TWI468305B - Ink manifold with multiple conduit shut off valve - Google Patents

Description

Ink manifold with multiple conduit stop valves

The present invention relates to fluid couplings and, in particular, ink couplings in ink jet printers.

Applicants have developed a wide range of printheads that use pagewidth printheads instead of traditional scanheads. The page width design increases the printing speed because the print head does not leave the page back and forth across the page and leaves a list of images. The page width printhead only leaves ink on the media because it moves at high speed. These printheads have been able to perform full-color 1600 dpi printing at a speed of about 60 pages per minute, a speed that was not possible with conventional inkjet printers.

High print speeds require a large ink supply flow rate. Not only is the flow rate high, it is more complicated to distribute the ink along the entire length of the one-page wide print head than to feed the ink to a smaller reciprocating print head.

Some of the applicant's printers provide a printhead as a user removable ink cartridge. It can be known that individual ink nozzles fail after a long time, and in the end there will be a considerable number of invalid nozzles that cause artifacts in the printed image. Allows the user to change the print head to maintain print quality without having to replace the entire printer. At the same time, the user can replace the different printing jobs with a different print head. A draft quality printhead can be installed for some high-speed print low-resolution files and then removed for the original high-resolution printhead.

Many of the applicant's ink cartridges are not provided with a built-in ink supply for the print head. These printhead ink cartridges must be supplied with fluid to the ink supply during installation. The feeder flow rate fed to the page width print head is too high for the needle valve because its inner diameter is narrow. This requires the coupling tube to be large, and once it is detached from the feeder, the residual ink will flow out of the tube in a large amount. This typically does not pose a problem for the needle coupler because the surface tension at the open end of a small conduit is typically sufficient to prevent leakage.

In the page width print head ink cartridge, the external leakage problem is further deteriorated due to the length of the ink flow path. If the ink cartridge remains vertical during removal (or even if one end is raised slightly), the residual ink in the ink cartridge creates a hydrostatic pressure at the lower end. This pressure is a powerful driving force for external leakage and as noted above, large catheters provide little resistance.

Stop valves that are closed when a fluid coupling is disengaged are conventional and used in many devices. Disadvantageously, these do not apply to the specific requirements of a consumable component, such as an inkjet ink cartridge. First, the ink should not touch any metal components. The reaction between the ink and the metal produces artifacts in the print. Second, the incorporation of ink cartridges into the printer involves higher tolerances, making installation quick and easy. An ink valve has a smaller tolerance in operation to help keep the flow characteristics of the ink within specifications. Connecting the printer to the ink cartridge in a manner that also actuates the valve requires that the coupling tolerance be reduced to the valve. Finally, the unit cost of consumables must be as low as possible, which requires design simplification and low manufacturing costs.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an ink manifold defining a plurality of fluid flow paths, the ink manifold comprising: a plurality of openings configured to be detachably coupled to the conduit in an interface; a plurality of stop valves, Located at each of the openings, the stop valves are offset open; the actuator is biased by a resilient member to a closed position such that the actuator retains all of the stop valves in the closed position Closing, the actuator is configured to engage the interface such that moving the interface to the opening will simultaneously move the actuator to an open position in which the stop valve Opened; wherein the resilient element produces a biasing force and is greater than a resultant biasing force applied to the actuator by the stop valves.

Under normal conditions, the stop valve is biased closed so that it can only be opened by being combined with a connecting tube. In the present invention, the individual stop valves are biased open and closed only when subjected to significant displacement of the common actuator. This allows the common actuator to 'absorb' the large tolerance associated with connecting the ink cartridge to the printer while the individual stop valves can operate with less tolerance using their own offset members.

