| 摘要 |
<p>A refillable cartridge (10) for inkjet pring device having an ink supply off-board. The cartridge (10) is characterized in that it is filled with an ink supply prior to shipment and the refill opening (30) through which replenishing ink is supplied during printing is left open during shipment and storage. The interior of the ink cartridge (10) is partitioned into a free ink reservoir (54), a foam reservoir (60) and an air buffer region (58). The foam filled ink reservoir (60) is filled with a foam material (78) saturated with ink prior to shipment. A portion of the foam material (78) extends into the air buffer region (58) is left dry. As long as the refill opening (30) is not closed, ambient pressure is applied to the ink supply in the cartridge (10) via the refill opening (30) and the air buffer region (58). An ink passage (76) permits ink flow in either direction between the free ink reservoir (54) and the foam-filled ink reservoir (60). Either reservoir (54, 56) may be connected to ink capillaries in a conventional heater chip. The capillaries provide a greater resistance to ink flow than the foam material (60) so that changes in temperature and/or pressure merely change the level of ink in the foam material (60).</p> |
