Patent · US Expired

Thin film resistor type thermal ink pen using a form storage ink supply

US5025271A · kind A · utility

106Cited by
19References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 18, 1989
Grant dateJun 18, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 18, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D15/18
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A disposable thin film resistor type thermal ink jet pen including a housing having a support surface at one end thereof with openings for passing ink to an adjacent thin film resistor type thermal ink jet printhead. The printhead is mounted on the support surface and has ink ejection orifii therein communicating with openings in the support surface. A porous foam material is mounted within the housing and is operative to receive and retain a supply of ink for feeding the ink by capillary action through the openings in the support surface and to the ink jet printhead. The foam ink storage material is compressed in one or more compartments of the housing to reduce the pore size therein and reduce the foam thickness while increasing its density. By this process, the capillary force of the foam is increased and thereby renders this ink storage medium especially well-suited for feeding ink on demand to a thin film resistor type of thermal ink jet printhead.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.