Preferably, the fluid flow paths are defined in part by a polymer channel having a multi-channel arrangement and a flexible polymer membrane that is closed over the channels to facilitate sealing of the fluid flow paths to each other. The stop valves are enclosed by the flexible polymer membrane in the polymer channel molding, and the actuator is configured for use in an area adjacent to the stop valves Acting on one of the outer surfaces of the flexible polymer membrane. Thermally sealing a polymeric film to a plastic molding is a particularly inexpensive and efficient means of providing a closed flow path within a fluid manifold. The flexible diaphragm allows the actuator to repel on individual stop valves while still enclosing the ink. Accordingly, the actuator can be made of metal to facilitate strength and without the potential problems associated with the direct ink contact described above. Preferably, the flexible closure film is a polypropylene film foil.

Preferably, the stop valves are respectively sleeved by the integrally molded crushable segments to the respective elastic caps at the periphery of each of the openings, such that the elastic caps are spaced apart from the openings until The pressure of the actuator collapses the collapsible section and the cap closes the periphery of the aperture. Preferably, the stop valves are made of FKM synthetic rubber.

Preferably, the flexible polymer membrane has a plurality of plastic deformation zones adjacent to each of the stop valves, the plastic deformation zones extending beyond the plane of the polymer closure membrane and configured for inversion To accommodate the movement of these stop valves. The deformation is formed in the diaphragm so that the stop valve can be fully opened without being restrained by the tension in the diaphragm.

Preferably, the channel molding defines a plurality of valve chambers for holding the respective stop valves, each of the valve chambers being connected to each of the passages such that the passage is available when the manifold is in use A topmost section is connected to the valve chamber. By designing the channels to be connected to the highest point of the valve chamber, the bubbles do not accumulate in the valve chambers when the manifold diverts water with ink.

Preferably, the manifold is a portion of a row of ink cartridges, and the interface is for fluid to circulate through an ink supply. In another preferred form, the The print head ink cartridge has two such ink manifolds, one of which is an inlet manifold and the other is an outlet manifold configured to be removably coupled to a supply fluid to a flow The second interface of the ink collection tank. Preferably, the printhead ink cartridge has a one-page wide printhead.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fluid coupling comprising: a first conduit; a second conduit having a closure seat and a compression member, the compression member being relative to the closure Movable; an annular closure positioned within the closure; and a coupling mechanism for moving the second conduit from a disengaged position to a engaged position, wherein the first position is the first position There is no closed fluid communication between the second conduit and the compression member is moved toward the closure during the engaged position to compress the annular closure to form a closed fluid communication.

The present invention utilizes a coupling mechanism to deform the closure to push one of the conduits into the other instead of applying a force. Efforts to establish a closed fluid coupling can be reduced or eliminated by incorporating mechanical advantages or power assistance into the bonding mechanism. At the same time, no force is applied to the first conduit, so it is not subjected to structural stress.

Preferably, the coupling mechanism moves the second conduit such that it telescopically engages the first conduit and the second conduit prior to compressing the closure. Preferably, the coupling mechanism manually activates and compresses the closure by a lever system. Preferably, the first conduit is a part of an ink cartridge And the second conduit is a portion of the device that uses the ink cartridge during operation, and when the lever system has moved the second conduit to the engaged position, it is latched to the ink cartridge. Optionally, the first conduit can slide within the second conduit during stretch bonding. Preferably, the annular closure is an elastic material ring. In a preferred form, the elastic material loop has a cross-sectional shape in a radial direction and has at least a straight side when it is uncompressed, and the at least straight side is convexly curved when compressed. arc.

In some embodiments, when the lever system moves the second catheter to the disengaged position, it completely disengages the second catheter from the first catheter. Preferably, the ink cartridge has a plurality of first conduits, and the device has a plurality of corresponding second conduits, and the lever system is actuated to simultaneously engage and disengage the plurality of the first and second conduits. In another preferred form, the coupler has a plurality of corresponding annular closures for each of the second conduits, wherein the compression members are configured to individually compress all of the annular closures, the second The conduit forms a configuration and has a geometric center of mass that is the junction of the lever system and the compression member. In a preferred form, the second conduits are configured in a circular shape and the lever system is coupled to the center of the circle.

