INK JET PRINTER WITH HIGH CAPACITY TANK AND ASSOCIATED INK REFILLING SYSTEM

摘要

The ink jet printer comprises a printhead movable in front of a printing medium and provided with an ink cartridge integral with it; the cartridge is filled with ink from a main, high capacity tank, which is connected at intervals to the cartridge by means of a capillary element. During each connection, the capillary element is brought into contact with the sponge inside the cartridge, while a peristaltic pump mounted integral upon the main tank provides a pressure suitable for generating a sufficient flow of ink to refill the cartridge in a short time frame. To perform the refilling, the cartridge is brought at the end of its stroke into a service station mounted on the body of the main tank, which is moved against the cartridge by means of a motor-driven linkage, controlled by a refilling management programme, in response to the signals of a cartridge ink level sensor.