Patent ID: 8191999

Claim:
An inkjet printer of a station-supply type in which, when ink is supplied from a main tank of an ink cartridge to a sub tank storing ink to be supplied to a recording head, the ink cartridge and the sub tank are connected to each other, the inkjet printer comprising: a piston pump including (a) a cylinder which communicates with the main tank and (b) a piston which is slidable in the cylinder in a lengthwise direction thereof and cooperates with the cylinder to form a pressure chamber; a power transmission device which transmits a power to the piston in a state in which the ink cartridge is attached to a frame of the inkjet printer; and a piston-position initializing device which moves the piston to a predetermined initial position; wherein the piston pump further includes a piston rod which is movable integrally with the piston; wherein the power transmission device transmits the power to the piston rod in the state in which the ink cartridge is attached to the frame; wherein the power transmission device includes a pinion which is engageable with a rack provided in the piston rod; wherein the piston-position initializing device includes a rod-moving portion which is provided in the pinion and is operable to move the piston rod; wherein the pinion includes, on an outer circumference thereof, (I) a first area which has a toothed portion which is engageable with the rack and constitutes the rod-moving portion, and (II) a second area free of the toothed portion; and wherein the power transmission device is arranged such that the second area of the pinion is opposed to the rack when the piston-position initializing device is in operation.