In some embodiments, the apparatus is a printing engine for an ink jet printer and the ink cartridge has an ink jet print head. In these embodiments, it is preferred if the inkjet printhead is a one-page wide printhead such that the ink cartridge has an elongated configuration and the lever system has a pivotal latch for use in Releasably bonded to the ink cartridge when in the bonded position to secure it to the Prints inside the engine and allows ink cartridges to be lifted from the print engine when in the disengaged position. Preferably, half of the plurality of first conduits extend from an inlet manifold at one end of the elongated ink cartridge, and half of the plurality of first conduits are an outlet from the other end of the elongated ink cartridge The manifold extends.

In a particular embodiment, the first conduits extend laterally to a longitudinal extent of the elongated ink cartridge such that when the plurality of second conduits are moved between the engaged and disengaged positions, they traverse to the elongated shape The vertical extent of the ink cartridge.

Preferably, the second conduit has a stop valve that opens when the first and second conduits are in the engaged position and closes when in the disengaged position.

In some preferred embodiments, the lever system has an input arm pivotally coupled to the compression member, the input arm having a compression lever that is fixed at an angle to a longitudinal extent of the input arm. Pushing the compression lever as it rotates about pivoting with the compression lever, the compression lever thus pushing toward the second conduit to move relative to the first conduit until the input arm reaches A predetermined angle associated with the pivot at which the compression lever engages the second conduit such that further rotation of the input arm moves the compression lever relative to the second conduit to facilitate compression of the annular closure.

In other preferred forms, the device has a chassis and the lever system utilizes a latch arm pivotally coupled to the chassis to latch the ink cartridge, the latch arm being secured for pivoting to the input arm The boom rotates such that the second catheter and the compression member can advance and retreat when the user actuates the latch arm. Conveniently, the latch arm provides the lever system with the longest arm and only the most Rotate with less force.

The invention will be described with particular reference to a fluid coupling between an ink jet printing engine and its corresponding print head ink cartridge. However, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be applied to other configurations that require a detachable fluid connection.

In FIG. 1, fluid coupling 10 is disclosed by the first conduit 12 being detached from second conduit 14. The first conduit 12 is connected to a page width print head of the removable print head ink cartridge (described in detail later). The second conduit 14 is coupled to an ink supply (not shown) and is sized to be telescopically coupled to the first conduit 12 by a sliding sleeve. The ink is held by the stop valve 30, which is deflected toward the valve seat 34 by the elastic rod 32. The second conduit 14 defines a closure seat 35 for an annular closure 16. The annular closure 16 is retained within the closure seat 35 by the compression member 18. In the disengaged position shown in Figure 1, the annular closure member 16 is not compressed by the compression member 18 such that the inner surface 36 of the closure member is flat. When it is flat, the inner surface 36 does not interfere with the sliding sleeve between the first and second conduits (as in Figures 12 and 14).

An input arm 20 is pivotally coupled to the compression member 18. A compression lever 22 is secured to the input arm 20 at an angle. Input arm 20 and compression lever 22 are part of a lever system and will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The lever system is a coupling mechanism that is actuatable by a user to advance the second conduit 14 and compression member 18 onto the first conduit 12. When the input arm 20 rotates, it is at the pivot The repulsion on 24 thereby moves the compression member 18 together with the second conduit 14.

Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, the compression member 18 and the second conduit 14 are advanced until the input arm 20 is parallel to the direction of travel. Continued rotation of the input arm 20 causes the compression lever 22 to contact the rear surface 26 of the second conduit 14. The size of the compression lever 22 is carefully designed to hold the second conduit 14 fixed relative to the first conduit 12 when the input member 20 retracts the compression member 18 by pulling on the pivot 24. The compression member 18 compresses the annular closure 16 to force the flat inner surface 36 to swell and form a fluid seal against the outer side of the first conduit 12.

