Patent ID: 6206510
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A method for adapting an ink jet printing system for receiving ink from an alternative non-pressurized supply of ink, the ink jet printing system including a scanning carriage, an ink jet printhead responsive to control signals for selectively depositing ink on media and a pressurized ink delivery system including an ink supply responsive to actuation by an actuator for providing a pressurized supply of ink to a fluid interconnect of the scanning carriage, wherein the ink jet printhead is removably engaged with the scanning carriage such that a fluid inlet portion of the ink jet printhead is removably connected to the fluid interconnect, and wherein the fluid interconnect is removably mounted on the scanning carriage and configured to fluidically couple with the fluid inlet portion of the ink jet printhead upon insertion of the printhead into the scanning carriage, the method comprising:disconnecting the fluid inlet portion of the ink jet printhead from the fluid interconnect of the pressurized ink delivery system;dismounting the fluid interconnect from the scanning carriage;providing an alternative non-pressurized supply of ink that is not adapted for actuation by the actuator, the alternative non-pressurized supply of ink having a replacement fluid interconnect; andmounting the replacement fluid interconnect onto the scanning carriage, the replacement fluid interconnect so disposed and arranged on the scanning carriage to fluidically couple with the fluid inlet portion of the ink jet printhead upon insertion of the printhead into the scanning carriage; andconnecting the fluid inlet portion of the ink jet printhead directly to the replacement fluid interconnect of the alternative non-pressurized supply of ink to provide alternative non-pressurized ink, different from the pressurized supply of ink, to the ink jet printhead.