Baffles to protect inkjet printheads by capturing contaminants, and method
OwnerPatrick Boyd, Warren S. Martininventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Baffles located next to the input of the ink feed channel in an inkjet pen to capture and retain contaminant particles before the particles reach the printhead. Particles that may accumulate on interior surfaces of the pen when the pen is maintained in an non-printing orientation are thus prevented from cascading into the ink feed channel when the pen is reoriented for printing.
Claims20
In an inkjet pen having a printhead affixed to a pen body, the pen body enclosing an ink reservoir and having an ink feed channel to convey ink from the reservoir to the printhead, the ink feed channel having an entrance end and an exit end, the exit end adjacent to the printhead:
- a baffle to capture and retain particulates in the ink, the baffle comprising a raised protrusion flanking the ink channel entrance end.
In an inkjet pen having a printhead affixed to a pen body, the pen body enclosing an ink reservoir and having an ink feed channel to convey ink from the reservoir to the printhead, the ink feed channel having an entrance end and an exit end, the exit end adjacent to the printhead:
- baffle means flanking the ink feed channel entrance end to capture and retain particulates in the ink.
An inkjet pen, comprising:
- a printhead affixed to a pen body, the pen body enclosing an ink reservoir and having an ink feed channel to convey ink from the reservoir to the printhead, the ink feed channel having an input end and an output end, the output end adjacent to the printhead;
- and
- a baffle to capture and retain particulates in the ink, the baffle forming a raised protrusion flanking the ink channel input end.
An inkjet pen, comprising:
- printhead means affixed to a pen body, the pen body enclosing an ink reservoir and having an ink feed channel to convey ink from the reservoir to the printhead means, the ink feed channel having an input end and an output end, the output end adjacent to the printhead means:
- protrusion means to capture and retain particulates in the ink flanking the ink channel input end.
An inkjet pen, comprising:
- a printhead affixed to a pen body;
- the pen body enclosing an ink reservoir, the reservoir providing ink to an ink filter;
- a chamber for receiving ink from the ink filter, the chamber having a floor;
- an ink feed channel forming an opening in the chamber floor and providing ink to the printhead;
- the portion of the chamber floor adjacent to the ink feed channel opening extending above at least a portion of the remaining chamber floor.
An inkjet pen, comprising:
- a printhead affixed to a pen body, the pen body enclosing an ink reservoir, the reservoir containing an ink absorbent material;
- an ink filter receiving ink from the reservoir;
- an ink chamber receiving ink from the ink filter;
- an ink feed channel to convey ink from the ink chamber to the printhead, the ink feed channel comprising an elongate slot and having an input end and an output end, the output end adjacent to the printhead;
- and
- a baffle integrally formed with the pen body to capture and retain particulates in the ink, the baffle forming a raised protrusion flanking the ink channel input end.
A method of preventing particulate contaminants, which settle out of pigmented ink when an inkjet pen is stored in an orientation other than its normal printing orientation and accumulate on interior surfaces of the pen, from reaching the printhead of an inkjet pen;
- the inkjet pen having an ink feed channel providing ink to a printhead;
- comprising:
- capturing the contaminants behind baffle structures positioned adjacent to the ink feed channel when the pen is reoriented to its normal printing orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.