Figure 2 also discloses that the first conduit 12 is coupled to the stop valve 30 to open fluid communication between the ink supply and the printhead. When in contact with the end of the first conduit 12, the elastic rod 32 is bent by some slight resistance. The aperture 28 allows ink to flow through the valve member 30 and into the first conduit 12.

When the fluid coupler is disengaged, the input arm 20 rotates in the opposite direction to facilitate simultaneous decompression of the annular closure 16 and retraction of the second conduit 14 from the first conduit 12. The coupler is configured to establish a closed fluid connection with the first conduit that is subjected to little or no insertion force. Accordingly, the structure for supporting the first conduit is not completely deflected or bent. This protects any component that is not strong enough to withstand structural deformation.

In Figures 3 and 4, the fluid coupling 10 is used to provide a detachable connection between the ink cartridge 38 and the printer 42. Referring to Figure 3, the ink cartridge 38 is seated in the printer 42 such that the first conduit 12 faces the compression member 18 (which covers the second conduit). The latch 40 is raised to allow the ink cartridge to be installed. The actuator arm 56 is fixed relative to the latch 40 and then rotates about the pivot 50. The distal end of the actuator arm member 56 is pivotally coupled to the input arm 20. When When the latch is raised for installation or removal of the cartridge, the input arm 20 also rises as it retracts the compression member 18 away from the first conduit 12. Since the input arm is in the raised and retracted position, the compression lever 22 is disengaged from the back of the second catheter (see Figures 14 and 26 of Figure 2). As described above, the annular closure is not compressed in the disengaged position to facilitate interference with the sliding sleeve of the first conduit.

Referring to Figure 4, as long as the latch 40 is lowered onto the ink cartridge 38, the fluid coupling 10 is engaged until the complementary fastener members 46, 48 are joined. The actuator arm 56 rotates the input arm 20 and advances the compression member 18 toward the first conduit 12. The first catheter 12 is telescopically coupled to the second catheter in a slack sliding sleeve until the actuator arm member 56 and the input arm 20 are parallel to the direction of travel. When the second conduit is in the maximum coupled state with the first conduit, the stop valve is opened and the ink cartridge 38 is transmitted through the flexible tube 52 for fluid to flow through the ink reservoir 44.

The compression lever 22 contacts the second conduit (not shown) when the compression member is at its maximum travel point toward the ink cartridge. The compression lever 22 is sized to continue as the input arm 20 continues to rotate and draw the compression member 18 back to compress the closure and establish the fluid seal (see Figure 2), which maintains the second conduit relative to The first catheter is fixed.

FIG. 5 discloses that a row of ink cartridges 38 is mounted in a printing engine 3. The print engine 3 is the mechanical heart of a printer that can have many different housing shapes, ink tank positions and capacities, and different media feed and collection trays. The print head ink cartridge 38 is inserted and removed by the user lifting the latch member 40 up and down. The print engine 3 is made up of a plurality of print head ink cartridges 38 The contacts form an electrical connection and the fluid coupler 10 is formed at the inlet and outlet manifolds 148, 150, respectively.

FIG. 6 illustrates the print engine 3 and the printhead ink cartridge has been removed to expose the apertures 120 in each of the compression members 18. Each aperture 120 receives one of the nozzles 12 on the inlet and outlet manifolds (see Figure 9). These nozzles correspond to the first conduit 12 of the schematic view of Figures 1-4. As noted above, the ink reservoir, media feed, and collection tray are all arbitrarily positioned and configured depending on the printer housing design.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the complete printhead ink cartridge 38. The print head ink cartridge 38 has a top molding 144 and a removable protective cover 142. The top molding 144 has a central web for structural reinforcement and a gripping textured surface 158 to facilitate handling of the ink cartridge during insertion and removal. The base of the protective cover 142 protects the print head integrated circuit (not shown) and the array of contacts (not shown) before it is installed in the printer. A cap 156 is integrally formed with the base to cover the inlet and outlet nozzles (see 12 of Figure 9).

