Waste phase change ink recycling

A printhead for use in an imaging device, the printhead comprising:

• a reservoir configured to receive ink from an ink source;
• an aperture plate having a plurality of ink jet apertures;
• a jet stack including:
• a plurality of ink jets at a first location in the jet stack, the jet stack being configured to receive ink from the reservoir and communicate the ink to the plurality of ink jets, the plurality of ink jets being configured to eject ink through the plurality of ink jet apertures in the aperture plate;
• at least one recycle pocket formed at a second location in the jet stack and configured to capture ink emitted by the plurality of ink jets through the plurality of ink jet apertures and that moves along the aperture plate to the at least one recycle pocket;
• a plurality of apertures formed in a wall of the at least one recycle pocket;
• and a plurality of recycling channels extending through the jet stack to fluidly connect the plurality of apertures in the wall of the at least one recycle pocket to the reservoir;
• and
• a negative pressure source configured to apply a negative pressure to the reservoir to draw ink in the at least one recycle pocket through the plurality of recycling apertures and the recycling channels into the reservoir.

An imaging device comprising:

• an ink source configured to supply melted phase change ink;
• at least one printhead including:
• a reservoir configured to receive melted phase change ink from the ink source;
• an aperture plate including a plurality of ink jet apertures at a first location in the aperture plate, and a plurality of apertures at a second location in the aperture plate;
• a jet stack including a plurality of ink jets and a plurality of recycling channels, the jet stack being configured to receive ink from the reservoir and communicate the ink to the plurality of ink jets, the plurality of ink jets being configured to eject ink through the plurality of ink jet apertures in the aperture plate, the plurality of recycling channels extending through the jet stack to fluidly connect the plurality of apertures at the second location in the aperture plate to the reservoir;
• and
• a recycling aperture cover plate positioned on the aperture plate at the second location and configured to receive ink emitted by the plurality of ink jets through the plurality of ink jet apertures and hold the ink at the plurality of apertures;
• and
• a negative pressure source configured to apply a negative pressure to the reservoir to draw ink received by the recycling aperture cover plate through the plurality of apertures at the second location in the aperture plate and the plurality of recycling channels into the reservoir.