WO2005123398A1

WO2005123398A1 - A device for refilling ink of a printer

Info

Publication number: WO2005123398A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/001538
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jin Kwon Bae
Original assignee: Nite Industrial Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-06-16
Filing date: 2005-05-25
Publication date: 2005-12-29

Abstract

A device for refilling ink of a printer comprising: an ink cartridge (10) formed therein with an ink reservoir (11); a spool valve (20) formed with an ink infusion conduit (21) for infusing ink therethrough from outside and formed extensively into an interior of the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10); a float (30) disposed inside the ink reservoir (11) for lifting in response to buoyancy of the ink stored in the ink reservoir (11) and for opening and closing the ink infusion conduit (21) of the spool valve (20); a plastic bag (50) for storing ink; an ink infusion pipe (40) for connecting the ink infusion conduit (21) of the spool valve (20) to the plastic bag (50); and a stand (60) formed with a plurality of compartments (61) for supporting the plastic bag (50), whereby the ink inside the ink cartridge (10) can be maintained at a predetermined level to invariably keep the flow speed and pressure of the ink supplied from the ink cartridge (10) to the printer, and outside air is prevented from entering to thereby improve the print quality.

Description

Description A DEVICE FOR REFILLING INK OF A PRINTER Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a device for refilling ink of a printer, and more particularly to a device for refilling ink of a printer adapted to keep the ink inside an ink cartridge of a printer maintaining at a predetermined level.

[2] Background Art

[3] Referring to FTG.l, an ink-jet printer (P) is equipped with an ink cartridge (110) for supplying ink to a printing unit. The ink cartridge (110) may be disposably replaced for one time use by buying an entirely new print cartridge when the ink cartridge (110) in use is emptied. Additionally,the hardware of an ink cartridge may still be completely serviceable even after the supply of ink in the ink cartridge has been expended by only refilling the ink from outside to thereby save purchasing expenses of an ink cartridge. Refilling ink cartridges or refill devices are widely used to reduce a high cost of purchasing the ink cartridges.

[4] Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[5] However, there is a problem in the conventional refilling devices thus described in that, as an ink inlet/outlet port of an ink cartridge is manually opened and closed for infusion of ink, the ink cannot be maintained at a predetermined level in the ink cartridge, resulting in a possibility of complete use or an over-refilling of the ink, such that density of the ink inputted from the ink cartridge into a printer is adversely affected by inability of maintaining flow speed of the ink supplied into the printer at a predetermined level.

[6]

[7] There is another problem in that the ink may contain moisture if air infused into the ink cartridge contacts the ink to decrease the print quality. There is still another problem in that the ink may be imbrued with foreign objects contained in the air to block a nozzle, providing a failure cause and generation of foam in the ink.

[8] Technical Solution

[9] The present invention is disclosed to solve the afore-mentioned problems and it is an object of the invention to provide a device for refilling ink of a printer adapted to use atmospheric pressure and buoyancy, enabling the ink in an ink cartridge to stay at a predetermined level, whereby flow speed and pressure of the ink supplied into a printer from an ink cartridge can be invariably maintained at all times, and air can be prevented from entering from outside to thereby improve the print quality.

[10]

[11] In accordance with the object of the invention, the device for refilling ink of a printer comprises: an ink cartridge formed at one side of a printer and disposed therein with an ink reservoir; a spool valve formed with an ink infusion conduit for refilling the ink therethrough from outside and formed extensively into an interior of the ink reservoir of the ink cartridge; and a float disposed inside the ink reservoir for lifting in response to buoyancy of the ink stored in the ink reservoir and for opening and closing the ink infusion conduit of the spool valve.

[12]

[13] Preferably,the device is formed with a silicon cap through which a needle can pass at an air outlet which is in turn formed at one side of the ink reservoir of the ink cartridge for refilling the ink.

[14]

[15] Preferably, the device includes a soft flexible ink pipe attachably and detachably connected to the ink infusion conduit of the spool valve and formed with needles at both ends thereof, and a plastic bag formed at one side thereof with a needle infusion unit, and formed with a silicon cap at the needle infusion unit for storing ink and supplying the ink to the ink reservoir of the ink cartridge via the ink infusion pipe.

[16]

[17] Preferably, the float is axially and rotatably coupled to one side of the spool valve by an axial pin, and is externally formed with an opening/closing cap for opening and closing the ink infusion conduit of the spool valve.

