Central-ink supply system for multi-printer systems
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Indigo B.V.
InventorsBenzion Landa, Yosef Rosen, Amit Henig, Gilad Tzori
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Abstract
A multi-printer system comprising: a plurality of imaging apparatus, each said apparatus comprising at least one liquid-toner reservoir, containing liquid toner; a central source of toner concentrate; a toner concentrate conduit which connects the central source to the individual imaging apparatus; and at least one toner-concentrate pump which pumps the toner concentrate from the central source to the individual imaging apparatus.
Claims53
A multi-printer system comprising:
- a plurality of imaging apparatus, each said apparatus comprising at least one liquid-toner reservoir, containing liquid toner;
- a central source of toner concentrate;
- a toner concentrate conduit which connects the central source to the individual imaging apparatus;
- and
- at least one toner-concentrate pump which pumps the toner concentrate from the central source to the individual imaging apparatus.
A method of dispensing toner concentrate in a multi-printer facility comprising a plurality of imaging apparatus, each said apparatus comprising a liquid toner reservoir, the method comprising:
- providing a central source of toner concentrate;
- and
- automatically transferring toner concentrate from said central source to individual imaging apparatus.
A method of providing liquid toner in a multi-printer facility comprising a plurality of imaging apparatus, comprising:
- providing a central source of liquid toner;
- and
- automatically transferring liquid toner from said central source to individual imaging apparatus in response to a need of liquid toner in said imaging apparatus.
A method of providing carrier liquid in a multi-printer facility comprising a plurality of imaging apparatus, comprising:
- providing a central source of carrier liquid;
- and
- automatically transferring carrier liquid from said central source to individual separate printers in response to a need of carrier liquid in said imaging apparatus.
A multi-printer system comprising:
- a plurality of separate printers;
- a central source of carrier liquid;
- at least one controller;
- a central carrier-liquid conduit which connects the central source of carrier liquid to each of the separate printers and carries carrier liquid to the separate printers responsive to a command from the at least one controller.
A printer system comprising:
- at least one liquid toner reservoir, each said reservoir including a first detector that provides a first signal when the amount of liquid toner therein falls below a given volume and a second detector that measures the conductivity of the liquid toner and produces a second signal responsive thereto;
- a source of carrier liquid;
- a source of charge director solution;
- at least one controller;
- at least one carrier liquid conduit that communicates between the source of carrier liquid and the at least one liquid toner reservoir;
- at least one charge director solution conduit that communicates between the source of charge director solution and the at least one carrier liquid conduit,
- wherein the controller is operative to transfer a first quantity of carrier liquid to a liquid toner reservoir via the carrier-liquid conduit when the first signal associated with the reservoir indicates a low volume condition for the reservoir and is operative to send a second quantity of charge director solution to the reservoir via the charge-director and carrier-liquid conduits, responsive to the second signal associated with the reservoir indicating a low conductivity condition.
A multi-printer system comprising:
- a plurality of imaging apparatus, each said apparatus comprising:
- a printing engine
- a liquid-toner inlet line from which fresh liquid toner is fed to the printing engine;
- a central source of liquid toner;
- a liquid-toner feed which connects the central source to the liquid-toner inlet line;
- at least one controller which transfers fresh liquid toner from the central source, via said feed.
A method of providing liquid toner in a multi-printer facility comprising a plurality of printers, comprising:
- providing a central source of liquid toner;
- and
- automatically transferring liquid toner from said central source to separate printers in response to a need of liquid toner in said imaging apparatus at said printers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.