Arrangement for printer equipment for monitoring reservoirs that contain printing medium

US5365312A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Mannesmann AG · DE

Inventors

• Rudiger Hillmann · Grafing, DE
• Thomas Fuchs · New York, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 22, 1991
• Grant date: Nov 15, 1994
• Expiry date: Jan 22, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B41J2202/17
• WIPO field: Textile and paper machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Reservoirs (11, 12) for printing equipment whether they are ink reservoirs, inked ribbon cassettes or toner reservoirs comprise an electronic memory means (14) in the form of a chip in which information about the current fill status of the reservoir and/or other status data, for example expiration date of the printing medium, that are relevant for the printer operation are stored. The used status of printing medium is acquired via the central controller (16) of the printing equipment and is communicated to the chip (14). The chip at the reservoir counts consumption until the supply of printing medium (ink fluid, inked ribbon, toner) exhausted to such an extent that the reservoir must be replaced. A reprogramming of the chip and, thus refilling of the reservoir is not possible.