Mechanical and electrical keying arrangement for replaceable ink cartridge

(19)

(11)

EP 0 878 307 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	23.12.1998 Bulletin 1998/52

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	18.11.1998 Bulletin 1998/47

(21)	Application number: 98303549.4

(22)	Date of filing: 06.05.1998

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁶: B41J 2/175

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

16.05.1997 US 857722

(71)	Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Company
	Palo Alto, California 94304 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Childers, Winthrop D. San Diego, CA 92127 (US) Bullock, Michael L. San Diego, CA 92128 (US) Underwood, John Anthony Vancouver, WA 98686 (US) Hmelar, Susan Marie Corvallis, OR 97333 (US) Merrill, David O. Corvallis, OR 97330 (US)

(74)	Representative: Colgan, Stephen James et al
	CARPMAELS & RANSFORD 43 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A 2RA London WC1A 2RA (GB)

(54)	Mechanical and electrical keying arrangement for replaceable ink cartridge

(57) A replaceable ink cartridge (12) for an inkjet printer (10) enables both mechanical and electrical keying. The inkjet printer (10) includes a receptacle (14) for receiving the ink cartridge (12), which receptacle (14) includes a fluidic coupler (28), an electrical connection (30), and a mechanical keying feature (66) for accepting only ink cartridges (12) containing a first class of compatible ink types and for rejecting ink cartridges (12) containing a second class of incompatible ink types. The replaceable ink cartridge (12) includes a casing with a fluidic coupler (20), a reservoir (22) connected to the fluidic coupler (20) for holding an ink supply and an electrical connector (24). A memory (26) is coupled to the electrical connector (24) and stores a parameter from which an identity of an ink stored in the reservoir (22) can be identified. A physical key (62,64) is positioned on a leading portion of the casing of the replaceable ink cartridge (12). A successful insertion of the casing into a receptacle (14) in the printer (10) indicates that the ink type in the reservoir (22) is within the first class of compatible ink types, but not that it is usable with the printer (10). The printer (10) determines usability by reading out the parameter from the memory (26) and determining that the ink identity is one that can be used with the printer (10).

Search report