Ink recirculation system for ink jet printers
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsCharles E. Romano, Jr., David P. Trauernicht, Richard C. VanHanehem
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved continuous ink jet printing system which continually recirculates its ink through an ion-exchange treatment is disclosed. The system includes collecting guttered ink for reconstitution and recirculation and propelling said collected and recircultating ink through an ion-exchange column and then to an ink supply reservoir and on through the nozzle bores of continuous ink jet print heads.
Claims23
An ink recirculation system for a continuous flow ink jet printer, said ink recirculation system comprising:
- an ink jet print head, including a gutter, ink flowing downstream, in a direction away from the ink jet print head gutter to a collection container for unused ink and through an ion-exchange system, then to an ink reservoir and said ink continuing on to supply ink for printing, and at least one filter stage included upstream from said ion-exchange system, said ion-exchange system being included within said filter stage, wherein the printer utilizes heat to control at least one of a formation of ink drops and a deflection of the ink drops during printing such that kogation is inhibited without having to pretreat the ink.
An ink recirculation system for a continuous flow ink jet printer, said ink recirculation system comprising:
- an ink jet print head, including a gutter, ink flowing downstream, in a direction away from the ink jet print head gutter to a collection container for unused ink and through an ion-exchange system, then to an ink reservoir and said ink continuing on to supply ink for printing, at least one filter stage included downstream from said ion-exchange system and at least one filter stage included upstream from said ion-exchange system, wherein the continuous flow ink jet printer utilizes heat to control at least one of a formation of ink drops and a deflection of the ink drops during printing such that kogation is inhibited without having to pretreat the ink.
An ink recirculation system for a continuous flow ink jet printer, said printer applying heat to ink, said system comprising:
- a collection container for non-printed ink and an ink reservoir to supply ink for printing, said collection container being in fluid communication with said ink reservoir such that non-printed ink flows from said collection container to said ink reservoir;
- an ion-exchange system disposed between said collection container and said ink reservoir, said ion-exchange system being in fluid communication with said collection container and said ink reservoir;
- and
- at least one filter stage positioned in fluid communication upstream from said ion-exchange system, wherein said filter stage is integrally incorporated within said ion-exchange system and said printer utilizes heat to control at least one of a formation of said ink into ink drops and a deflection of said ink drops during printing.
An ink recirculation system for a continuous flow ink jet printer, said printer applying heat to ink, said system comprising:
- a collection container for non-printed ink and an ink reservoir to supply ink for printing, said collection container being in fluid communication with said ink reservoir such that non-printed ink flows from said collection container to said ink reservoir;
- an ion-exchange system disposed between said collection container and said ink reservoir, said ion-exchange system being in fluid communication with said collection container and said ink reservoir;
- and
- at least one filter stage positioned in fluid communication downstream from said ion-exchange system, wherein said filter stage is integrally incorporated within said ion-exchange system and said printer utilizes heat to control at least one of a formation of said ink into ink drops and a deflection of said ink drops during printing.
An ink recirculation system for a continuous ink jet printer, said printer applying heat to ink, said system comprising:
- a collection container for non-printed ink and an ink reservoir to supply ink for printing, said collection container being in fluid communication with said ink reservoir such that non-printed ink flows from said collection container to said ink reservoir;
- and
- an ion-exchange system disposed between said collection container and said ink reservoir, said ion-exchange system being in fluid communication with said collection container and said ink reservoir, wherein said printer utilizes heat to control at least one of a formation of said ink into ink drops and a deflection of said ink drops during printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.