Patent ID: 7699449

Claim:
A liquid ejection apparatus, comprising: a liquid reservoir for storing a liquid; a liquid ejection head for ejecting said liquid toward a target; a liquid supply path for guiding said liquid to said liquid ejection head from said liquid reservoir; a liquid chamber defined in said liquid supply path, said liquid chamber having a liquid inlet communicating with said liquid reservoir, a liquid outlet communicating with said head and a flexible member which is displaced in accordance with change in pressure in said liquid supply path so as to close or open said liquid outlet, wherein said liquid outlet is located to project toward said flexible member more than said liquid inlet; a pressurizing unit for applying pressure to said liquid reservoir so as to supply said liquid from said reservoir to said liquid ejection head through said liquid supply path, and a suction unit for reducing the pressure in said liquid chamber from said liquid outlet so that said flexible member is brought into contact with said liquid outlet to thereby close said liquid outlet to stop liquid flow, wherein said pressurizing unit increases the pressure of said fluid within said liquid chamber from said liquid inlet to displace said flexible member apart from said liquid outlet so that said liquid outlet is opened.