Ink solvent delivery apparatus
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorKit L. Harper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for delivering ink solvent to a printhead in a printing device is provided, the apparatus including a reservoir structure configured to hold ink solvent, a dispensing structure configured to dispense ink solvent drawn from the reservoir structure, and elongate conveyance structure fluidly connecting the reservoir structure to the dispensing structure, and having along its length a surface-energy characteristic which conveys a flowable continuum of ink solvent to the dispensing structure at least partially via surface-energy phenomena.
Claims32
Apparatus for delivering ink solvent to a printhead in a printing device, the apparatus comprising:
- reservoir structure configured to hold ink solvent,
- a dispensing structure configured to dispense ink solvent drawn from the reservoir structure;
- and
- elongate conveyance structure fluidly connecting the reservoir structure to the dispensing structure, and having along its length a surface-energy characteristic which conveys a flowable continuum of ink solvent to the dispensing structure at least partially via surface-energy phenomena.
An ink solvent delivery apparatus comprising:
- reservoir structure configured to hold ink solvent,
- dispensing structure configured to dispense ink solvent drawn from the reservoir structure;
- and
- conveyance structure including at least one elongate capillary channel formed in the reservoir structure to convey ink solvent from the reservoir structure to the dispensing structure.
An ink solvent delivery apparatus comprising:
- reservoir means for holding ink solvent;
- conveyance means for conveying a flowable continuum of ink solvent along an internal surface of the reservoir means via a varying surface-energy characteristic of such reservoir means;
- and
- outlet means in fluid communication with the conveyance means for releasing ink solvent from the reservoir means.
A printing device comprising:
- a printhead;
- an ink solvent delivery apparatus including a reservoir configured to hold ink solvent and an outlet structure configured to release ink solvent from the reservoir, the ink solvent dispenser employing elongate capillary channel structure formed in the reservoir to deliver a flowable continuum of ink solvent to the outlet structure;
- and
- a printhead cleaner mounted for travel between positions closely adjacent the outlet structure of the ink solvent delivery apparatus and closely adjacent the printhead to deliver ink solvent from the ink solvent delivery apparatus to the printhead.
A printhead-servicing system for servicing a printhead in an ink-utilizing printing device, the system comprising:
- reservoir structure including a chamber for holding a supply of dispensable liquid ink solvent;
- elongate capillary channel structure disposed in liquid communication with the chamber of the reservoir structure and having an outlet end operable to draw ink solvent from the ink supply held within the chamber of the reservoir structure and to convey the ink solvent to the outlet end of the capillary channel structure;
- liquid-dispensing outlet structure disposed in liquid communication with the outlet end of the capillary channel structure, and adapted to receive ink solvent conveyed to the outlet end of the capillary channel structure and to establish a dispensable presentation of such ink solvent;
- and
- wiper/cleaner structure moveable in the printing device relative both to the outlet structure and to the printhead, and contactable with both, respectively, to collect solvent presented by the outlet structure and to apply such collected solvent in a cleaning engagement with the printhead.
A method of delivering liquid ink solvent to a printhead cleaner in a printing device having an ink-utilizing printhead, the method comprising:
- from a reservoir supply of liquid ink solvent in the printer, establishing an elongate, flowable liquid continuum of such solvent extending from the supply via surface-energy characteristics in reservoir structure that is engaged along the continuum with solvent present in the continuum;
- at a location spaced from the solvent supply in the reservoir, presenting liquid ink solvent in the continuum to a receptor component;
- and
- through that receptor component, presenting liquid solvent to the printhead cleaner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.