Patent ID: 6409322
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink supply device of an ink-jet type image formation apparatus having a carriage reciprocating in a prescribed direction and forming an image by ejection of ink on a recording medium, comprising a printing head having a nozzle and being mounted on the carriage, an ink tank for storing the ink to be supplied to the printing head, and an ink supply tube for supplying ink from the ink tank to the printing head,wherein the printing head contains a built-in porous mass of an open-cell structure communicating with the nozzle, and the ink supply tube is connected at the one end to the porous mass hermetically, wherein an ink supply pipe is provided which is connected to the one end of the ink supply tube and is inserted into the porous mass, wherein the tip of the ink supply pipe is inserted into the center portion of the porous mass or into the portion thereof nearer to the nozzle than the center portion, wherein the ink supply pipe has an ink discharging through-hole on the side wall thereof, and wherein the ink tank comprises an open tank in which the whole liquid ink surface is open to the atmosphere, a connection pipe in contact with the ink in the open tank and extending upward therefrom, and a closed ink tank placed above the open ink tank and storing the ink in a closed state.