Figure 8 discloses the ink cartridge 38 with its protective cover 142 removed to expose the print head integrated circuit on the bottom surface (see Figure 10) and the array of contacts 133 on the side surfaces. The protective cover can be discarded to the recycled waste or installed in the replacement ink cartridge to prevent leakage of residual ink. Figure 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 38 without the protective cover. The top molding 144 has been removed to expose the inlet manifold 148 and the outlet manifold 150. The inlet and outlet covers 146, 147 have been removed to expose five inlet and outlet nozzles 12. Inlet and outlet manifolds 148, 150 feed ink to their respective joints 60, such joints It is connected to a molded liquid crystal polymer (LCP) channel 4 for supplying the print head integrated circuit 31 (see Fig. 10). A detailed description of the flow of fluid through the ink cartridge 38, and its internal printhead assembly, is described in US Patent Application No. 12014768 (Case No. RRE013US), filed on Jan. 16, 2008, which is incorporated by reference. Incorporated herein.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view through one of the fluid couplers 10 of the print engine 3 with the ink cartridges 38 installed. The components of the elements corresponding to the schematic diagrams of Figures 1-4 are considered to be identical by using the same reference numerals. In this regard, the paper path 5 is disclosed as extending through the printing engine 3 and through the print head integrated circuit 31.

The coupler is disclosed as forming a closed fluid connection between one of the nozzles 12 and one of the second conduits 14. It will be appreciated that the couplers located in the inlet and outlet manifolds are identical unless the ink flows from the second conduit 14 to the nozzle 12 of the inlet manifold and in the opposite direction in the outlet manifold. For ease of illustration, the coupler will be revealed to be located at the inlet manifold. Accordingly, the flexible tube 52 feeds ink from an ink reservoir (not shown) to the second conduit 14. The stop valve 30 in the second conduit 14 is kept open by the end of the nozzle 12. The ink flows into the nozzle 12 and flows down to the liquid crystal polymer channel molding 4 where it is spread to the print head integrated circuit 31.

The coupler 10 is actuated by an actuator arm member 56 pivotally coupled to the printer chassis 42 at the shaft 50. As noted above, the latch member 40 (not shown in FIG. 10) also extends from the shaft 50 to facilitate fixed rotation with the actuator arm member 56. The actuator arm 56 rotates the input arm 20 to repel the compression member 18 and thereby causes the second conduit 14 to form a telescopic coupling with the nozzle 12. When further rotating, the compression bar The rod 22 contacts the rear surface 26 of the second conduit 14. The input arm 20 is pulled back at the pivot point 24, thereby pulling on the center rod 58 that extends to the middle of the compression member 18. The elastomeric closure 16 is compressed and bulged to facilitate forming a fluid seal against the outer surface of the first conduit 12. It will be appreciated that the compression member 18 simultaneously compresses all of the annular closures 16 for each of the input nozzles 12. The use of a central rod 58 attached to the middle of the compression member 18 ensures uniform compression forces on the annular closure members. Moreover, since the latch 40 is the longest lever of the lever system, the force that the user must apply is conveniently reduced.

When the printhead ink cartridge 38 is to be replaced, the latch (not shown) is biased away from the ink cartridge to facilitate automatic rotation of the actuator arm member 56, thereby raising and retracting the input arm 20. When the compression lever 22 is swung out of engagement with the surface 26, the resilient closure 16 is released. The second conduits and corresponding nozzles 12 are now in a slack sliding sleeve and are easily slipped away from each other. Since the compression member 18 and the nozzle 12 are completely disengaged, the user can easily take the ink cartridge 38 upwards out of the printing engine 3.

