Orifice health detection device and method
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJeffrery T. Hendricks, Alexander Govyadinov, Prodpran Suetrong
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Abstract
A method of detecting orifice health includes moving a cap support into a drop detect position wherein a light source mounted on the cap support is positioned adjacent an array of fluid ejecting orifices, from the light source, projecting a light beam adjacent to the array of fluid ejecting orifices, ejecting at least one fluid drop from the array and through the light beam, and detecting scattered light from the at least one ejected fluid drop.
Claims20
An orifice health detection device, comprising:
- an array of fluid ejecting orifices, each of said fluid ejecting orifices configured to eject at least one fluid drop;
- a light source that produces a light beam configured to scatter light from said at least one ejected fluid drop;
- a light detector configured to detect scattered light from said at least one ejected fluid drop;
- and
- a cap structure adapted for capping said fluid ejecting orifices, wherein said light source and said light detector are mounted on said cap structure.
The device of claim I wherein said light source includes at least one laser light source.
The device of claim I wherein said light detector is chosen from the group consisting of a contact image sensor and a photodiode.
The device of claim I further comprising a controller that receives light scattering information detected by said light detector, said controller utilizing said light scattering information to determine a health of an orifice that ejected said at least one ejected fluid drop.
A method of detecting orifice health, comprising:
- moving a cap support into a drop detect position wherein a light source mounted on said cap support is positioned adjacent an array of fluid ejecting orifices;
- from said light source, projecting a light beam adjacent to said array of fluid ejecting orifices;
- ejecting at least one fluid drop from said array and through said light beam;
- and
- detecting scattered light from said at least one ejected fluid drop.
A method of manufacturing a drop detection device, comprising:
- providing an array of fluid ejecting orifices, said fluid ejecting orifices configured to eject at least one fluid drop;
- providing a cap structure adapted for capping said array, said cap structure including a light source and a light detector positioned thereon;
- said light source adapted to produce a light beam configured to scatter light from said at least one ejected fluid drop;
- and
- said light detector adapted to detect scattered light from said at least one ejected fluid drop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.