| 摘要 |
A continuous ink refill system (10) for an ink jet printer that uses disposable ink jet cartridges (12) having a first predetermined ink capacity includes an ink reservoir (14) that is external to a print carriage (91) on which the disposable ink jet cartridges (12) are removably mounted. The ink reservoir (14) contains a second predetermined ink capacity that continuously refills, through a tubing interconnection (16), an ink container (24) within the disposable ink jet cartridge (12) by a passive pressure differential between the disposable ink jet cartridge (12) and the ink reservoir (14). The disposable ink jet cartridge (12) is a self-contained unit having a print head (22) and an ink supply container (24) maintained at a negative pressure that supplies the first quantity of ink to the print head (22). The ink reservoir (14) storing the second quantity of ink is limited to some multiple of the first quantity of ink above which said print head (22) does not reliably operate.
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