Press Release: Caboodle Cartridge(R) Files Patent Application for Refilling Ink Cartridges; New Non-Invasive Method Improves Recycled Cartridge Performance


Replacement printer cartridge
provider Caboodle Cartridge(R) announced today that it has filed a patent
application for a new method of cleaning certain kinds of inkjet cartridges
during the refilling process in order to improve the performance of the
recycled units. The system will enable owners of Lexmark printers and other
printers that use private-labeled Lexmark cartridges to achieve consistently
high-quality printing results with remanufactured cartridges for the first
time, allowing them to cut their ink costs in half without adversely affecting
document appearance.

Already used on cartridges sold through Caboodle Cartridge stores, the new
patent-pending procedure is designed to address construction anomalies in
Lexmark cartridges that have prevented aftermarket suppliers from delivering
high-quality Lexmark refills. With Lexmark producing roughly 20% of the
cartridges on the market, including those for Lexmark, Dell, Sharp and Xerox
printers, the problem has left millions of printer owners without a viable
alternative to purchasing expensive original-equipment cartridges.
The refilling challenge stems from a Lexmark-exclusive design that until
now has required the removal of a mesh filter inside the depleted cartridge in
order to access ink residue for cleaning. Because Lexmark's filter is welded
into the cartridge and destroyed when it is removed, it must be replaced with
a third-party component that does not control ink flow as well as the
original.
Caboodle Cartridge's new technique allows the original filter to remain
intact by cleaning the ink chamber through a tiny incision. The refilled
product then performs at a level equivalent to that of a new cartridge from
the original printer manufacturer. Lexmark-branded and private-labeled
replacement cartridges sold by Caboodle Cartridge are the first and only
products of their kind to use the procedure.
"A replacement printer cartridge is an acceptable option for the customer
only if there is no perceptible difference between the performance of the
original-equipment cartridge and the refilled one," said Daniel Wencel,
founder and CEO of Caboodle Cartridge. "With this procedure, we are making
that possible for recycled Lexmark cartridges and those from any other vendor
that may adopt a design that requires disassembly of the cartridge for
refilling. Given Lexmark's market share, this promises to significantly
expand the market for remanufactured cartridges."
The patent application was filed on September 12, 2005.

About Caboodle Cartridge:
Caboodle Cartridge is creating a new distribution channel for ink jet and
laser printer cartridges via franchised stores that carry cartridges from the
company's own state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Caboodle guarantees
the same consistent high quality that consumers expect from the original
cartridge manufacturers, at savings of more than 50%. Headquartered in Santa
Clara, CA, Caboodle Cartridge is privately owned. For more information, call
(408) 988-0064 or visit http://www.caboodle.net . For franchise
opportunities, email franchising@caboodle.net.

Posted: Tue - September 20, 2005 at 04:59 PM          

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