Inkjet printer cartridge with controlled refill
View Patent ↗A printer cartridge for an inkjet printer including an ink storage reservoir; a printhead in communication with said ink storage reservoir; a refill port in communication with the ink storage reservoir and arranged to receive refill ink for replenishing the ink storage reservoir; and an integrated circuit assembly arranged to store information relating to the properties of at least one of the refill ink and the ink stored in the ink storage reservoir.
1. A printer cartridge for an inkjet printer including:
a cartridge body for mounting the cartridge in the inkjet printer, the cartridge body having printer contacts for electrical connection to an electronic controller within the inkjet printer;
a plurality of ink storage reservoirs for sealed storage of different inks, each of the ink storage reservoirs being at least partially defined by a collapsible membrane, and partially defined by rigid wall sections, the rigid wall sections of each of the ink storage reservoirs defining an inlet and an outlet;
a printhead in sealed fluid communication with the outlets and electrically connected with the printer contacts for receiving print data and power for operation;
a plurality of refill ports in sealed fluid communication with each of the inlets respectively for receiving refill ink;
a refill interface positioned on the cartridge body exterior, the refill interface having the refill ports positioned adjacent each other and refill data contacts for connection to complementary contacts on a refill unit when it docks with the refill interface; and
an integrated circuit assembly arranged to store information relating to the properties of at least one of the refill ink, the ink stored in the ink storage reservoir and the performance characteristics of the printer cartridge, the integrated circuit assembly being connected to the refill data contacts and the printer contacts, such that
the electronic controller adjusts the printhead operation in response to the information provided by the integrated circuit assembly.
2. A printer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the properties of the refill ink or the ink stored in the ink storage reservoir includes any of:
the amount of ink remaining in the ink storage reservoir;
the origin of the refill ink;
the rheological properties of the refill ink; and
the color of the refill ink.
3. A printer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit assembly includes an electrical contact mounted upon the inkjet printer for connection with an integrated circuit of a refill cartridge containing the refill ink.
4. A printer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the printhead is a pagewidth printhead.