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US 10,300,692 B2Granted
Dual-mode inkjet nozzle operation
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsBrian M. Taff, Erik D. Torniainen, Daniel A. Kearl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inkjet printhead includes an inkjet nozzle with a main actuator and a peripheral actuator in a firing chamber. A determination is made as to whether the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, e.g., not firing for a threshold period of time. When the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, both the main actuator and the peripheral actuator are activated to jet at least one ink drop. When the inkjet nozzle has not sat idle, only the main actuator is activated to jet ink drops.
Claims20
A method for operating an inkjet nozzle, comprising:
- determining if an inkjet nozzle has sat idle before operating, wherein the inkjet nozzle has sat idle when the inkjet nozzle has not jetted for a threshold period of time;
- operating in a boost firing mode if the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, comprising pulsing both a main resistor and a peripheral resistor in a firing chamber of the inkjet nozzle to jet a first ink drop;
- and
- operating in a normal firing mode after operating in the boost firing mode, comprising pulsing only the main resistor to jet a second ink drop.
1 more element
A printhead comprising:
- a fluid nozzle, comprising:
- a firing chamber defining an orifice;
- a main actuator located in the firing chamber;
- and
- a peripheral actuator located adjacent to the main actuator in the firing chamber;
- and
- a print engine comprising an idle timer to determine if the fluid nozzle has sat idle for longer than a threshold period of time,
- the print engine to operate in a boost mode in response to the fluid nozzle having sat idle for longer than the threshold period of time, the print engine to operate in the boost mode by actuating the main actuator and the peripheral actuator to eject a fluid drop, and
- the print engine to operate in a normal mode in response to the fluid nozzle having not sat idle for longer than the threshold period of time, the print engine to operate in the normal mode by actuating the main actuator without actuating the peripheral actuator to eject a fluid drop.
6 more elements
An inkjet apparatus, comprising:
- an inkjet nozzle, comprising:
- a firing chamber defining an orifice;
- a main actuator located in the firing chamber;
- and
- a peripheral actuator located adjacent to the main actuator in the firing chamber;
- a first waveform source coupled to the main actuator through a first switch;
- a second waveform source coupled to the peripheral actuator through a second switch;
- a print engine comprising an idle timer to determine if the inkjet nozzle has sat idle for a threshold period of time,
- the print engine to operate in a boost mode in response to the inkjet nozzle having sat idle, the print engine to operate in the boost mode by substantially simultaneously activating the first switch and the second switch;
- and
- the print engine to operate a normal mode in response to the inkjet nozzle having not sat idle, the print engine to operate in the normal mode by activating the first switch.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.