Preventing defective nozzle ink discharge in continuous inkjet printhead from being used for printing

A method of preventing all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead from being used for printing on a print medium, said method comprising:

• causing the defective nozzle to discharge only non-printing ink droplets, and allowing other nozzles which are not defective to discharge printing ink droplets;
• and
• preventing non-printing droplets discharged from the defective nozzle from reaching a print medium, and allowing printing ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective to reach the print medium.

A method of preventing all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead, from being used for printing on a print medium, said method comprising:

• periodically heating the defective nozzle at a frequency that is greater than frequencies other nozzles which are not defective are periodically heated, to cause the defective nozzle to only discharge ink droplets that have a smaller volume than ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective;
• and
• preventing smaller volume droplets discharged from the defective nozzle from reaching a print medium, and allowing larger volume ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective to reach the print medium.

Apparatus for preventing all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead from being used for printing on a print medium, said apparatus comprising:

• means for diverting all of the ink discharged from a defective nozzle from reaching a print medium;
• and means for causing at least some of the ink discharged from other nozzles which are not defective to reach the print medium.

A method of preventing all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead from being used for printing on a print medium, said method comprising:

• causing the defective nozzle to discharge only non-printing ink droplets, and allowing other nozzles which are not defective to discharge printing ink droplets;
• and
• preventing non-printing droplets discharged from the defective nozzle from reaching a print medium, and allowing printing ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective to reach the print medium.

Apparatus for preventing all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead, from being used for printing on a print medium, said apparatus comprising:

• means for periodically heating a defective nozzle at a frequency that is greater than frequencies other nozzles which are not defective are periodically heated, to cause a defective nozzle to only discharge ink droplets that have a smaller volume than ink droplets discharged from nozzles that are not defective;
• and
• means for preventing smaller volume droplets discharged from a defective nozzle from reaching a print medium, and allowing larger volume ink droplets discharged from nozzles that are not defective to reach the print medium.

Apparatus for preventing all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead, from being used for printing on a print medium, said apparatus comprising:

• an ink droplet generator that stimulates an ink filament projecting from a defective nozzle, to cause a defective nozzle to only discharge ink droplets that have a smaller volume than ink droplets that can be discharged from nozzles that are not defective.