System and method for inoperative inkjet detection in a printer of three-dimensional objects
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsErwin Ruiz, Jeffrey N. Swing, Paul M. Fromm, Steven M. Russel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A three dimensional printer is configured to move at least one printhead from an area where the printhead is forming an object to a position opposite a shaft. The at least one printhead is operated to eject material onto the shaft and the shaft is rotated to enable a light sensor to generate signals indicative of a height of material at a plurality of positions on the shaft. The signals are compared to an expected height of material at each position to identify inoperative inkjets in the at least one printhead.
Claims18
A three dimensional printer comprising:
- at least one printhead having a plurality of inkjets configured to eject material;
- a shaft configured to rotate selectively;
- at least one light source;
- at least one light sensor;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the at least one printhead, the shaft, the at least one light source and the at least one light sensor, the controller being configured to operate a first group of the inkjets in the at least one printhead to eject material onto the shaft, to rotate the shaft to a position that enables the material on the shaft to be between the at least one light source and the at least one light sensor to enable the at least one sensor to generate signals indicative of a height of material at a plurality of positions on the shaft, and to compare the signals generated by the at least one light sensor to an expected height value to identify inoperative inkjets in the at least one printhead.
A method of operating a three dimensional printer comprising:
- operating a first group of inkjets in at least one printhead with a controller to eject material onto a shaft;
- rotating the shaft with a controller to move the material on the shaft between a light source and a light sensor;
- generating with the light sensor signals indicative of a height of material at a plurality of positions on the shaft;
- and
- comparing with the controller the signals generated by the light sensor to an expected height for each position to identify inoperative inkjets in the at least one printhead.
The method of claim 16 further comprising:
- operating with the controller the first group of inkjets a predetermined number of times greater than one to accumulate material at the plurality of positions on the shaft corresponding to the first group of inkjets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.