Patent ID: 7334886

Claim:
A bulk ink delivery system for a printer, which comprises: at least one ink cartridge housing; an ink pump situated within the ink cartridge housing; an ink reservoir for holding ink, the ink reservoir being in fluid communication with the ink pump; a control circuit for operating the ink pump, the control circuit including at least a first ink level sensing switch, the first ink level sensing switch being responsive to a first threshold level of ink held by the ink reservoir and selectively energizing and de-energizing the ink pump in response thereto; and a status indicator unit, the status indicator unit having at least a first light emitting device, a second light emitting device and a third light emitting device, each of the first, second and third light emitting devices emitting a different color light than any other of the first, second and third light emitting devices, the control circuit providing a first signal to the first light emitting device, the first light emitting device indicating whether the ink pump is energized and de-energized in response to the first signal, the control circuit providing a second signal to the second light emitting device, the second light emitting device indicating a normal and an abnormal condition with respect to the operation of at least one of the ink pump, the ink reservoir and the control circuit in response to the second signal, the control circuit providing a third signal to the third light emitting device, the third light emitting device indicating at least an abnormal condition with respect to the at least first ink level sensing switch in response to the third signal.