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Ink jet printer capable of detecting lack of ink

  • US 5,572,241 A
  • Filed: 03/23/1995
  • Issued: 11/05/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An ink jet printer comprising:

  • an ink tank storing an electrically conductive ink;

    a plurality of nozzle passages communicating with said ink tank arranged in parallel to one another for jetting said ink from a front end of said ink jet printer;

    a through hole, communicating with said ink tank, arranged along and in parallel to said plurality of nozzle passages, said through hole having a diameter at the front end of said ink jet printer that is greater than a diameter of each of said nozzle passages at the front end of said ink jet printer in order to draw air into said through hole more quickly than air is drawn into said nozzle passages when a pressure in said ink tank becomes negative due to a lack of said ink and when said nozzle passages are still filled with said ink; and

    detecting means, disposed in said through hole, for detecting the air introduced in said through hole even if said ink passages are still filled with said ink.

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