Method and apparatus for printing, cleaning, and calibrating

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a pressurized source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of a compressed fluid and a marking material;
• a pressurized source of a compressed fluid;
• a material selection device having a plurality of inlets and an outlet, one of the plurality of inlets being connected in fluid communication to the pressurized source of compressed fluid and another of the plurality of inlets being connected in fluid communication to the thermodynamically stable mixture of the compressed fluid and the marking material;
• a printhead, portions of the printhead defining a delivery path having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the delivery path being connected in fluid communication to the outlet of the material selection device;
• and
• an actuating mechanism moveably positioned along the delivery path, wherein, the compressed fluid is in a gaseous state at a location beyond the outlet of the delivery path;
• and
• a cleaning station moveable positioned relative to the printhead, the cleaning station having a first position removed from the printhead and a second position in the delivery path.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a pressurized source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of a fluid and a marking material;
• a printhead, portions of the printhead defining a delivery path, the delivery path of the printhead being connected to the pressurized source, the printhead including a discharge device, the discharge device having an outlet, a portion of the discharge device being positioned along the delivery path, the discharge device being shaped to produce a shaped beam of the marking material, the fluid being in a gaseous state at a location beyond the outlet of the discharge device;
• an actuating mechanism positioned along the delivery path, the actuating mechanism having an open position at least partially removed from the delivery path;
• and
• a calibration station positioned relative to the printhead, wherein one of the printhead and the calibration station is moveable relative to the other of the printhead and the calibration station.

A method of cleaning comprising:

• providing a printhead, portions of the printhead defining a delivery path having an inlet and an outlet, the printhead being connected in fluid communication with a source of a thermodynamically stable mixture of compressed fluid and a marking material and a source of compressed fluid at the inlet;
• moving the printhead to a cleaning station;
• and
• cleaning the printhead.

A method of cleaning comprising:

• providing a printhead, portions of the printhead defining a delivery path having an inlet and an outlet, the printhead being connected in fluid communication with a source of compressed fluid and a marking material and a source of compressed fluid at the inlet, the source of compressed fluid and a marking material and the source of compressed fluid being connected to the delivery path through a material selection device at the inlet;
• moving the printhead to a cleaning station;
• and
• cleaning the printhead, wherein cleaning the printhead includes positioning the material selection device such that only compressed fluid from the source of compressed fluid is in fluid communication with the delivery path.