Method and apparatus for cleaning fluid ejection cartridge and maintenance station
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsKarai P. Premnath, Thomas J. Trenchard, Leonard M. Carreira, Donald P. Curran JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method of upgrading an image transfer engine such as, for example, an ink jet fluid printer or plotter using liquid ink, or a xerographic device using a liquid toner is disclosed. A removable ink flush tank/cartridge containing an ink cleaner is substituted for a removable ink tank, permitting complete cleaning of ink from the ink fluid flow paths in the engine. This results in less contamination of new inks with previously used inks in the engine.
Claims21
A method of cleaning a fluid ejection system having at least one fluid ejection head, comprising:
- removing a removable fluid supply tank containing a first ejection fluid from the fluid ejection head;
- inserting a removable flush fluid supply tank containing a flush fluid into the fluid ejection head;
- and
- passing the flush fluid from the removable flush fluid supply tank through the fluid ejection head to flush the first ejection fluid from the fluid ejection head.
A removable printer flush cartridge containing substantially only a fluid cleaning agent.
A method of changing a set of at least one ejection fluid ejectable by a fluid ejection system to a different set of at least one ejection fluid, the fluid ejection system initially having at least one fluid ejection head, a first set of at least one removable fluid supply tank installed in the fluid ejection heat, each removable fluid supply tank containing of the first set containing one of the set of at least one ejection fluid, and a capping/maintenance station, the method comprising:
- replacing at least one of the first set of at least removable ejection fluid supply tank with at least one flush fluid tank containing a cleaning fluid;
- placing the at least one fluid ejection head relative to the capping/maintenance station;
- and
- operating the capping/maintenance station to withdraw from the fluid ejection head the cleaning fluid from the at least one removable flush fluid supply tank.
A system usable to clean a fluid ejection system having at least one fluid ejection head, comprising:
- a removable fluid supply tank containing a first ejection fluid that can be installed into and removed from the fluid ejection head;
- a removable flush fluid supply tank containing a flush fluid from the fluid ejection head;
- and
- a cleaning mechanism usable, when the removable fluid supply tank has been removed from the fluid ejection system and the removable flush fluid supply tank has been installed in the fluid ejection head, to pass the flush fluid from the removable flush fluid supply tank through the fluid ejection head to flush the first ejection fluid from the fluid ejection head.
A system of changing a set of at least one fluid ejectable by a fluid ejection system to a different set of at least one ejection fluid, the fluid ejection system initially having at least one fluid ejection head, a first set of at least one removable fluid supply tank installed in the fluid ejection heat, each removable fluid supply tank containing of the first set containing one of the set of at least one ejection fluid, and a capping/maintenance station, the system comprising:
- at least one of the first set of removable ejection fluid supply tank with at least one flush fluid tank containing a cleaning fluid;
- a device that places the at least one fluid ejection head relative to the capping/maintenance station;
- and
- a device usable, when the removable fluid supply tank has been removed from the fluid ejection system and the removable flush fluid supply tank has been installed in the fluid ejection head, to operate the capping/maintenance station to clean the capping/maintenance station with cleaning fluid withdrawn from the at least one removable flush fluid supply tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.