Method and evaluator for determining the state of a degassing device
AssigneeOcé Holding B.V.
InventorsUlrich Stöckle, Stefan Adelsperger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A degassing device can include one or more passive components, such as a gas-permeable membrane. The passive components may not directly be monitored. The state (e.g. the permeability) of the passive components may be reliably determined via evaluation of pressure information with regard to the pressure (e.g. negative pressure) in the degassing device.
Claims15
A method for determining the state of a degassing device for degassing ink that is transported from a container, through the degassing device, and back into the container, the ink being supplied from the container to at least one print head of an inkjet printer and additional ink being transported into the container based on a consumption of ink by the print head, the method comprising:
- determining transport information corresponding to the transport of the additional ink into the container;
- determining negative pressure information corresponding to a negative pressure in the degassing device, the negative pressure being produced to degas the ink;
- and
- determining a state of the degassing device based on the transport information and the negative pressure information.
An evaluator for an inkjet printer having at least one print head that is supplied with ink from a container, a supply transport pump with which additional ink may be transported into the container to replace ink that has been consumed by the at least one print head, a degasser configured to degas the ink transported by a degassing transport pump from the container through the degasser and back into the container, the evaluator being configured to:
- determine transport information corresponding to the transport of the additional ink into the container;
- determine negative pressure information corresponding to a negative pressure in the degasser, said negative pressure being produced to degas ink;
- and
- determine a state of the degasser based on the transport information and the negative pressure information.
An inkjet printer, comprising:
- a print head configured to print ink provided from an ink reservoir, wherein the ink within ink reservoir is at least partially replenished with new ink as the ink is printed by the print head;
- a degasser configured to:
- receive at least a portion of the ink from the ink reservoir;
- degas the ink transported from the ink reservoir to generate degassed ink;
- and
- provide the degassed ink to the ink reservoir;
- and
- an evaluator configured to:
- determine transport information corresponding to the at least partial replenishment of the ink reservoir with the new ink;
- determine pressure information corresponding to a pressure within the degasser that is used to degas ink;
- and
- determine a state of the degasser based on the transport information and the pressure information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.