Waste ink removal system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPatrick J. Therien, Christopher B. Miller, Ramon Vega, Xavier Bruch
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Abstract
A waste ink removal system for cleaning ink residue from an ink drop sensing belt in a printing mechanism is provided. The waste ink removal system has a base, an actuator coupled to the sensing belt, and an ink removal member, supported by the base, which removes ink residue from the sensing belt when the sensing belt is moved by the actuator. A method for drop detection, and a printing mechanism having such a waste ink removal system are also provided.
Claims16
A waste ink removal system for cleaning ink residue from an ink drop sensing belt in a printing mechanism, comprising:
- a base;
- an actuator coupled to the sensing belt;
- an ink removal member, supported by the base, which removes ink residue from the sensing belt when the sensing belt is moved by the actuator.
A printing mechanism, comprising:
- a printhead which selectively ejects ink;
- an ink drop sensing belt which receives ink from the printhead and accumulates an ink residue thereon;
- and
- a waste ink removal system for cleaning ink residue from the ink drop sensing belt, comprising:
- a base;
- an actuator coupled to the sensing belt;
- an ink removal member, supported by the base, which removes ink residue from the sensing belt when the sensing belt is moved by the actuator.
A method for ink drop detection in a printing mechanism, comprising:
- ejecting ink from a printhead onto a sensing belt;
- interpreting a current signature generated by the ink contacting the sensing belt;
- rotating the sensing belt;
- and
- while rotating the sensing belt, removing the ink from the sensing belt.
A waste ink removal system, comprising:
- means for sensing ink drops;
- means for rotating the sensing means;
- means for ink removal which removes ink residue from the sensing means when the sensing means is rotated by the rotating means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.