The OEM has been granted a European patent for a “method for refurbishing a liquid cartridge”, as well as an “apparatus for refurbishing [a] liquid cartridge”.
An image from the patent document
The patent, EP 2 422 986 B1, refers to an inkjet cartridge’s “movable member” and its interaction with sensors that detect its position in movement during the printing operation. This patent also refers to a method for manufacturing the cartridge, but the most interesting point of the document is in its part that refers to “a method for refurbishing a liquid cartridge and an apparatus for refurbishing [a] liquid cartridge”.
In making this point, the patent document granted appears to have patented a remanufacturing method as well as a system in which the cartridge can be remanufactured. This can be seen in the document’s details, which refer to the mount portion and the supply port’s hollow member for “injecting liquid into the liquid storing portion of the liquid cartridge”, as well as the measuring section of the apparatus, which is “configured to measure at least one of a first value corresponding to a first output signal output from the sensor” when the movable member is moved.
The document was granted a patent in early November 2013, and it remains to be seen which model in particular the OEM has won the patent for. In December 2012 both Canon and a Greek-based remanufacturer won patents for remanufacturing methods, whilst in October 2013 both Brother and Canon were granted patents that again covered remanufacturing and recycling methods for specific cartridges.