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US 8,616,691 B2Granted
Gas removal from a fluid delivery system
AssigneeElectronics for Imaging, Inc.
InventorsJohn Duffield, Chris Porter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods of automatically bleeding air from a primary ink delivery system, so little or no air is mixed with the ink once it reaches a secondary ink system containing print heads. An air bleeder return assembly with a flow restrictor orifice that is configured to remove air from ink pumped to the carriage of print heads, thereby minimizing jet dropouts. Additionally, this setup provides the added advantage of the ability to run the bulk bags dry without ingesting large quantities of air to the ink delivery system.
Claims29
A printing system comprising:
- an inkjet printer comprising a plurality of print heads for respectively jetting a plurality of color inks onto a recording medium;
- a plurality of bulk ink containers storing liquid inks of various colors, wherein the totality of the various colors define a color model;
- a plurality of primary ink delivery modules configured for individually delivering individually-colored inks to each of the plurality of print heads, wherein each of the primary ink delivery modules further comprise:
- a pump configured to draw a fluid from an individual bulk ink container, wherein said fluid comprises ink and at least a portion of gas mixed with said ink;
- at least one pump outlet configured for pushing said fluid to a bleed component;
- and
- an air bleeder assembly with a first terminal end coupled with said bleed valve via a supply line and a second terminal end coupled with said bulk ink container, wherein said air bleeder assembly further comprises a flow restrictor orifice precisely-sized to allow said gas to flow back to said individual bulk ink container and to create enough pressure for gas-free ink to be pumped through the bleed component and to a print head via said pump outlet.
4 more elements
A method of preventing gas from entering a print head carriage comprising the steps of:
- coupling individual bulk ink containers from among a plurality of bulk ink containers to individual print heads in an inkjet printer carriage, wherein said individual bulk ink containers contain liquid inks of various colors, wherein the totality of the various colors define a color model;
- coupling individual ink delivery modules with each of said individual bulk ink containers and with individual print heads in a print head carriage, further comprising:
- configuring each individual ink delivery module with a pump configured to draw a fluid from each individual bulk ink container, wherein said fluid comprises ink and at least a portion of gas mixed with said ink;
- configuring each individual ink delivery module with a pump outlet configured for pushing said fluid to a bleed component;
- configuring each individual ink delivery module with an air bleeder assembly having a first terminal end coupled with said bleed valve via a supply line and a second terminal end coupled with said bulk ink container;
- and
- configuring said air bleeder assembly with a flow restrictor orifice for allowing said gas to flow back to said individual bulk ink container and configured to create enough pressure for gas-free ink to be pumped through the bleed component and to a print head via said pump outlet;
- wherein each individual ink delivery module individually delivers individually-colored inks to each of the plurality of print heads.
5 more elements
A primary ink delivery module comprising:
- a bulk ink container containing ink for delivery to a print head;
- a pump configured to draw a fluid from said bulk ink container, wherein said fluid comprises ink and at least a portion of gas mixed with said ink;
- at least one pump outlet configured for pushing said fluid to a bleed component;
- and
- an air bleeder assembly with a first terminal end coupled with said bleed valve via a supply line and a second terminal end coupled with said bulk ink container, wherein said air bleeder assembly further comprises a flow restrictor orifice precisely-sized to allow said gas to flow back to said individual bulk ink container and to create enough pressure for gas-free ink to be pumped through the bleed component and to a print head via said pump outlet.
2 more elements
A primary ink delivery module comprising:
- a bulk ink container containing ink for delivery to a print heads;
- a pump configured to draw a fluid from said bulk ink container, wherein said fluid comprises ink and at least a portion of gas mixed with said ink;
- at least one pump outlet configured for pushing said fluid to a bleed component;
- an air bleeder assembly with a first terminal end coupled with said bleed valve via a supply line and a second terminal end coupled with said bulk ink container, wherein said air bleeder assembly further comprises a variable flow restrictor orifice;
- and
- a controller coupled with said variable flow restrictor, wherein said controller comprises a processor and memory.
3 more elements
A printing system comprising:
- an inkjet printer comprising at least one print head for jetting ink onto a recording medium;
- at least one bulk ink container for storing liquid ink;
- a pump configured to draw a fluid from said at least one bulk ink container, wherein said fluid comprises ink and at least a portion of gas mixed with said ink;
- at least one pump outlet configured for pushing said fluid to a bleed component;
- and
- an air bleeder assembly with a first terminal end coupled with said bleed valve via a supply line and a second terminal end coupled with said bulk ink container, wherein said air bleeder assembly further comprises a flow restrictor orifice precisely-sized to allow said gas to flow back to said individual bulk ink container and to create enough pressure for gas-free ink to be pumped through the bleed component and to a print head via said pump outlet.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.