Patent ID: 8007087

Claim:
An inkjet printer having an ink cartridge unit which comprises: a main body defining a number of ink reservoirs, each ink reservoir having a layered stack of absorbent material arranged to form a micro-capillary array, one layer of absorbent material in the layered stack being an array of rigid-walled channels having a diameter of 10 microns or less for suspending ink inside said ink reservoir, wherein a base of each ink reservoir is provided with a raised portion which surrounds an ink outlet, said raised portions being molded into the main body to separate each outlet from the base of the ink reservoir to facilitate a sufficient flow rate of ink from the reservoir; a lid assembly covering the main body to seal ink inside the ink reservoirs, the lid assembly having a number of ink refill ports, one of the refill ports being in fluid communication with each of the ink reservoirs respectively, each of the ink refill ports having a valve fitting configured to seal closed when not being used to receive an inflow of refill ink; and a printhead assembly operatively fed with ink via the ink outlets from the ink reservoirs in the main body for printing onto a printing medium, wherein the array of rigid-walled channels controls an operative back pressure for feeding said ink to said printhead assembly.