Patent ID: 7841684
Filing Date: 2010-11-30
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An ink pressure regulator for regulating a hydrostatic pressure of ink supplied to an inkjet printhead, said regulator comprising: an ink chamber having an ink outlet for fluid communication with the printhead via an ink line; an air inlet; a regulator channel having a first end communicating with the air inlet and a second end communicating with a headspace of the chamber, said second end defining a bubble outlet; a wetting system for maintaining at least some liquid in said regulator channel, thereby ensuring that air entering the headspace first passes through said liquid, said wetting system comprising: wherein said regulator channel is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn from said bubble outlet as result of supplying ink to the printhead, thereby regulating a hydrostatic pressure of the ink.