US 2026/0296037 A1 · METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADDRESSING INK BATCH VARABILITY IN INKJET PRINTING

Abstract

To mitigate the effects of ink lot variability in a print system, a controller will identify when an ink container is being replaced, identify a code that is associated with an ink batch from which the ink in the container was sourced, and cause the print engine of the print system to execute a prefire operation using one or more prefire settings that are associated with the ink batch. For example, the prefire operation may include applying electrical pulses to the printhead that perturb the nozzles of the printhead to vibrate ink menisci and/or agitate ink in the printhead. After the prefire operation, the print system will then return to a normal document printing operation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A print system, comprising:

an ink supply system comprising an ink reservoir configured to receive ink from an ink container and hold the ink for use in a printing operation;
a printhead that is fluidly connected to the ink supply system to receive the ink from the ink supply system;
and
a control system comprising a processor and programming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to, in response to receiving a code that is associated with the ink container:
process the code to identify an ink batch from which the ink that the ink supply system receives from the container was sourced,
identify one or more prefire settings that are associated with the ink batch, and
cause the printhead to execute a prefire operation according to the one or more prefire settings.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

19/091,487Filed 26 Mar 2025

Published

1 Oct 2026

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B41J 2/17546
Cartridge presence detection or type identification: electronically
B41J 2/04581
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
B41J 2/04588
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: using a specific waveform
B41J 2/04596
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: non-ejecting pulses

Method and system for addressing ink batch varability in inkjet printing

Life of this patent

Method and system for addressing ink batch varability in inkjet printing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20