# US 10,308,015 B2 · Identifying primed printheads

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- Number: US 10,308,015 B2
- Document ID: US10308015B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/521,511
- Filed: 2015-01-29
- Published: 2017-10-26
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-29
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Jeffrey A Wagner; David Welter; Eng Gee Jonny Goh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308015B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/04508: {aiming at correcting other parameters}
- B41J 2/04586: {controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type}
- B41J 2/175: Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor}
- B41J 2/17596: {Ink pumps, ink valves}
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

Priming printheads can, in various examples, include moving a movable member of a printhead from a first position to a second position, measuring a response time of the movable member to move from the first position to the second position, and identifying the printhead as primed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
moving a movable member of a printhead from a first position to a second position to cause ink to flow from an ink supply into the printhead to prime the printhead;
measuring a response time of the movable member to move from the first position to the second position; and
identifying the printhead as primed when the measured response time satisfies a threshold time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including sensing movement of the movable member relative to a flexible diaphragm with an optical sensing mechanism of a sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including moving the movable member to engage a reservoir of the ink supply at the second position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, where the measured response time is equal to a difference between a first time associated with the first position and a second time associated with the second position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, where the first time is recorded upon actuation of a drive mechanism and the second time is recorded upon sensing the movable member at the second position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, including cyclically moving the movable member from the first position to the second position to cause the ink to flow into the printhead to prime the printhead.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, where the measured response time satisfying the threshold time is equal to or greater than the threshold time.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource to cause a computer to, comprising
actuate a drive mechanism to cyclically move a movable member of a printhead from a first position to a second position;
measure respective response times of the movable member to move from the first position to the second position;
estimate an ink supply pressure for each of the respective response times; and
identify the printhead as primed when an estimated pressure satisfies a threshold pressure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, including instructions to print at least a portion of a print job in response to identification of the printhead as primed.

### Claim 10

The non-transitory computer readable medium 8, including instructions to continue to cyclically move the movable member of a printhead from the first position to the second position when the estimated pressure does not satisfy the threshold pressure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, including instructions to initiate a recovery routine when the estimated pressure does not satisfy the threshold pressure.

### Claim 12

A printing system comprising:
an ink supply including a flexible diaphragm;
a pressurization system including:
a movable member;
a base member; and
a spring coupled to the base member and the movable member;
a drive mechanism to cyclically move the movable member from a first position associated with the base member to a second position associated with the flexible diaphragm;
a sensor to sense the movable member at the second position; and
a controller to identify a printhead as primed when a measured response time of the moveable member satisfies a threshold time.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, where the sensor includes:
a light receiver; and
a light emitter spaced from the light receiver to direct light at the light receiver.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, where the ink supply is located off-axis.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the drive mechanism includes a cam.