Patent ID: 8057030

Claim:
An ink supplying system for an ink jet printer, comprising: a main ink tank configured to store ink that contains no air; a primary auxiliary ink tank configured to receive ink from the main ink tank; a first pipe having one end configured for removable connection to the main ink tank and another end configured for removable connection to the primary auxiliary ink tank; a second pipe having one end configured for removable connection to the primary auxiliary ink tank; an ink jet head that connects to another end of the second pipe and that is configured to perform printing on a printing medium by ejecting ink supplied from the main ink tank via the primary auxiliary ink tank; a secondary auxiliary ink tank having a capacity smaller than that of the primary auxiliary ink tank and being selectively exchangeable with the primary auxiliary ink tank for removing air in the ink supplying system, the secondary auxiliary ink tank having a connection pipe configured for removable connection to the another end of the first pipe and to the one end of the second pipe in fluid communication therewith, the connection pipe having the same sectional area as that of the first and second pipes; and a detachable unit via which the another end of the first pipe and the one end of the second pipe are selectively removably connected to and disconnected from the first auxiliary ink tank and the second auxiliary ink tank without allowing air to flow into the first and second auxiliary ink tanks.