Low-cost ink delivery system for controlling ink pressure
AssigneeMemjet Technology Limited
InventorsZHENYA YOURLO, ANDREW THOMAS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink delivery system for delivering ink to an inkjet printhead. The system includes a first ink tank, a second ink tank, a main air line having an air inlet and an air outlet; a first air line interconnecting the first ink tank and the main air line; a second air line interconnecting the second ink tank and the main air line; an air pump positioned in the main air line; first and second airflow restrictor positioned in the main air line; an ink circulation line interconnecting the first and second ink tanks; and an ink pump positioned in the ink circulation line for pumping ink from the first ink tank to the second ink tank.
Claims18
An ink delivery system for delivering ink to one or more inkjet printheads, the system comprising:
- a first ink tank having a first air port, a first ink port for connection to a printhead outlet, an ink refill port for connection to a bulk ink supply and a first ink circulation port;
- a second ink tank having a second air port, a second ink port for connection to a printhead inlet and a second ink circulation port;
- a main air line having an air inlet and an air outlet;
- a first air line interconnecting the first air port and the main air line;
- a second air line interconnecting the second air port and the main air line;
- an air pump positioned in the main air line between the first and second air lines, the air pump being configured for pumping air from the air inlet towards the air outlet;
- a first airflow restrictor positioned between the air inlet and the first air line;
- a second airflow restrictor positioned between the air outlet and the second air line;
- an ink circulation line interconnecting the first and second ink tanks;
- and
- an ink pump positioned in the ink circulation line for pumping ink from the first ink tank to the second ink tank.
A method of controlling first and second ink pressures in respective first and second ink tanks having respective first and second air lines connected to a main air line, said method comprising the steps of:
- actuating an air pump operably connected to the main air line between the first and second air lines;
- and
- controlling the first and second ink pressures using first and second airflow restrictors positioned in the main air line,
- wherein the first airflow restrictor is upstream of the first air line and the second airflow restrictor is downstream of the second air line relative to an airflow direction through the main air line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.