The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 18, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 30, 2000
Kazuyuki Oda, Ebina, JP;
Ichiro Tomikawa, Ebina, JP;
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed herein is an ink jet recording apparatus which supplies a suitable amount of ink to a main ink tank for supplying ink to a recording head. The main ink tank placed over a movable carriage includes a first ink chamber which holds ink therein in a free state together with air. The main ink tank communicates with a sub-ink tank attached to its upper portion through a pipe. Ink in a sub-ink chamber of the sub-ink tank forms an interface with air by a surface tension at the pipe. When the sub-ink tank is scanned by the movable carriage in this condition, acceleration acts on the ink in the first ink chamber and the sub-ink chamber. As a result, the air in the sub-ink chamber 81 and the ink in the first ink chamber are interchanged with each other at the interface according to a change in pressure of the first ink chamber, whereby the ink is supplied from the sub-ink chamber to the first ink chamber.