System and method for supplying ink to an inkjet printhead
AssigneeR.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
InventorsGeorge A. Alessi, Paul Slagle, Kent D. Jayme, Anthony V. Moscato
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Abstract
An ink supply unit and a method of supplying ink to a printhead are disclosed. The ink supply unit includes a lower ink reservoir, an upper ink reservoir, and a flow regulation apparatus. The upper ink reservoir is coupled to the lower ink reservoir. First and second fluid input ports are disposed on opposite sides of the flow regulation apparatus. A first fluid line and a second fluid line couple the first and the second input ports, respectively, with the upper ink reservoir, and a third fluid line is adapted to couple the flow regulation apparatus with a printhead.
Claims27
An ink supply unit, comprising:
- a lower ink reservoir;
- an upper ink reservoir coupled to the lower ink reservoir;
- a flow regulation apparatus;
- first and second fluid input ports disposed on opposite sides of the flow regulation apparatus;
- a first fluid line and a second fluid line, wherein the first fluid line and the second fluid line couple the first and the second input ports, respectively, with the upper ink reservoir;
- and
- a third fluid line adapted to couple the flow regulation apparatus with a printhead.
A method of supplying ink, comprising:
- coupling a lower ink reservoir with an upper ink reservoir;
- coupling the upper ink reservoir with first and second input ports of a flow regulation apparatus, wherein the first and second input ports are disposed on opposite sides of the flow regulation apparatus;
- and
- providing a fluid line to couple the flow regulation apparatus with a printhead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.