Reservoir assembly for a pagewidth printhead cartridge
View Patent ↗A reservoir assembly for a pagewidth printhead cartridge has a fluid distribution molding with priming inlets in fluid communication with fluid channels for supplying printing fluid to a plurality of printhead integrated circuits. The assembly includes a reservoir compartment arranged in fluid communication with the fluid channels via a fluid outlet. The reservoir compartment defines a vent hole to facilitate pressure equalization in the compartment and a bypass fluid path interconnecting the fluid outlet and a well region defined by the compartment. A bypass valve is operatively arranged with respect to the fluid path to facilitate priming the reservoir compartment with printing fluid.
1. A reservoir assembly for a pagewidth printhead cartridge having a fluid distribution molding with priming inlets in fluid communication with fluid channels for supplying printing fluid to a plurality of printhead integrated circuits, said assembly comprising:
a reservoir compartment arranged in fluid communication with the fluid channels via a fluid outlet, the reservoir compartment defining a vent hole to facilitate pressure equalisation in the compartment and a bypass fluid path interconnecting the fluid outlet and a well region defined by the compartment; and
a bypass valve operatively arranged with respect to the fluid path to facilitate priming the reservoir compartment with printing fluid.
2. The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , which includes a porous absorbent material located inside the compartment to absorb printing fluid delivered via the priming inlets.
3. The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , which includes an ink filter and air barrier arranged between the outlet and the compartment.
4. The reservoir assembly of claim 3 , wherein the well region of the compartment includes an annular region surrounding a raised portion on a base of the compartment about the filter and air barrier which region excludes the absorbent material.
5. The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material is configured to absorb the printing fluid through suspension thereof due to capillary attraction forces.
6. The reservoir assembly of claim 5 , wherein the absorbent material is configured to provide sufficient backpressure of the absorbed printing fluid to prevent leakage of the ink out of nozzles of the printhead integrated circuits.
7. The reservoir assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve includes a manual depression button provided as a flexible portion of a bottom wall of the bypass fluid path, the button made from a rubber material and connected to the bottom wall via an annular weakened portion, an opposite internal wall of the fluid path having a circular recessed region for capturing the button when depressed to close the fluid path.