a negative pressure
which draws ink from the auxiliary reservoir as ink is expelled from the cartridge
printhead (76) during printing operations. The auxiliary reservoir can either be mounted
on the cartridge carriage (210) or on the printer body (202). The auxiliary reservoir
is a large capacity collapsible bag mounted below the level of the printhead to establish
an ink pressure head at the primary reservoir connection which is not so large as
to destroy or diminish the negative pressure and allow ink to drool from the printhead,
yet is sufficient to permit replenishment of the primary reservoir to avoid printhead
ink starvation.