Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090096846 | PRINTER WITH RESERVOIR HEADSPACE PRESSURE CONTROL - An inkjet printer that has a printhead for printing onto a media substrate, and a reservoir for containing a quantity of ink, the reservoir having a lower portion for holding ink and an upper portion defining a headspace of air above the ink. A fluid connection extends between the printhead and the reservoir. A pump draws air from the headspace to lower its air pressure and thereby controls the hydrostatic pressure of the ink at the printhead. | 04-16-2009 |
20090096852 | INKJET PRINTER WITH SELECTIVELY ISOLATABLE PUMP - An inkjet printer that has a printhead for printing onto a media substrate, a reservoir for supplying ink to the printhead, a pump for drawing ink from the reservoir and pumping ink into the printhead and, a valve arrangement for selectively opening fluid communication between the pump and the printhead, and closing fluid communication between the pump and the printhead while opening fluid communication between the reservoir and the printhead. | 04-16-2009 |
20090289988 | Method Of Cleaning A Printhead Using Liquid Foam - A method of cleaning an inkjet printhead, by generating a liquid foam on the ink ejection face such that particulate contaminants on the ejection surface disperse into the foam, then transferring the foam, together with the particulate contaminants dispersed within, onto a rotatable transfer surface moving relative said ejection face and, rotating the rotatable transfer surface into contact with a removal surface to remove the foam and the particulate contaminants dispersed within. Ink consumption is minimized by use of a foam and damage to the face is avoided since the rotatable transfer surface does not contact the face. | 11-26-2009 |
20100002047 | PRINTHEAD PURGING SYSTEM WITH HAMMER ACTION - A printhead purging system comprises an ink conduit for supplying ink to a printhead, a hammer head for hammering a wall of a compressible part of the conduit, a spring-loading mechanism for priming the hammer head, and a release mechanism for releasing the primed hammer head. Release of the primed hammer head compresses the ink conduit and results in purging of ink from the printhead. | 01-07-2010 |
20100079536 | PRINTHEAD MAINTENANCE SYSTEM FOR APPLYING FOAM TO PRINTHEAD - A printhead maintenance system for maintaining a printhead having an ink ejection face is provided. The maintenance system comprises: (a) a foaming system for providing liquid foam on the face, (b) a foam transfer surface for receiving the foam from said face, (c) a transport mechanism for feeding said transfer surface through a transfer zone and away from said printhead, and (d) a valve configurable in first and second positions, the first position for establishing fluid communication between said printhead and an ink supply system and the second position for establishing fluid communication between said printhead and said foaming system. The transfer zone is adjacent to and spaced apart from said ink ejection face. | 04-01-2010 |
20100134577 | Inkjet Printhead With Pressure Pulse Priming - An inkjet printer that has a printhead with an array of ink ejection nozzles, an upstream ink line for connecting the printhead to an ink supply, a downstream ink line for connecting the printhead to a sump, a pump in the downstream ink line for drawing fluid out of the printhead, a gas inlet in communication with the printhead, the gas inlet being configured to open to atmosphere during a printhead de-priming operation, and close to atmosphere during a printhead priming operation and, an accumulator positioned in the upstream ink line for generating a positive pressure pulse for priming the printhead. | 06-03-2010 |
20100201766 | INKJET PRINTER WITH BUBBLEPOINT PRESSURE REGULATOR HAVING SLOT-SHAPED BUBBLE OUTLET - An inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead and an ink pressure regulator connected to the printhead via an ink line. The ink pressure regulator includes: an ink chamber having an ink outlet connected to the ink line; an air inlet open to atmosphere; and an air channel connected to the air inlet. The air channel has a constriction defining a bubble outlet, with the bubble outlet being configured as a slot positioned for bubbling air into ink contained in the chamber. A width dimension of the slot is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn into the ink as result of supplying ink to the printhead, and thereby regulates a hydrostatic pressure of the ink. | 08-12-2010 |
