Patent ID: 7533974
Filing Date: 2009-05-19
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. In an ink jet printer having a printer body equipped with an ink supply port for supplying ink to an ink jet head, an ink supply mechanism for the ink jet printer comprising: a cartridge extension having a plurality of ink supplying cartridges replaceably fitted therein, said cartridge extension and said ink supply port being connected to each other through a common ink flow channel for supplying the ink supply port with the ink of each of the cartridges fitted in the cartridge extension; a sequence control means for repeating such a step sequentially for the individual cartridges fitted in the cartridge extension as supplies the ink continuously from any of the cartridges fitted in said cartridge extension to said ink supply port through said ink flow channel, and as detects that the ink in one cartridge is depleted, and as supplies the ink in the next cartridge fitted in said cartridge extension continuously to the ink supply port through said ink flow channel; and a warning means for notifying a printer user that the ink in the cartridge fitted in the cartridge extension and supplying the ink is depleted, when said sequence control means detects the depletion of the ink, wherein said warning means notifies the printer user with sound or vibration means.