Ink manifold with stop valve

11 through 19 illustrate another embodiment of the ink manifolds 148, 150 on the ink cartridge of the printhead. As noted above, the inlet and outlet manifolds are mirror images of each other, so only the inlet manifold 148 is described. However, the description can be applied to the outlet manifold 150 as well, unless the ink flows in the opposite direction and the outlet manifold 150 is coupled to the sump, rather than the ink supply.

As described in the prior art of the present invention, the inner diameter of the nozzle 12 is relatively wide (about 2 mm) to provide the high ink consumption of a one-page wide print head. Flow rate. However, when the print head ink cartridge is removed from the printer, this also results in a high degree of ink loss, particularly when one end is raised and hydrostatically drives ink from the lower end. In this regard, the ink manifolds shown in Figures 11 through 19 have a plurality of stop valves for each nozzle 12.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, the nozzle 12 extends from the front of the polymer channel molding 152. Nozzle 12 and joint 60 are positioned at the same locations as inlet and outlet manifolds 148, 150 of the above-described embodiments. However, the nozzles 12 are each connected to an opening 162 and a stop valve 160. The stop valve 160 is a dish-shaped rubber molding, preferably as shown in a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. A central closure cap 164 is shaped to close the periphery of the opening 162. An integrally molded collapsible section 166 is mounted to the channel molding 152 and supports the closure cap 164 above the opening 162. The stop valve is a FKM synthetic rubber molding and has a set of compression features to ensure that it consistently returns to its original shape after compression.

In Figure 12, the stop valve is revealed in its uncompressed state whereby the closure cap is spaced apart from the opening 162 and the valve is open. The stop valve 160 is thus offset to the open position. Figure 14 illustrates the stop valve 160 in its compressed state. The valve actuator that applies a compressive force to the stop valve 160 has been omitted for clarity. The pressure from the valve actuator on the closure cap 164 elastically deforms the thin collapsible section 166, which forms an annular skirt around the cover. The closure cap 164 forms a fluid seal at the opening 162 to close the valve. The stop valve 160 is held in the closed position by the valve actuator to resist the offset of the collapsible section 166.

The channel molding 152 is then closed by a polypropylene film foil 168. This is a cost effective and convenient method that provides a reliable fluid seal around the passage 176 formed by the passage molding 152 and the valve chamber 178. To accommodate the movement of the stop valve 160, a plurality of dome shaped plastic deformations 172 are pressed into the closure membrane 168. When the actuator 190 (see FIG. 17) is compressing the stop valve 160, the deformation 172 extends inwardly and extends out of the plane of the closure diaphragm 168. When the actuator 190 releases the stop valve 160, the deformation 172 can be turned outwardly so that the closure membrane 168 does not block the opening of the valve. Again, the plastic deformation 172 ensures that the actuator or the stop valve does not create excessive tension in the diaphragm 168 that would compromise the fluid seal.

Figure 16 is an exploded view of the perspective view shown in Figure 15. The characteristics of the valve chamber 178 can be seen by the removal of the closure membrane 168 and the stop valve 160. The opening 162 extends into the valve cavity 178 for contact with the closure cap 164. The closure cap 164 and the collapsible section 166 are held in position by a row of ribs 180. The rib 180 also creates a gap between the stop valve 160 and the sidewall of the valve chamber 178 to provide a flow path for the ink.

Each valve chamber 178 is fed to one of the passages 176, respectively. Channel 176 is connected to connector 60 and is fed sequentially to LCP channel 4 (see Figure 10). Channel 176 is coupled to the highest point of valve chamber 178. This prevents the top of the chamber from becoming a bubble gate when the manifold uses ink to divert water.

17, 18 and 19 illustrate the structure and function of the valve actuator 190. A polymeric flange body 174 extends through a central bore 170 in the channel molding 152 and a closure membrane 168. An abutment surface 188 extends beyond the front face of the channel molding 152. The flange 182 sits on the exterior of the closure membrane 168 on the front side of the channel molding 152. a metal plate 196 reinforces the flange 182 Back. The closure membrane 168 is an alloy that protects the plate 196 from any sharp burrs caused by the flanges 182.

