Method of operating an inkjet printhead
AssigneeTonejet Limited
InventorsAndrew John Clippingdale, Robert James Greasty, Jonathan James Michael Halls
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating an electrostatic ink jet printhead, the printhead comprising: one or more ejection tips from which, in use, ink is ejected, the one or more ejection tips defining a tip region; a printhead housing, the printhead housing defining a cavity in which the one or more ejection tips are located; the method comprising the steps of, during a printing operation, passing a vapour into the cavity to reduce evaporation of ink in the tip region.
Claims21
A method of operating an electrostatic ink jet printhead, the electrostatic ink jet printhead comprising:
- one or more electrostatic ejection tips, each electrostatic ejection tip being disposed at an end of an upstand with which an ink meniscus interacts, and from which, in use, ink is selectively ejected in response to a controllable electric field, the one or more electrostatic ejection tips defining one or more respective tip regions;
- and
- a printhead housing, the printhead housing defining a cavity within which the one or more electrostatic ejection tips are located, the printhead housing including an electrode plate having a slot configured to restrict a gas flow out of the printhead, and through which the one or more electrostatic ejection tips eject said ink,
- the method comprising the steps of, during a printing operation:
- passing a vapour into the printhead and then into the cavity within the printhead to reduce evaporation of ink in the one or more respective tip regions of the one or more electrostatic ejection tips;
- and
- controlling a flow rate of the vapour into the cavity using a gas flow controller,
- wherein the flow of the vapour out of the printhead is restricted by the slot in the electrode plate of the printhead housing.
An electrostatic ink jet printhead assembly comprising:
- at least one printhead, comprising:
- one or more electrostatic ejection tips, each electrostatic ejection tip being disposed at an end of an upstand with which an ink meniscus interacts, and from which, in use, ink is selectively ejected in response to a controllable electric field, the one or more electrostatic ejection tips defining one or more respective tip regions;
- and
- a printhead housing, the printhead housing defining a cavity in which the one or more electrostatic ejection tips are located, the printhead housing including an electrode plate having a slot configured to restrict a gas flow out of the printhead, and through which the one or more electrostatic ejection tips eject said ink;
- and
- a tank configured to supply a vapour into the printhead and then into the cavity within the printhead during a printing operation so as to reduce evaporation of ink in the one or more respective tip regions of the one or more electrostatic ejection tips;
- and
- a gas flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the vapour into the cavity;
- wherein the flow of the vapour out of the printhead is restricted by the slot in the electrode plate of the printhead housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.