Liquid ink printer including a vacuum transport system and method of purging ink in the printer

Abstract

In a liquid ink printer transport belt located between a liquid ink printhead and a vacuum holddown device includes apertures for applying a vacuum to the recording medium and for enabling the liquid ink printhead to purge ink through the apertures in the absence of the recording medium without slowing or stopping the belt. The vacuum holddown device includes a platen located beneath the belt for applying a vacuum through the apertures and gutters or slots for collecting ink from the liquid ink printheads during printing. The combination of belt and platen or apertures and gutters or slots provides continuous communication of the vacuum to the recording media as the belt moves across the platen and through a dryer. The transport belt enables the use of a single transport for both imaging and drying.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.