A metal spring cage 186 is seated on the abutment surface 188 and faces the front face of the channel molding 152. The metal spring cage 186 has a pair of arm members 194 that extend through the central bore 170, the flange 182, and the aperture 192 in the metal plate 196. The arm member 194 is hooked to one end of a steel compression spring 184. The other end of the spring 184 is seated on the plate 196. The spring is maintained in a compressed state such that the plate 196 and flange 182 press all of the stop valves 160 to the closed position. It can be appreciated that the compressive force of the spring 184 must be greater than the biasing force of the stop valve 160.

As described above, the compression members are the interface between the printer and the ink cartridge of the printhead. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the compression member 18 travels to the nozzle 12 to facilitate a connection with the second conduit 14 and the ink supply. As the compression member 18 travels closer to the inlet manifold 148, it repels on the abutment surface 188 to facilitate further compression of the spring 184 and withdrawal of the flange 182 from the stop valve 160. The tolerance for the compression member 18 in combination with the ink manifold 148 is much greater than the operational tolerance of the stop valve 160. However, the flange 182 is completely disengaged from the stop valve 160 such that any change in the movement of the compression member 18 is isolated from the stop valve 160. Once the fluid coupler is disconnected, the stop valves are normally closed off to provide a fluid seal. However, the ink manifold according to the present invention can be achieved by the same closing action of the valve that is biased open so that it can operate independently of the closing actuator.

The above-described embodiments are purely illustrative and are not intended to limit or limit the scope of the invention. What should be understood by those skilled in the art is that there are many variations and modifications in the spirit and scope of the broad concept of invention.

3‧‧‧Printing engine

4‧‧‧Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) Channel

5‧‧‧ paper path

10‧‧‧Fluid coupling

12‧‧‧First catheter

14‧‧‧Second catheter

16‧‧‧Circular enclosures

18‧‧‧Compressed components

20‧‧‧ input arm

22‧‧‧Compression lever

24, 50‧‧‧ pivot

26‧‧‧Back surface

28, 120‧ ‧ holes

30, 160‧‧‧ stop valve

31‧‧‧Printing head IC circuits (ICs)

