Ink issuance direction check system in an ink jet system printer
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasahiko Aiba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type includes a beam gutter for collecting ink droplets not contributing to the actual printing operation. An ink returning system is provided for returning the collected ink liquid to an ink liquid reservoir. An optical detection system is provided in the course of the ink returning system for detecting whether the ink liquid is properly collected by the beam gutter. When the ink liquid is not observed by the optical detection system for a period longer than a preselected period, a determination system develops a control signal for terminating the formation of the ink droplets.
Claims13
In an ink jet system printer including:
- an ink liquid reservoir for containing ink liquid therein;
- ink droplet issuance means for emitting ink droplets toward a record receiving member;
- ink supply means for supplying the ink liquid from said ink liquid reservoir to said ink droplet issuance means;
- charging means for charging the ink droplets emitted from said ink droplet issuance means in accordance with print information;
- deflection means for deflecting the charged ink droplets;
- a beam gutter for catching ink droplets not contributing to the actual printing operation, said beam gutter being positioned in front of said record receiving member;
- and
- ink liquid returning means for returning the ink liquid collected by said beam gutter to said ink liquid reservoir, the improvement comprising:
- detection means disposed in the course of said ink liquid returning means and responsive to the presence of ink liquid for developing a detection output;
- and
- determination means for developing a determination output in the absence of said detection output from said detection means for a preselected period.
Means for terminating the supply of ink liquid to an ink jet nozzle in an ink jet system printer in response to an abnormal deflection condition, comprising:
- nozzle means for emitting a stream of ink drops;
- ink liquid supply means for providing ink liquid to said nozzle means;
- means for selectively imparting calibrated deflections to each of the ink drops in said stream including a predetermined deflection to a substantial number of said ink drops;
- gutter means catching said substantial number of ink drops under normal calibrated deflection conditions;
- ink liquid return means from said gutter means to said ink liquid supply means for returning said ink liquid from the former to the latter;
- and
- detection means in said ink liquid return means responsive to the absence of ink liquid for a predetermined time period as an indication of the occurrence of an abnormal deflection condition for constraining said ink liquid supply means to cease providing ink liquid to said nozzle means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.