Patent ID: 7172272

Claim:
A fluid container system for containing fluid, comprising: a first container that contains the fluid, the first container being evacuated to a negative gauge pressure when being filled with the fluid; a second container having a capillary medium that contains the fluid; a passage between the first and second containers communicating the fluid at a level wherein the passage is wetted with the fluid; a ventilation port to communicate air between an interior region in the fluid ejection system and ambient; at least one spill over region to communicate the fluid with the second container; and a plurality of channels to freely communicate at least the ambient air from the ventilation port between the interior region and the second container; wherein each of the plurality of channels provides a different path that channels ambient air from the ventilation port to the second container and the at least one spill over region has sufficient volume to contain a quantity of the fluid that migrates out of the second container so that if one of the plurality of channels becomes wetted, another unwetted channel maintains air communication between the second container and ambient.