Method for increasing waste ink collection capacity in an ink jet printer by utilizing multiple ink spit areas along the carrier path

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion;
• providing a platen extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion;
• providing a maintenance station coupled to said first frame portion;
• providing a printhead carrier for carrying a first printhead for ejecting a pigment based ink, and adapted for reciprocating movement along a carrier path, said carrier path extending over said first frame portion, said platen and said second frame portion;
• defining a first ink spit area located at said maintenance station;
• defining a second ink spit area located at said platen;
• defining a third ink spit area located at said second frame portion;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of said first printhead during spitting operations to eject said pigment based ink in at least one of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion:
• providing a platen extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion;
• providing a maintenance station coupled to said first frame portion;
• providing a printhead carrier for carrying a first printhead for ejecting a pigment based ink, and adapted for reciprocating movement along a carrier path, said carrier path extending over said first frame portion, said platen and said second frame portion;
• defining a first ink spit area located at said maintenance station, wherein said first ink spit area comprises a plurality of ink spit locations;
• defining a second ink pit area located at said platen;
• defining a third ink spit area located at said second frame portion;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of said first printhead during spitting operations to eject said pigment based ink in at least one of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion;
• providing a platen extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion;
• providing a maintenance station coupled to said first frame portion;
• providing a printhead carrier for carrying a first printhead for ejecting a pigment based ink, and adapted for reciprocating movement alone a carrier path, said carrier path extending over said first frame portion, said platen and said second frame portion;
• defining a first ink spit area located at said maintenance station:
• defining a second ink spit area located at said platen;
• defining a third ink spit area located at said second frame portion, wherein said third ink spit area comprises a plurality of ink spit locations;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of said first printhead during spitting operations to eject said pigment based ink in at least one of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion;
• providing a platen extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion;
• providing a maintenance station coupled to said first frame portion;
• providing a printhead carrier for carrying a first printhead for ejecting a pigment based ink, and adapted for reciprocating movement along a carrier path, said carrier path extending over said first frame portion, said platen and said second frame portion;
• defining a first ink spit area located at said maintenance station;
• defining a second ink spit area located at said platen;
• defining a third ink spit area located at said second frame portion;
• selectively controlling an operation of said first printhead during spitting operations to eject said pigment based ink in at least one of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area;
• and
• providing a second printhead for ejecting a dye based ink, and wherein during said spitting operations said dye based ink is spit in said first ink spit area.

A method for increasing the waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion;
• providing a platen extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion;
• providing a maintenance station coupled to said first frame portion;
• providing a printhead carrier for carrying a first printhead for ejecting a pigment based ink, and adapted for reciprocating movement along a carrier path, said carrier path extending over said first frame portion, said platen and said second frame portion;
• defining a first ink spit area located at said maintenance station;
• defining a second ink spit area located at said platen;
• defining a third ink spit area located at said second frame portion;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of said first printhead during spitting operations to eject said pigment based ink in at least one of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area,
• wherein said first printhead is a monochrome printhead and said second printhead is a color printhead, and wherein during said spitting operations a color ink is spit in said first ink spit area and a monochrome ink is spit in each of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining a first ink spit area located outside a print zone of said printer;
• defining a second ink pit area located in said print zone of said printer;
• defining a third ink spit area located outside said print zone, said print zone being located between said first ink spit area and said third ink spit area;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of a selected one of a plurality of printheads during spitting operations to eject a pigment based ink in a selected one of said first ink spit area, said second ink spit are and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining a first ink spit area located outside a print zone of said printer, wherein said first ink spit area comprises plurality of ink spit locations;
• defining a second ink spit area located in said print zone of said printer;
• defining a third ink spit area located outside said print zone, said print zone being located between said first ink spit area and said third ink spit area;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of a selected one of a plurality of printheads during spitting operations to eject a pigment based ink in a selected one of said first ink spit area, said second ink spit are and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining a first ink spit area located outside a print zone of said printer;
• defining a second ink spit area located in said print zone of said printer;
• defining a third ink spit area located outside said print zone, said print zone being located between said first ink spit area and said third ink spit area, wherein said third ink spit area comprises a plurality of ink spit locations;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of a selected one of a plurality of printheads during spitting operations to eject a pigment based ink in a selected one of said first ink spit area, said second ink spit are and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining a first ink spit area located outside a print zone of said printer;
• defining a second ink spit area located in said print zone of said printer;
• defining a third ink spit area located outside said print zone, said print zone being located between said first ink spit area and said third ink spit area;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of a selected one of a plurality of printheads during spitting operations to eject ink in a selected one of said first ink spit area, said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area;
• wherein said selected one of said plurality of printheads contains at least one of a color ink and a monochrome ink, each of said color ink and said monochrome ink being one of a dye based ink and a pigment based ink, and wherein during said spitting operations each said dye based ink is spit in said first ink spit area and each said pigment based ink is spit in at least one of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining a first ink spit area located outside a print zone of said printer;
• defining a second ink spit area located in said print zone of said printer;
• defining a third ink spit area located outside said print zone, said print zone being located between said first ink spit area and said third ink spit area;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of a selected one of a plurality of printheads during spitting operations to eject ink in a selected one of said first ink spit area, said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area,
• wherein said selected one of said plurality of printheads contains at least one of a color ink and a monochrome ink, and wherein during said spitting operations said color ink is spit in said first ink spit area, and aid monochrome ink is spit in each of said second ink spit area and said third ink spit area.

A method for increasing waste ink storage capacity in an ink jet printer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printer frame including a first frame portion and a second frame portion;
• providing a platen extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion;
• providing a maintenance station coupled to said first frame portion;
• providing a printhead carrier for carrying a printhead, and adapted for reciprocating movement along a carrier path, said carrier path extending over said first frame portion, said platen and said second frame portion;
• defining an ink spit a located at one of said platen and said second frame portion;
• and
• selectively controlling an operation of said printhead during spitting operations to eject a pigment based ink in said ink spit area.