Inkjet printer with pressure regulator

摘要

An inkjet printer has an inkjet printhead and an ink pressure regulator for regulating a hydrostatic pressure of ink supplied to the printhead. The regulator includes a bubble outlet positioned in a headspace of an ink chamber for bubbling air bubbles directly into the headspace at all operative ink levels. A capillary channel supplies ink from the chamber to the bubble outlet by capillary action and an air channel connects an air inlet with the bubble outlet. The bubble outlet is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn into the ink chamber as result of supplying ink to the printhead, thereby regulating a hydrostatic pressure of the ink.