Ink container with secondary containment for ink supply

An ink container for a supply of liquid ink, the ink container comprising:

• a pressure vessel defining an interior chamber;
• a collapsible reservoir disposed within the interior chamber of the pressure vessel, the collapsible reservoir adapted to hold the supply of liquid ink therein;
• an air tower structure external to the pressure vessel;
• an ink tower structure external to the pressure vessel;
• an air passage passing through the air tower structure and communicating with the interior chamber of the pressure vessel;
• an ink passage passing through the ink tower structure and communicating with the collapsible reservoir;
• and
• an ink flow restrictor communicating with the air passage, wherein the ink flow restictor restricts ink flow through the air passage from the interior chamber and permits air flow through the air passage into the interior chamber.

An ink container for a supply of liquid ink, the ink container comprising:

• a pressure vessel defining an interior chamber and including a neck portion having an opening defined therein;
• a collapsible reservoir disposed within the interior chamber of the pressure vessel, the collapsible reservoir adapted to hold the supply of liquid ink therein;
• and
• a chassis sealing the opening of the neck portion, the chassis including:
• an air tower structure external to the pressure vessel,
• an ink tower structure external to the pressure vessel,
• an air passage passing through the air tower structure and communicating with the interior chamber of the pressure vessel,
• an ink passage passing through the ink tower structure and communicating with the collapsible reservoir, and
• an ink flow restrictor communicating with the air passage, wherein the ink flow restrictor restricts ink flow through the air passage from the interior chamber and permits air flow through the air passage into the interior chamber.

An ink container for a supply of liquid ink, the ink container comprising:

• a pressure vessel defining an interior chamber;
• a collapsible reservoir disposed within the interior chamber of the pressure vessel, the collapsible reservoir adapted to hold the supply of liquid ink therein;
• a first flow path communicating with the interior chamber of the pressure vessel, the first flow path having an inlet end communicating externally of the pressure vessel;
• a second flow path communicating with the collapsible reservoir, the second flow path having an outlet end communicating externally of the pressure vessel;
• a flow restrictor disposed within the first flow path, wherein the flow restrictor restricts flow through the first flow path from the interior chamber and permits flow through the first flow path into the interior chamber;
• and
• a filter disposed within the first flow path between the inlet end of the first flow path and the flow restrictor.

A printing system, comprising:

• an ink container defining an interior chamber;
• a collapsible reservoir disposed within the interior chamber and adapted to hold a supply of liquid ink therein;
• a first flow path communicating with the interior chamber and communicating externally of the ink container;
• a second flow path communicating with the collapsible reservoir and communicating externally of the ink container;
• a flow restrictor communicating with the first flow path, wherein the flow restrictor restricts flow through the first flow path from the interior chamber and permits flow through the first flow path into the interior chamber;
• a pressurized source of gas communicating with the first flow path, the pressurized source of gas adapted to occupy a portion of the interior chamber during printing;
• and
• a printhead communicating with the second flow path, the printhead adapted to eject drops of the liquid ink during printing.

A method of providing liquid ink to a printing system from an ink container including an interior chamber and a collapsible reservoir disposed within the interior chamber, the collapsible reservoir adapted to hold a supply of the liquid ink therein, the method comprising the steps of:

• communicating a first flow path with the interior chamber and communicating the first flow path externally of the ink container;
• communicating a second flow path with the collapsible reservoir and communicating the second flow path externally of the ink container;
• and
• restricting flow through the first flow path from the interior chamber and permitting flow through the first flow path into the interior chamber.