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US 9,751,300 B2Granted
Testing a printhead
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsLaura Portela Mata, David Soriano Fosas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for testing printheads is disclosed. The system comprises an optical sensor mounted on a movable carriage. The optical sensor is moved past a nozzle to be tested on the printhead while the nozzle ejects ink. The output signal of the optical sensor can be used to determine when the trajectory of the ejected ink is improper.
Claims18
A drop ejection device comprising:
- an optical sensor mounted on a movable carriage, the optical sensor comprising a light source and a light detector, the light source to emit a light beam towards the light detector;
- and
- a processor coupled to memory, the memory comprising computer readable instructions to test a nozzle of a head that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
- move the carriage, with the optical sensor, relative to the nozzle being tested such that a width of the light beam passes under the nozzle being tested from a leading side of the beam to a trailing side of the beam;
- fire multiple bursts of multiple drops from the nozzle being tested into the light beam whilst the carriage moves the light beam underneath the nozzle being tested;
- and
- analyze a signal from the light detector to evaluate operation of the nozzle being tested.
4 more elements
A drop ejection device comprising:
- an optical sensor mounted on a movable carriage, the optical sensor comprising a light source and a light detector, the light source to emit a light beam towards the light detector;
- and
- a processor coupled to memory, the memory comprising computer readable instructions to test a nozzle of a head that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to:
- move the carriage, with the optical sensor, relative to the nozzle being tested such that a width of the light beam passes under the nozzle being tested from a leading side of the beam to a trailing side of the beam;
- fire a continuous stream of drops from the nozzle being tested into the light beam while the carriage moves the light beam underneath the nozzle being tested;
- and
- analyze a signal from the light detector to evaluate operation of the nozzle being tested.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.