Method and device for adding solvent in small quantities
AssigneeDover Europe SàRl
InventorsJannick MICHALLON, Jean-François DESSE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for controlling the ink quality of an ink jet printer, during printing, the printer comprising at least one ink reservoir (11) and a solvent or diluted ink reservoir (12), a print head (50) and a supply circuit for sending ink and/or solvent to the print head, method in which: a correction volume of solvent, or diluted ink, to add to the ink to compensate a variation in viscosity of the latter is estimated; and a plurality of elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, separated by ink, is sent to the print head, each of a volume comprised between 0.1 cm3 and 5 cm3, the sum of the elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, being substantially equal to the correction volume to add.
Claims20
Method for controlling the ink quality of an ink jet printer, during printing, said printer comprising at least one ink reservoir and a solvent or diluted ink reservoir, a print head and a supply circuit for sending ink and/or solvent to the print head, method in which:
- a correction volume of solvent, or diluted ink, to add to the ink to compensate a variation in viscosity of the latter is estimated,
- a plurality of elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, separated by ink, is sent to the print head, each of a volume comprised between 0.1 cm3 and 5 cm3, the sum of the elementary quantities of solvent or diluted ink being substantially equal to the correction volume to add.
Printing device using an ink jet printer, comprising:
- at least one first ink reservoir and one second solvent or diluted ink reservoir,
- a print head,
- a return circuit for collecting in said first reservoir a flow of recovered ink coming from a gutter of the print head,
- a calculator for estimating a correction volume of solvent, or diluted ink, to add to the ink to compensate a variation in viscosity of the latter,
- a supply circuit for sending ink to the print head, and a plurality of elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, separated by ink, to the print head, each of a volume comprised between 0.1 cm3 and 5 cm3, the sum of the elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, being substantially equal to the correction volume of solvent, or diluted ink, to add.
Printing device using an ink jet printer, comprising:
- at least one ink reservoir and a solvent or diluted ink reservoir,
- a print head,
- a supply circuit for sending ink and/or solvent or diluted ink to the print head,
- a return circuit for collecting in the first reservoir a flow of recovered ink coming from a gutter of the print head,
- a calculator for estimating a correction volume of solvent, or diluted ink, to add to the ink to compensate a variation in viscosity of the latter,
- and means for sending a plurality of elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, separated by ink, to the print head, each of a volume comprised between 0.1 cm3 and 5 cm3, the sum of the elementary quantities of solvent, or diluted ink, being substantially equal to the correction volume of solvent, or diluted ink, to add.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.