Apparatus and method of priming ink supply tubes in an ink jet printer

摘要

An ink jet printer with a body defining a paper path and a carriage operable to reciprocate across the paper path. An ink supply receptacle on the body is spaced apart from the carriage, and an ink conduit extends between the ink supply receptacle and the carriage. A suction apparatus on the carriage has an expandable chamber with an inlet connected to the conduit, and moves between a collapsed position and an expanded position, such that ink may be drawn from an ink supply connected to the receptacle to displace at least some of the air from the tube. The chamber may be spring biased to the expanded position, and constrained to the collapsed position during shipping, so that removal of the constraint after installation of ink supplies will draw ink into the conduit to displace air. The suction apparatus may also be installed in a position on the carriage later to be occupied by the print head.