Ink delivery system for a miniature inkjet pen
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorMark L McCarty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink delivery device is provided for supplying ink via an ink conduit from an ink supply to a print head attached to a manifold, the manifold adapted to route ink into the print head and back to the ink conduit for routing to the ink supply. The ink delivery device comprises a pressure controller operating on the ink conduit between the print head and the ink supply, the pressure controller including a sealing device adapted to seal off the ink conduit and a cap adapted to selectably expose the pressure controller to ambient conditions. The pressure controller is adapted to purge the print head of ink between print jobs.
Claims37
An ink delivery device for supplying ink via an ink conduit from an ink supply to a print head attached to a manifold, the manifold adapted to route ink into said print head and back to the ink conduit for routing to the ink supply, the ink delivery device comprising:
- a pressure controller operating on the ink conduit between the print head and the ink supply, said pressure controller including a sealing device adapted to seal off the ink conduit and a cap adapted to selectably expose the pressure controller to ambient conditions,
- wherein said pressure controller is adapted to purge the print head of ink between print jobs.
A method of delivering ink to an ink applicator system including an ink applicator, comprising the steps of:
- priming the ink applicator prior to printing;
- and
- purging the system after printing to remove ink from the ink applicator system,
- wherein a backpressure within the ink applicator system is lowered to a predetermined maximum backpressure during said priming step, said predetermined maximum backpressure being controlled to be different from a backpressure maintained during printing.
A method of delivering ink to an ink applicator system including an ink applicator, comprising the steps of:
- priming the ink applicator prior to printing;
- purging the system after printing to remove ink from the ink applicator system;
- and
- supplying the ink applicator with ink, the supplying step comprised of:
- closing a bubbler cap located along an ink conduit from an ink supply to the ink applicator;
- covering at least one ink applicator nozzle with a prime cap;
- and pumping ink from the ink supply to the ink applicator,
- wherein the backpressure within the ink applicator system is maintained below a predetermined maximum during said priming and purging steps.
A method of delivering ink to an ink applicator system including an ink applicator, comprising the steps of:
- priming the ink applicator prior to printing;
- and
- purging the system after printing to remove ink from the ink applicator system,
- wherein the backpressure within the ink applicator system is maintained below a predetermined maximum during said priming and purging steps, and
- wherein the priming step comprises:
- opening a bubbler cap located along an ink conduit from an ink supply to the ink applicator;
- sealing off the ink conduit;
- and
- removing a sufficient amount of ink from the system to raise the system back pressure to the bubble point of a bubbler including said bubbler cap.
A method of delivering ink to an ink applicator system including an ink applicator, comprising the steps of:
- priming the ink applicator prior to printing;
- and
- purging the system after printing to remove ink from the ink applicator system,
- wherein the backpressure within the ink applicator system is maintained below a predetermined maximum during said priming and purging steps, and
- wherein the purging step comprises:
- covering at least one ink applicator nozzle with a prime cap;
- clamping an ink conduit from an ink supply to the ink applicator,
- drawing ink from the system into the ink supply with a pump;
- and
- drawing air into the system through a bubbler.
An ink delivery system for supplying ink from an ink supply to a print head via an ink conduit, the system comprising:
- means for priming said print head;
- means for purging said print head after printing;
- and
- means for maintaining backpressure within said system below at a
- predetermined maximum backpressure during priming of said print head, wherein the predetermined maximum backpressure is controlled to be different from a backpressure maintained during printing.
An inkjet printer, comprising:
- a print head, said print head having a total ink volume capacity of less than about 0.05 cc's per color;
- and
- a manifold configured to route ink into said print head and out to an ink supply via an ink conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.