Ink supply system for a printhead
View Patent ↗An ink supply system, suitable for supplying ink to a printhead contained in a portable electronic device, is provided. The ink supply system comprises: (a) at least one ink reservoir; (b) a corresponding ink chamber for each ink reservoir, each ink chamber being in fluid communication with its respective reservoir, wherein each ink chamber comprises a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system; and (c) an ink manifold in fluid communication with each ink chamber, the ink manifold comprising a plurality of ink channels configured to distribute ink from each ink chamber to a plurality of ink inlets in a printhead.
1. An inkjet printer suitable for a portable electronic device, said printer comprising a printhead and an ink supply system for supplying ink to the printhead, wherein said ink supply system comprises:
at least one ink reservoir;
a corresponding ink chamber for each ink reservoir, each ink chamber being in fluid communication with its respective reservoir, wherein each ink chamber comprises a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system; and
an ink manifold in fluid communication with each ink chamber, the ink manifold comprising a plurality of ink channels configured to distribute ink from each ink chamber to a plurality of ink inlets in a printhead.
2. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the or each ink reservoir is contained inside a former, said former having a roll of media substrate wound thereon.
3. The printer of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of ink chambers are formed by a baffle unit sealingly cooperating with a housing, the baffle unit being divided into a plurality of separate sections, each section corresponding to a respective ink chamber.
4. The printer of claim 3 , wherein the baffle unit is elongate and divided into a plurality of elongate sections.
5. The printer of claim 4 , wherein the baffle unit comprises a plurality of transverse baffles.