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US 9,844,933 B2Granted
Dual-mode inkjet nozzle operation
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsBrian M. Taff, Erik D. Torniainen, Daniel A. Kearl
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Abstract
An inkjet printhead includes an inkjet nozzle with a main actuator and at least one peripheral actuator in the same firing chamber. A determination is made as to whether the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, e.g., not firing for a threshold period of time. When the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, both the main actuator and the peripheral actuator are activated to jet at least one ink drop to renew the inkjet nozzle to mitigate decap conditions. When the inkjet nozzle has not sat idle, only the main actuator is activated to jet ink drops.
Claims10
An inkjet printhead, comprising:
- an inkjet nozzle, comprising:
- a firing chamber defining an orifice;
- a main actuator located in the firing chamber;
- and
- at least one peripheral actuator located adjacent to the main actuator in the firing chamber;
- and
- a print engine comprising:
- an idle timer to determine if the inkjet nozzle has sat idle for longer than a threshold period of time;
- a boost mode that operates when the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, the boost mode comprises actuating simultaneously the main actuator and the at least one peripheral actuator to jet at least one ink drop;
- and
- a normal mode that operates when the inkjet nozzle has not sat idle, the normal mode comprising actuating only the main actuator to jet a plurality of ink drops.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.