Ink jet printer
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorsErnest I. Esplin, Jeffrey J. Anderson, Jeffery J. Clark, Terry A. Smith, Mike C. Gordon, Raul Krivoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer printer having a frame contained within a housing, a media transport and printing mechanism attached to the frame within the housing is provided with at least one debris shield positioned above the printing mechanism to protect it from falling debris. The at least one debris shield may be positioned below an air flow path generated by printer ventilation, and the printer may employ a transfer surface on which an image is generated prior to transfer to a media sheet, and above which the debris shield is positioned.
Claims17
An ink jet printer for generating images on media sheets, the printer comprising:
- a printer housing including an outlet aperture and at least a first inlet aperture;
- a frame contained within the housing and connected thereto;
- a printing mechanism connected to the frame, the printing mechanism comprising an ink jet print head having a plurality of ink ejecting orifices disposed on a face plate, the print head operable to expel droplets of ink through the orifices and onto an adjacent receiving surface;
- a ventilator connected to the frame and contained within the housing and operable to exhaust air through the outlet aperture;
- a media transport mechanism connected to the frame and contained within the housing, the transport mechanism including a media pathway having at least a portion passing adjacent to at least a portion of the printing mechanism, such that media passing through the media pathway may be imprinted by the printing mechanism;
- the housing including an air flow pathway passing between the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture, and the ventilator being disposed in the air flow pathway, such that air flows along the air flow pathway in response to operation of the ventilator, at least a first portion of the air flow pathway passing through a position vertically above at least a first portion of the printing mechanism;
- and
- a debris shield connected to the frame and including a lower boundary of at least a portion of the first portion of the air flow pathway, the debris shield being located vertically above the printing mechanism and the plurality of ink ejecting orifices to prevent the orifices from becoming obstructed by debris entrained within the air flow pathway and falling downwardly therefrom toward the printing mechanism and the orifices.
An ink jet printer for generating images on media sheets, the printer comprising:
- a printer housing;
- a frame contained within the housing and connected thereto;
- a printing mechanism connected to the frame and contained within the housing, the printing mechanism comprising an ink jet print head having a plurality of ink ejecting orifices disposed on a face plate, the print head operable to expel droplets of a phase change ink through the orifices and onto an adjacent transfer surface, such that an image is formed on the transfer surface for transfer to a media sheet;
- a media transport mechanism connected to the frame and contained within the housing, the transport mechanism including a media pathway having at least a portion passing adjacent to the transfer surface, such that media passing through the media pathway may receive the image from the transfer surface;
- and
- a debris shield connected to the frame and adjacent to and vertically above at least a portion of the plurality of ink ejecting orifices, such that debris moving within the housing toward the ink ejecting orifices is collected on or deflected by the debris shield to protect the ink ejecting orifices from becoming obstructed by the debris.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.