[18] Advantageous Effects

[19] There is an advantage according to the device for refilling ink of a printer thus described according to the present invention in that ink inside an ink cartridge can be kept at a predetermined level by using atmospheric pressure and buoyancy to enable to allow flow speed and pressure of the ink inputted from a printer to stay at a pre- determind level for improvement of ink quality. There is another advantage in that entry of outside air can be blocked to completely prevent influences caused by external environments and to keep the ink quality maintaining at a predetermined uniform level.

[20] Brief Description of the Drawings

[21] Other features and advatanges of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[22] F1G.1 is a perspective view illustrating a printer according to the prior art;

[23] F1G.2 is a schematic view of a device for refilling ink of a printer according to the present invention;

[24] FIG.3 is a lateral sectional view of an ink catridge according to the present invention;

[25] F1G.4 is an operation constitutional drawing illustrating an embodiment of a spool valve and a float according to the present invention;

[26] F1G.5 is a lateral sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a spool valve and a float according to the present invention;

[27] F1G.6 is an operation constitutional drawing illustrating another embodiment of a spool valve and a float according to the present invention;

[28] F1G.7 is a schematic plan illustrating a plastic bag according to the present invention;

[29] FIG.8 is schematic lateral view illustrating an ink infusion pipe according to the present invention; and

[30] F1G.9 is a plan illustrating a stand according to the present invention.

[31] Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[32] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings.

[33]

[34] A device for refilling ink of a printer according to the present invention includes an ink cartridge (10) disposed therein with an ink reservoir (11), a spool valve (20) formed with an ink infusion conduit (21) into which ink is infused from outside and extensively formed into an interior of the ink reservoir (11) at the ink cartridge (10), a float (30) disposed inside the ink reservoir (11) and lifted by buoyancy of the ink stored in the ink reservoir (11) and opening and closing the ink infusion conduit (21) at the spool valve (20), a highly flexible soft ink infusion pipe (40) attachably and detachably connected to the ink infusion conduit (21) of the spool valve (20) and disposed with needles (41) at both ends thereof, a plastic bag (50) storing the ink and supplying the ink to the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10) via the ink infusion pipe (40), and a stand (60) formed with a plurality of compartments (61) for supporting the plastic bag (50).

[35]

[36] The ink cartridge (10) is releaseably coupled to one side of a printer,and is also formed at one side thereof with a printed circuit board (PCB) and also formed therein with the ink reservoir (11).

[37]

[38] The ink reservoir (11) is inserted through an upper lateral wall thereof by a spool valve (20) and is formed at a lateral wall thereof with an air outlet (12) for throwing the needle (41) thereinto.

[39]

[40] The air outlet (12) serves to discharge the air inside the ink reservoir (11) in response to gradually rising ink level when the ink is initially refilled through the ink infusion conduit (21), and the air outlet (12) formed with a silicon cap (70) is inserted by the needle (41) to allow the air to be discharged therethrough.

[41]

[42] The spool valve (20) is lengthwise formed therethrough with the ink infusion conduit (21), and is also formed thereon with the silicon cap (70) to be blocked from outside. The ink infusion conduit (21) is formed thereon with a spool hole (22) to accommodate the float (30).

[43]

[44] The spool valve (20) is formed thereunder with discharge outlets (23), each circum- ferentially spaced apart at a predetermined interval, such that ink infused into the ink infusion conduit (21) passes the spool hole (22) to be discharged to the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10).

[45]

[46] The float (30) is slidably inserted into the spool hole (22) of the spool valve (20) and slidably operated by buoyancy of the ink stored in the ink reservoir (11), and disposed thereon with an opening/closing cap (31) for opening and closing the ink infusion conduit (21).

[47]

[48] In other words, when the level of the ink stored in the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10) is lowered from an initial position, the float (30) slides downwards to allow the opening/closing cap (31) to open the ink infusion conduit (21), and successively, the ink is infused via the ink infusion conduit (21) to again raise the ink level, and as a result, the float (30) slidably rises to prompt the opening/closing cap (31) to close the ink infusion conduit (21). These operations are repeated to enable the ink level in the ink reservoir (11) to be maintained at a predetermined level.

[49]

[50] Between the float (30) and a lateral wall of the spool hole (22) there is formed a gap through which the ink infused to the ink infusion conduit (21) passes downwards along an external surface of the float (30). Mode for the Invention

[52] Now, referring to F1G.5, a spool valve (20') is axially and rotatably coupled thereunder to a float (30') by an axial pin (35) in another preferred embodiment of a spool valve (20') and a float (30') according to the present invention.

