Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Mituhide Soga

Yoshihiko Fujimura

Kazuyuki Oda

Ichiro Tomikawa

Jun Takagi

Junichi Yoshida

Katsuyuki Fujii

Katsuhide Ogawa

A main ink chamber with a through-hole contains a capillary member. An intermediate ink chamber is provided on the side wall of the main ink chamber. A path communicatively interconnects the main ink chamber and the intermediate ink chamber. A second meniscus forming member is disposed in a joint port, to thereby prevent ink leakage. In a print mode, ink flows from the main ink chamber to the joint port, through a meniscus forming member that is disposed in the through-hole. Air bubbles mingled into the ink move along the slanting upper wall of the path by their buoyant force, and are accumulatively stored in the upper part of the intermediate ink chamber. When ink is reduced to zero in the main ink chamber, air bubbles are introduced into the intermediate ink chamber through the meniscus forming member. As a result, the liquid level of the intermediate ink chamber is quickly reduced, thereby indicating a state that ink is used up.

Method and device for supplying ink to a print head

Growing community of inventors

Ebina, Japan

Mituhide Soga