Patent · US Expired

Printer ink cartridge with memory storage capacity

US5610635A · kind A · utility

337Cited by
11References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 9, 1994
Grant dateMar 11, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 9, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J25/34
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A printer ink cartridge includes a rigid cartridge body containing ink, a plurality of ink orifices, a jet plate, a plurality of electrical conductors, a control and driver circuit and a memory storage element. The memory storage element is connected to the control and driver circuit to enable information to be retrieved and stored from the memory storage element. The memory storage element is capable of storing information regarding the printer ink cartridge and the ink stored within the cartridge selected, such as ink type, ink color, date of manufacture of the cartridge, data from a spectral analysis of the ink, initial amount of ink stored in the cartridge body, amount of ink delivered, and amount of ink remaining in the cartridge. The memory storage element can be an EEPROM or a flash memory. The control and driver circuit may also include a counter for counting the number of times the heating elements on the cartridge are energized. The approximate number of times the heating elements have been energized indicates the approximate number of drops of ink that have applied by the cartridge.

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