[53]

[54] The float (30') is disposed at one side thereof with an opening/closing cap (31'), and is rotatably operated by buoyancy of the ink to open and close a lower end of an ink infusion conduit (21') of a spool valve (20') as shown in F1G.6.

[55]

[56] In other words, when the level of the ink stored in the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10) is lowered from an initial position, the float (30') rotates downwards to allow the opening/closing cap (31') to open the ink infusion conduit (21'), and successively, the ink is infused via the ink infusion conduit (21') to again raise the ink level, and as a result, the float (30') rises to prompt the opening/closing cap (31') to close the ink infusion conduit (21'). These operations are repeated to thereby enable the ink level in the ink reservoir (11) to be maintained at a predetermined level.

[57] Now, referring to F1G.8, the ink infusion pipe (40), which is a hose made of highly flexible soft material, is mounted at both ends thereof with needles (41), which in turn are respectively inserted into a silicon cap (70) of the spool valve (20) and a silicon cap (70) of the plastic bag (50), and the ink infusion pipe (40) moves the ink of the plastic bag (50) to the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10).

[58]

[59] Referring to FTG.7, the plastic bag (50), which is a hermetically sealed disposable container, is arranged at one side thereof with a needle infusion unit (51) which is mounted with the silicon cap (70).

[60]

[61] The plastic bag (50) hermetically stores the ink and supplies the ink to the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10), while the silicon cap (70) disposed at the needle infusion unit (51) is inserted by the needle (41) of the ink infusion pipe (40) to prevent the outside air from being infused.

[62]

[63] Now, referring to F1G.9, the stand (60) is equipped thereon with a plurality of compartments for accommodating the plastic bag (50), and the plastic bag (50) is placed at a location higher than that of the ink cartridge (10) to allow the ink to be refilled into the ink reservoir (11) by force of gravity.

[64] [65] The stand (60) is height-adjustable for application to any types of printers to facilitate the ink cartridge (10) to be mounted at any height for refilling of the ink.

[66]

[67] The stand (60) is provided thereon with a plurality of compartments (61) so that, in case a plurality of ink cartridges are arranged per color, a plurality of plastic bags (50) are received enabling each ink cartridge (10) to be refilled with ink at the same time.

[68] The silicon cap (70) is hermetically sealed before the needle (41) is inserted, and while the needle (41) is driven, a circumferential surface of the needle (41) is pressured to prevent the outside air from entering an interior of the ink reservoir (11) or the plastic bag (50) when the ink is moved, and when the needle (41) is removed, the silicon cap (70) is again hermetically sealed to block the entry of the outside air.

[69] Industrial Applicability

[70] As apparent from the foregoing, there is an advantage in the device for refilling ink of a printer thus described according to the present invention in that atmospheric pressure and buoyancy are utilized to enable to maintain the ink contained in an ink cartridge at a predetermined level such that flow speed and pressure of ink supplied into a printer from an ink cartridge can be invariably kept to improve a print quality. There is another advantage in that entry of outside air is blocked to thoroughly eliminate any influences caused by external environments such that the print quality can be evenly ensured.

[71]

[72]

[73]

Claims

[1] A device for refilling ink of a printer comprising: an ink cartridge (10) formed at one side of a printer and disposed therein with an ink reservoir (11); a spool valve (20) formed with an ink infusion conduit (21) for refilling the ink therethrough from outside and formed extensively into an interior of the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10); and a float (30) disposed inside the ink reservoir (11) for lifting in response to buoyancy of the ink stored in the ink reservoir (11) and for opening and closing the ink infusion conduit (21) of the spool valve (20).

[2] The device as defined in claim 1 further comprising: an air outlet (12) for infusing the ink formed at one side of the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10); and silicon caps (70) through which needles can pass are respectively formed at the ink infusion conduit (21) of the spool valve (20) and the air outlet (12).

[3] The device as defined in claim 1 or 2 further comprising: a soft flexible ink pipe (40) attachably and detachably connected to the ink infusion conduit (21) of the spool valve (20) and formed with needles (41) at both ends thereof; and a plastic bag (50) formed at one side thereof with a needle infusion unit (51) and formed with a silicon cap (70) at the needle infusion unit (51) for storing ink and supplying the ink to the ink reservoir (11) of the ink cartridge (10) via the ink infusion pipe (40).

[4] The device as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the float (30') is axially and rotatably coupled to one side of the spool valve (20') by an axial pin (35), and is protrusively and externally formed with an opening/closing cap (31') for opening and closing the ink infusion conduit (21') of the spool valve (20').