Patent ID: 7950764

Claim:
A pressure regulating mechanism comprising: a pressure regulating chamber capable of receiving a liquid from a liquid supply source through an inlet port, storing the liquid, and discharging the stored liquid to an object through an outlet port; an on/off valve that is capable of switching between a valve open state, wherein the liquid from the inlet port is prevented from entering the pressure regulating chamber, and a valve close state, wherein the liquid is able to flow into the pressure regulating chamber through the inlet port; and a pressure receiving member that is capable of sealing an opening on one side of the pressure regulating chamber, a reduced-pressure space portion formed adjacent to the pressure regulating chamber with a pressure that is capable of being reduced by a pressure reducing unit to less than the pressure in the pressure regulating chamber; and a transmissive partition wall disposed between the reduced-pressure space portion and the pressure regulating chamber which is capable of transferring gas in the pressure regulating chamber to the reduced-pressure space portion using the difference between the pressure in the pressure reducing unit and the pressure in the pressure regulating chamber; wherein the pressure receiving member is deformed toward the other side of the pressure regulating chamber if a pressure in the pressure regulating chamber is less than a predetermined pressure, causing the on/off valve to switch from the valve close state to the valve open state.