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US 2006/0187278 A1Published application
Ink recirculation system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJeffrey Langford, Donald Michael, Kris English, Carrie Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment of a method of storing a printhead includes opening a valve to a vent of an ink reservoir, operating a pump in a first direction to pull ink from the ink reservoir through said valve, and pumping the ink pulled from the ink reservoir to an ink supply container.
Claims47
An ink recirculation system, comprising:
- a printhead adapted for printing an ink image on a media;
- a printhead reservoir fluidly connected to said printhead;
- a pump;
- a valve fluidly connected to said pump and said a printhead reservoir;
- and
- an ink supply container including cleaning fluid therein, said ink supply container fluidly connected to said pump.
3 more elements
A method of preparing a printhead, comprising:
- opening a valve to a vent of an ink reservoir;
- operating a pump in a first direction to pull ink from said ink reservoir through said valve;
- and
- pumping said ink pulled from said ink reservoir to an ink supply container.
1 more element
A method of cleaning a printhead, comprising:
- pumping ink from a printhead, through an ink reservoir and to an ink supply container;
- and
- pumping a cleaning fluid to said printhead through said ink reservoir.
A printer, comprising:
- a pump;
- an ink reservoir including an inlet port and an outlet port;
- a three-port valve fluidly connected to said pump, said inlet port and said outlet port;
- and
- an ink supply container connected to said pump and adapted for sequentially containing printing fluid and cleaning fluid therein.
2 more elements
A printing apparatus, comprising:
- means for directing fluid, said means containing first, second and third fluid ports;
- means for pumping fluid in a first direction and in a second direction opposite said first direction, said means for pumping connected to said first fluid port;
- means for printing an image including an inlet port connected to said second fluid port and an outlet port connected to said third fluid port;
- and
- means for storing fluid therein, said means for storing connected to said means for pumping and adapted for sequentially storing therein printing fluid and cleaning fluid.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.