32‧‧‧Flexible rod

34‧‧‧ valve seat

35‧‧‧Closed seat

36‧‧‧ inner surface

38‧‧‧Ink 匣

40‧‧‧Latch

42‧‧‧Printer

44‧‧‧ ink tank

46, 48‧‧‧Complementary fasteners

52‧‧‧Flexible pipe

56‧‧‧Actuator arm

58‧‧‧ center pole

60‧‧‧Connectors

133‧‧‧Contacts

142‧‧‧ protective cover

144‧‧‧Top moldings

146‧‧‧ entrance cover

147‧‧‧Export cover

148‧‧‧Inlet manifold

150‧‧‧Export manifold

152‧‧‧Channel moldings

156‧‧‧ cap

158‧‧‧Scratch textured surface

160‧‧‧stop valve

162‧‧‧ openings

164‧‧‧Closed cover

166‧‧‧Knockable section

168‧‧‧Closed diaphragm

170‧‧‧ center hole

172‧‧‧Plastic deformation

174‧‧‧Flange body

176‧‧‧ channel

178‧‧‧Valve

180‧‧‧ ribs

182‧‧‧Flange

184‧‧‧Compression spring

186‧‧‧Metal spring cage

188‧‧‧ abutment surface

190‧‧‧Actuator

192‧‧‧ hole

194‧‧‧arms

196‧‧‧Metal sheet

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fluid coupling, and the first and second conduits are disengaged; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fluid coupling And the first and second conduits are combined; FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of a fluid coupling for connecting a row of ink cartridges and an inkjet printer; FIG. 5 is used for connecting a column of ink cartridges. And a cross-sectional view of a fluid coupling of a printing engine; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a printing engine having a printing head ink cartridge; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a printing ink cartridge; and FIG. 8 discloses a printing ink of FIG. 9 and its protective cover has been removed; FIG. 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge of the printing head of FIG. 7; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the printing engine through the fluid coupling and the ink cartridge of the printing head; A front view of another embodiment of the ink cartridge of the printhead ink cartridge, and the stop valve actuator has been removed for clarity; Figure 12 is a section 12-12 shown in Figure 11; Figure 13 is Figure 14 is a front view of the ink manifold shown in Figure 11; Figure 14 is for use in the ink manifold of Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the valve of the stop; Figure 15 is a perspective view of the ink manifold of Figure 13; Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the ink manifold of Figure 13; Figure 17 is a front view of the ink manifold with a stop valve actuator; Figure 18 is Figure 17 The cross-sections 18-18 are shown; and, Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of the ink manifold along with the stop valve actuator.

12‧‧‧First catheter

152‧‧‧Channel moldings

160‧‧‧stop valve

162‧‧‧ openings

168‧‧‧Closed diaphragm

170‧‧‧ center hole

174‧‧‧Flange body

176‧‧‧ channel

182‧‧‧Flange

184‧‧ ‧ spring

186‧‧‧Closed diaphragm

188‧‧‧Adjacency

190‧‧‧Valve Actuator

196‧‧‧Metal sheet

Claims (10)

An ink manifold defining a plurality of fluid flow paths, the ink manifold comprising: a plurality of openings configured to be detachably coupled to the conduit in an interface; a plurality of stop valves respectively located in each of the openings The actuator is biased by a resilient member to a closed position such that the actuator maintains all of the stop valves in the closed position, the actuator being configured for engagement with the interface So that moving the interface to the opening will simultaneously move the actuator to an open position in which the stop valves are opened; wherein the resilient element produces a biasing force and a greater than a resultant offset force applied to the actuator by the stop valves; wherein each stop valve includes an offset member configured to bias each stop valve to open position. The ink manifold of claim 1, wherein the fluid flow paths are partially formed by a polymer channel molding having a multi-channel arrangement and one is closed over the channels to facilitate the fluids a flexible polymer membrane having a flow path closed to each other, the stop valves being enclosed by the flexible polymer membrane in the polymer channel molding, and the actuator configured to The region adjacent to the stop valve acts on one of the outer surfaces of the flexible polymer membrane. The ink manifold of claim 2, wherein the flexible polymer film is a polypropylene film foil. The ink manifold of claim 1, wherein the stop valves are sleeved by the integrally molded crushable segments at the respective elastic caps at the periphery of each of the openings, such that the elastic caps are spaced apart At the opening, until the pressure from the actuator collapses the collapsible section and the resilient cap closes the periphery of the opening. The ink manifold of claim 4, wherein the stop valves are made of synthetic rubber. The ink manifold of claim 2, wherein the flexible polymer film has a plurality of plastic deformation zones adjacent to the stop valves, the plastic deformation zones extending to the flexible polymer film It is out of plane and is configured to be flipped to accommodate the movement of the stop valves. The ink manifold of claim 6, wherein the polymer channel molding defines a plurality of valve chambers for holding the respective stop valves, the valve chambers being connected to the respective passages, such that The channel can be connected to the valve chamber at a topmost section when the manifold is in use. The ink manifold of claim 1, wherein the ink manifold is a portion of a row of ink cartridges, and the interface is for fluid to circulate through an ink supply. The ink manifold of claim 8, wherein the ink cartridge has two ink manifolds, one of which is an inlet manifold and the other is an outlet manifold, the outlet manifold The system is configured to be removably coupled to a second interface for supplying fluid to an ink collection tank. The ink manifold of claim 9, wherein the print head ink cartridge has a one-page wide print head.