Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Memjet Technology Limited

Alejandro Campillo

Rajan Ramaswamy

David Lovelace

Tinh Tran

Marc Serra

Ezequiel Jordi Rufes

Angel Martinez

Angel Martinez Barambio

Brian D Gragg

Antonio Hinojosa

Marcos Casaldaliga

Alex Andrea

Angel Cercos

Joaquim Veciana

Pascal Ruiz

Jean Frederic Plante

Joan Campderros

Daniel Gonzalez

Justin Davison

Xavier Bruch

Ramon Vega

Robert J Lockwood

Behnam Bastani

Jordi Sender

Pere Esterri

Marc Bautista

Pedro Luis Las Heras

Pasqual Batalla

Toni Gracia

Angel Alvarez

Bryan Ly

Servando Rodriguez

Zachary Ballard

A print bar assembly includes: a mounting frame having a pair of opposite first and second sidewalls extending parallel to a media feed direction, the first sidewall having an upwardly extending first guide slot defined between opposite first bearing surfaces; a print bar carriage slidably received within the mounting frame and an actuation mechanism operatively connected to the print bar carriage for lifting and lowering the print bar carriage relative to the mounting frame. The print bar carriage includes a chassis, a printhead and a pair of first bearings rotatably received in the first guide slot. During sliding movement of the print bar carriage, the pair of first bearings travel within the first guide slot and bear against the first bearing surfaces to constrain rotational movement of the print bar carriage.

Print bar assembly having liftable carriage with constrained rotational movement

A method of wiping a plurality of printheads positioned in a staggered overlapping arrangement across a width of a media feed path, each printhead having a respective wiper associated therewith. The wipers for neighboring printheads are moved in opposite directions with respect to each other.

Method of maintaining printheads using wipers moving in opposite directions

A method of capping a plurality of printheads positioned in a staggered overlapping arrangement across a width of a media feed path. Each printhead has a respective capper. The method includes the steps of: moving the cappers towards respective printheads in a direction parallel to a media feed direction; and lowering the printheads onto their respective cappers. The cappers for neighboring printheads are moved in opposite directions towards their respective printheads.

Method of maintaining printheads using cappers moving in opposite directions

A method of printing a document using one of a plurality of print modes, the method comprising:

Select print mode based on sector luminosity

A modular printer includes: a media feed path defining a media feed direction and a plurality of printer modules positioned in a staggered overlapping arrangement so as to extend across a width of the media feed path. Each printer module includes a printhead and a respective maintenance sled for slidably moving towards the printhead in a direction parallel to the media feed direction. Further, the maintenance sleds for neighboring printer modules are configured to move in opposite directions towards their respective printheads.

Modular printer including printer modules with maintenance sleds moving in opposite directions

A printer assembly includes: a housing having referencing slots defined in opposite sidewalls; a stop positioned towards a lower end of each referencing slot; a print bar carriage slidably received within the housing; and a lift mechanism for lifting the print bar carriage relative to the housing. The print bar carriage includes: a chassis; a printhead supported by the chassis; and a pair of lugs, each lug being slidably received in a respective referencing slot of the housing. Each stop has a datum surface which defines a printing position of the print bar carriage, the print bar carriage being in the printing position when each lug is in abutting engagement with a respective datum surface.

Printer assembly having liftable carriage and external datum arrangement

Printing and printers

A printer assembly includes a housing having a pair of opposite first and second sidewalls, the first sidewall having a vertical guide slot; a shaft rotatably mounted between the sidewalls; pinions fixedly mounted at either end of the shaft; a print bar carriage slidably received within the housing; and a drive motor for rotating the shaft and lifting the print bar carriage. The print bar carriage includes: a chassis; first and second racks engaged with respective pinions to define a rack-and-pinion lift mechanism; first bearings rotatably mounted at a first side of the chassis, each first bearing being received in the guide slot; and a printhead supported by the chassis. During sliding movement of the print bar carriage, the first bearings travel within the guide slot and bear against opposite guide surfaces to constrain rotational movement of the print bar carriage.

Printing assembly having liftable carriage with constrained rotational movement

A modular printer includes: (a) a media feed path defining a media feed direction; (b) a first printer module suspended over the media feed path; and (c) a second printer module suspended over the media feed path and at least partially overlapping the first printer module in the media feed direction. The first and second printer modules have respective first and second printheads and maintenance assemblies. The first and second printheads are relatively proximal to each other with respect to the media feed direction, and the first and second maintenance assemblies are relatively distal from each other with respect to the media feed direction.

Modular printer having narrow print zone

A method of printing comprising: storing a plurality of sets of linearization data () for a printhead () with each set corresponding to a different history of usage of the printhead; monitoring (S) the history of usage of the printhead; selecting (S), prior to printing, from said plurality of sets of linearization data a set of linearization data that is the set that most closely matches the monitored history of usage of the printhead prior to said printing; and printing (S) the image using the selected set of linearization data.

Printing using stored linearization data

A method of detecting fluid drops ejected from a fluid applicator unit having nozzles. The method includes establishing a detection zone to detect detection fluid drops transmitted therein and ejecting a set of detection fluid drops through a set of nozzles of the fluid applicator unit through the detection zone to a detection receiving member. The method also includes ejecting a set of warm-up fluid drops through an other set of nozzles to a warm-up receiving member in a manner in which the set of warm-up fluid drops bypasses the detection zone. The method also includes detecting the set of the detection fluid drops ejected into the detection zone.

Image forming apparatus and methods thereof

The invention relates to a calibration method for a printer having a mechanism for advancing a medium in a direction of media advance comprising the following steps: (a) providing a printhead, the printhead having a swath height in the direction of media advance; (b) providing an estimate of either the swath height or the characteristic of the mechanism; (c) printing a base pattern on a medium using the printhead; (d) printing an overlay pattern on the medium using the printhead to form an interference pattern; (e) advance the medium of a predetermined distance using the mechanism at a time between the printing of the base pattern and the printing of the overlay pattern; (f) analyze an optical evaluation of the interference pattern; (g) evaluate as either: (i) the swath height if the characteristic of the mechanism is known or estimated; or (ii) the characteristic of the mechanism if the swath height is known or estimated.

Calibration method for a printer

Printer ink-drop detectors are used to detect ink stalagmites forming on a waste ink receiving spittoon. A warning message can be issued so that the stalagmites can be removed before automatic printer shutdown is initiated. Additionally, a record of the ink stalagmite detection can be stored within the printer for later access by service personnel during routine maintenance and/or resource replenishment.

Ink stalagmite detection

In printing apparatus, when printing near the end of a print media with a printhead having nozzles, a controller causes a print drive to produce a large print media advance movement together with the use of a different group of nozzles from that used for the rest of the print media. This avoids printing art effects as the print media leaves a pinch in a media feed. In one embodiment the number of nozzles used for printing in the end region is reduced, and the centre of the group of nozzles is simultaneously shifted in the direction of print media advance. The size of the print media advance is also changed in the end region. The printing mask used is also changed.

Print media edge printing

The invention relates to a calibration method for a printer having a mechanism for advancing a medium in a direction of media advance comprising the following steps:

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Alejandro Campillo