(19)
(11) EP 0 968 830 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
06.09.2000 Bulletin 2000/36

(43) Date of publication A2:
05.01.2000 Bulletin 2000/01

(21) Application number: 99305124.2

(22) Date of filing: 29.06.1999
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: B41J 2/175
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 30.06.1998 JP 18475198

(71) Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken 467-8561 (JP)

(72) Inventor:
  • Shimizu, Seiji, c/o Brother Industries Ltd.
    Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken (JP)

(74) Representative: Senior, Alan Murray 
J.A. KEMP & CO., 14 South Square, Gray's Inn
London WC1R 5LX
London WC1R 5LX (GB)

   


(54) Ink supplying apparatus


(57) An ink supplying apparatus is provided that houses two ink packages in an upper portion thereof, and supplies inks to print heads. Waste ink drawn by the purge operation is injected into a first waste liquid chamber via an injection opening, and then absorbed into an absorber. When the first waste liquid chamber becomes filled with waste ink, waste ink flows into the second waste liquid chamber via a vent hole, and then into the third waste liquid chamber. Therefore, even if the first waste liquid chamber becomes filled with waste ink, ink will not leak out. A small ink cartridge houses two ink packages. Since each ink cartridge has two separate ink packages storing individual inks, the amount of ink to be wasted at the time of ink cartridge replacement is reduced and, therefore, the operating cost is reduced.






Search report