Koda & Androlia
Device and method for refilling an ink cartridge
 A used, empty ink cartridge for, for instance, a computer printer being refilled by an ink refilling adapter that includes an ink conduit and an elastic member such as a sponge provided on the adapter. The ink conduit is pressed into the ink cartridge, thus squeezing the elastic member, until the tip portion of the ink conduit penetrates into an ink absorbing material installed inside the cartridge; and then upon the removal of the pressing force, the squeezed elastic member is allowed to expand so as to regain its original shape, thus lifting the tip portion of the ink conduit from the ink absorbing material. As a result, an empty space is formed in the ink absorbing material inside the ink cartridge, so that ink introduced into the ink conduit can smoothly flow out into the empty space and then is absorbed by the ink absorbing material, thus refilling the ink cartridge. 
Mitsubishi Pencil Corporation of America
B B
B41J B41J
inventional inventional
Hiroyuki
Ito