Inkjet printer with off-axis ink supply

A printing system comprising:

• an ink supply station for containing a supply of ink, said ink supply station having a first interconnect member;
• a replaceable ink supply cartridge for installation in said ink supply station, said ink supply cartridge having a first ink reservoir and a second interconnect member, said second interconnect member being in fluid communication with said first ink reservoir and forming a fluid connection to said first interconnect member when said ink supply cartridge is installed in said ink supply station;
• a scanning carriage having a flexible ink conduit connected to said first interconnect member of said ink supply station, said carriage having a third interconnect member in fluid communication with said ink conduit;
• and
• a print cartridge for installation in said carriage, said print cartridge having a fourth interconnect member in fluid communication with a second ink reservoir internal to said print cartridge, said fourth interconnect member being connectable to said third interconnect member on said carriage to enable ink to flow from said ink supply station, through said ink conduit, and into said second ink reservoir, said print cartridge containing a pressure regulator comprising:
• a valve coupled to said second ink reservoir and controlling an opening in an ink path between said second ink reservoir and said fourth interconnect member;
• an expandable member with a reference surface and a reservoir surface, said reference surface in fluid communication with the outside atmosphere and said reservoir surface in fluid communication with said second ink reservoir;
• and
• an actuator in contact with said expandable member for actuating said valve based upon expansion or contraction of said expandable member due to a differential pressure between the outside atmosphere and said second ink reservoir, said valve controlling a flow of ink into said second ink reservoir such that ink is supplied to a printhead within said print cartridge at a substantially constant gauge pressure.

A printing system comprising:

• a print cartridge having a printhead for receiving electrical signals and, in response, for ejecting droplets of ink, a first ink reservoir in fluid communication with said printhead, and a body housing said first ink reservoir and said printhead, said body having an ink entrance port including a first interconnect member in fluid communication with said first ink reservoir;
• a pressure regulator, internal to said print cartridge, for controlling a flow of ink into said ink entrance port;
• a carriage for receiving said print cartridge and having a second interconnect member, said second interconnect member making a fluid connection to said first interconnect member when said print cartridge is installed in said carriage;
• and
• an ink source external to said print cartridge comprising:
• a docking bay having a fluid inlet and a docked position;
• a tube coupled to said fluid inlet and to said second interconnect member;
• and
• a replaceable ink supply for removable insertion into said docked position within said docking bay, said ink supply comprising:
• a chassis;
• a second ink reservoir coupled to said chassis for containing a quantity of ink;
• and
• a fluid outlet carried on said chassis for engaging said fluid inlet when said ink supply is in said docked position.

An ink delivery system supported on a rigid frame, on which a print cartridge mounted on a carriage moves relative to media in a print zone to deposit ink on said media, said print cartridge having a printhead for receiving electrical signals and in response, for ejecting droplets of ink, an ink chamber in fluid communication with said printhead, and a body housing said ink chamber and said printhead, said body having an ink inlet port in fluid communication with said ink chamber, said body also housing a pressure regulator, internal to said print cartridge for controlling a flow of ink into said ink inlet port, said carriage for receiving said print cartridge, said frame also supporting an off-carriage fixed supply station having a first interconnect member fluidically connected to said print cartridge ink inlet port via at least a flexible conduit, said system comprising:

• a replaceable ink supply cartridge removably mounted on said fixed supply station and containing an ink reservoir, said ink supply cartridge having a second interconnect member in fluid communication with said ink reservoir and forming a fluid communication with said first interconnect member when said ink supply cartridge is removably mounted on said fixed supply station;
• ink contained in said reservoir which passes out of said first interconnect member and said second interconnect member, through said conduit, and to said pressure regulator in said body of said print cartridge with a regulator setpoint between 0 and -25 inches of water, said reservoir and said regulator operatively coupled so that a reservoir ink pressure is maintained at a pressure above -10 inches of water and a relative height of said reservoir and a relative height of said pressure regulator are adjusted such that said pressure regulator setpoint controls an ink pressure at said printhead when the ink supply cartridge is removably mounted on the fixed supply station.

A method of using a printing system comprising the steps of:

• inserting a replaceable ink cartridge into an ink supply station in an inkjet printer;
• providing a print cartridge in said printer, said print cartridge having a printhead for receiving electrical signals and, in response, for ejecting droplets of ink, an ink chamber in fluid communication with said printhead, and a body housing said ink chamber and said printhead, said body having an ink inlet port including a first interconnect member in fluid communication with said ink chamber, said body also housing a pressure regulator, internal to said print cartridge, for controlling a flow of ink into said ink inlet port;
• supplying ink from said ink cartridge to a flexible tube connected to a second fluid interconnect member mounted on a carriage;
• channeling said ink through said ink inlet port of said print cartridge in fluid communication with said second fluid interconnect;
• and
• controlling a flow of ink into said chamber within said print cartridge using said pressure regulator internal to said print cartridge.