Patent ID: 8042579

Claim:
A paint replenishing system for a cartridge composed of: a paint feed means ( 32 ) for feeding paint to a cartridge ( 16 ) which is defined to a paint chamber ( 19 ) and an extruding liquid chamber ( 20 ) by a partition wall ( 18 ), and an extruding liquid feed means ( 54 ) adapted to push out residual paint from said paint chamber ( 19 ) by feeding an extruding liquid to said extruding liquid chamber ( 20 ) of said cartridge ( 16 ), characterized in that said paint replenishing system for a cartridge comprises: a quantitation setup means ( 58 , 71 ) for presetting a quantity of paint to be replenished into said paint chamber ( 19 ) of said cartridge ( 16 ) according to a preset target quantitation value, and stopping paint replenishment by said paint feed means ( 32 ) as soon as discharges of an extruding liquid from said extruding liquid chamber ( 20 ) reaches a preset target quantitation value by a replenished paint of said paint chamber ( 19 ) by said paint feed means ( 32 ); and said quantitation setup means ( 58 , 71 ) comprised of a quantitation tank ( 61 , 72 ), an extruding liquid line change-over valve ( 60 ) for selectively connecting said extruding liquid chamber ( 20 ) of said cartridge ( 16 ) with either an extruding liquid feed means ( 54 ) or said quantitation tank ( 61 , 72 ), a movable partition wall ( 62 ) incorporated into said quantitation tank ( 61 , 72 ) to define therein a metering chamber ( 63 ) having an inner volume varying in proportion to a quantity of said extruding liquid introduced into said metering chamber ( 63 ) from said extruding liquid chamber ( 20 ) of said cartridge ( 16 ), a quantitation setup portion ( 65 ) for presetting a quantity of paint replenishment to said extruding liquid chamber ( 20 ) of said cartridge ( 16 ), and a sensor ( 66 ) adapted to output a replenishment stop signal as soon as said movable partition wall ( 62 ) is displaced to a predetermined position preset by said quantitation setup portion ( 65 ).