Bubble removal in an ink liquid supply system of an ink jet system printer

Claim 1

An ink liquid supply system for an ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type comprising: an ink liquid reservoir for containing ink liquid therein; a supply pump means for supplying the ink liquid from said ink liquid reservoir to a printer head; a beam gutter for collecting ink droplets emitted from said printer head but not contributing to the actual printing operation; and a combined ink cartridge/bubble removing device connected to receive ink liquid from said beam gutter and to channel ink liquid to said ink liquid reservoir, said combined ink cartridge/bubble removing device including: a housing having a bottom wall which is provided with an ink inlet portion communicated to said beam gutter for introducing the ink liquid from said beam gutter into the combined ink cartridge/bubble removing device, and an ink outlet portion communicated to said ink liquid reservoir for supplying the ink liquid from the combined ink cartridge/bubble removing device to said ink liquid reservoir; tray means disposed in said housing near the middle height in said housing, said tray means having a bottom wall which is provided with a first opening for introducing the ink liquid onto the tray means, and a second small opening for dropping the ink liquid from said tray means within said housing; and an ink inlet pipe disposed between said first opening formed in said bottom wall of said tray means and said ink inlet portion formed in said bottom wall of said housing, said ink inlet pipe being substantially vertically disposed in said housing.