Fluid delivery system with pump servicing features
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDorkaitz Alain Vazquez Fernandez, Alvin Zheng-Hui Yu, Joan-Albert Miravet Jimenez, Albert Crespi Serrano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing fluid delivery system comprising a fluid pump having an inlet and an outlet, a valve connected to the outlet of the fluid pump, and a controller to close the valve while the fluid pump is driven to increase the pressure at the outlet of the fluid pump based on a service condition and to open the valve based on a predefined relief condition to relieve the pressure at the outlet of the fluid pump.
Claims16
A printing fluid delivery system comprising:
- a fluid pump having an inlet and an outlet;
- a valve connected to the outlet of the fluid pump;
- and
- a controller to initiate a service procedure based on a service condition of the fluid pump, the service procedure including closing the valve while the fluid pump is driven to increase the pressure at the outlet of the fluid pump and opening the valve based on a predefined relief condition to relieve the pressure at the outlet of the fluid pump.
A printer comprising a printing fluid delivery system to move a printing fluid between a printing fluid supply and a printhead, the printing fluid delivery system comprising:
- a fluid pump having an inlet and an outlet;
- a valve connected to the outlet of the fluid pump;
- and
- a pressure relief valve associated with a pre-defined pressure threshold and connecting the outlet and the inlet of the fluid pump such that the printing fluid flows from the outlet to the inlet of the fluid pump through the pressure relief valve when the pressure difference between the outlet and the inlet is greater than the pre-defined pressure threshold,
- wherein the printer services the fluid pump based on a first service condition of the pump by closing the valve and driving the fluid pump to direct the printing fluid from the outlet of the fluid pump to the inlet of the fluid pump via the pressure relief valve.
A method to automatically service a fluid pump, the method comprising:
- receiving a maintenance trigger based on a service condition of the pump;
- reconfiguring a printing fluid delivery system associated with the fluid pump to increase fluid resistance at an output side of the fluid pump;
- driving the fluid pump to increase a pressure at the outlet of the fluid pump, the pressure at the output of the fluid pump increased to a level sufficient to dislodge a dry particle impeding operation of the fluid pump;
- and
- reestablishing normal operation of the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.