20100201767 | INKJET PRINTER WITH BUBBLEPOINT PRESSURE REGULATOR AND RECIRCULATING INK SUPPLY - An inkjet printer comprises: (a) an inkjet printhead having an inlet channel and an outlet channel; (b) an ink reservoir; (c) an ink pressure regulator for regulating a hydrostatic pressure of ink supplied to the printhead; (d) a first ink line connecting the ink outlet and the inlet channel of the printhead; and (e) a second ink line connecting the outlet channel of the printhead and a return inlet of said ink reservoir, such that ink is supplied in a recirculating circuit. The ink pressure regulator comprises: an ink chamber having an ink outlet; an air inlet open to atmosphere; and an air channel connected to the air inlet. The air channel has a constriction defining a bubble outlet, which is configured as a slot. A width dimension of the slot is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn into the ink as result of supplying ink to the printhead, and thereby regulates a hydrostatic pressure of the ink. | 08-12-2010 |
20100271442 | PRINTER WITH FOAMING SYSTEM FOR CLEANING EJECTING FACE - An inkjet printer that has a printhead with an ink ejection face, an ink supply system for supplying ink to the printhead and a foaming system for generating a liquid foam on the ejection face. The liquid foam is a matrix of liquid membranes forming randomly-packed Voronoi polyhedra. | 10-28-2010 |
20100309267 | INKJET PRINTER HAVING ROBUST BUBBLE-POINT INK PRESSURE REGULATOR - An inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead and an ink pressure regulator in fluid communication with the printhead via an ink line. The regulator includes an ink chamber having an ink outlet connected to the ink line; an air inlet; a regulator channel having a first end communicating with the air inlet and a second end defining a bubble outlet; and a wetting system for maintaining liquid in the regulator channel. The regulator channel is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn from the bubble outlet as result of supplying ink to the printhead, thereby regulating a hydrostatic pressure of the ink. | 12-09-2010 |
20110122209 | INKJET PRINTER WITH PRESSURE REGULATOR - An inkjet printer has an inkjet printhead and an ink pressure regulator for regulating a hydrostatic pressure of ink supplied to the printhead. The regulator includes a bubble outlet positioned in a headspace of an ink chamber for bubbling air bubbles directly into the headspace at all operative ink levels. A capillary channel supplies ink from the chamber to the bubble outlet by capillary action and an air channel connects an air inlet with the bubble outlet. The bubble outlet is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn into the ink chamber as result of supplying ink to the printhead, thereby regulating a hydrostatic pressure of the ink. | 05-26-2011 |
20110134198 | PRINTER HAVING SELECTIVELY ISOLATABLE PUMP - A printer is provided having a printhead for printing fluid onto media, a reservoir for supplying fluid to the printhead, a pump for drawing fluid from the reservoir and pumping the drawn fluid into the printhead, and a valve arrangement for selectively opening fluid communication between the pump, reservoir and printhead such that the pump is not in fluid communication with the reservoir whenever the pump is in fluid communication with the printhead. | 06-09-2011 |
20110164099 | INK CARTRIDGE WITH BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE REGULATOR DEFINED IN LAMINATED WALL - An ink cartridge for an inkjet printer having a laminated wall. The laminated wall defines: an air inlet; a regulator channel having a first end communicating with the air inlet and a second end defining a bubble outlet; and a wetting system for maintaining liquid in the regulator channel so as to ensure that air entering a headspace of the cartridge first passes through said liquid. The regulator channel is dimensioned to control a Laplace pressure of air bubbles drawn from the bubble outlet as result of supplying ink to a printhead, and thereby regulates a hydrostatic pressure of the ink. | 07-07-2011 |
20110310201 | PRINTER UTILIZING PRESSURE CONTROL OF AIR IN SUMP - An inkjet printer includes a printhead for printing onto a media substrate, the printhead defining a plurality of nozzles from which ink is expelled; an ink tank provided upstream of the printhead; a sump provided downstream of the printhead for collecting unused ink from the printhead, the sump having a lower portion for holding the unused ink and an upper portion defining a headspace of air above the unused ink; a first fluid conduit extending between the printhead and the sump for communicating the unused ink from the printhead to the sump, the first fluid conduit connecting the sump to a position in the printhead upstream of the plurality of nozzles; and a pump connected to the sump, the pump for drawing air from the headspace of the sump into atmosphere and effecting a negative pressure in the printhead upstream of the nozzles. Communication of ink from the ink tank to the printhead is effected by the negative pressure generated by the drawing of air from the headspace of the sump. | 12-22-2011 |