Hewlett-Packard Company

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Heweltt-Packard Company

William S. Osborne

Patrick J. Therien

Bret Taylor

Bret K Taylor

William Scott Osborne

Jefferson Patrick Ward

Patrick J Therien

Dawn M Beachnau Hood

Mark L Salzer

Allan D Donley

Mark S Hickman

John D Rhodes

Warren Scott Martin

Richard Scott Smith

James M Cameron

Marc A Yousey

Barbara H Rider

Bryan S Talbot

A ferro-fluidic inkjet printhead sealing and spitting system is provided for maintaining inkjet printhead health, prior to and after installation in an inkjet printing mechanism. As a ferro-fluidic capping system for sealing printhead nozzles which eject ink having either polar properties or non-polar properties, the system includes a support structure engageable with the printhead, and a magnetic element supported by the support structure. A ferro-fluidic fluid overlays the magnetic element to seal against the printhead nozzles when the support structure is engaged with the printhead. The ferro-fluidic fluid has polar properties when the ink has non polar properties, and non-polar properties when the ink has polar properties. The ferro-fluidic fluid may be used to receive ink spit from the printhead, or when used with an adhesive tape, to protect an inkjet cartridge during shipping. An inkjet printing mechanism having such a ferro-fluidic system, along with associated methods are also provided.

Ferro-fluidic inkjet printhead sealing and spitting system

An inkjet printhead servicing station for an inkjet printing mechanism includes a translational pallet that carries servicing appliances, like wipers, caps and flaps. A service station frame defines a guide track that supports the pallet for translational movement in a plane substantially parallel with a printhead plane and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning axis of the printhead when transported by a carriage. The frame has adjacent pallet and carriage alignment datums. The pallet has a carriage lock that secures the carriage with or without the inkjet printhead installed therein. The pallet has a rack gear that is driven with a spindle pinion gear. The service station frame has a base and a bonnet cover that define the guide track, with the pallet being sandwiched therebetween. An inkjet printing mechanism having such a service station, and a method of assembling a service station are also provided.

Integrated translational service station for inkjet printheads

A liquid capping system for sealing the ink-ejecting nozzles of an inkjet printhead during periods of printing inactivity uses a vicious, inkjet ink compatible, sealing liquid that is applied to the printhead surface to seal the nozzles and prevent the ink in the printhead from drying. An inkjet printing mechanism houses the printhead and has a service station that stores the sealing liquid. To selectively apply the sealing liquid to the printhead, the service station has an applicator mechanism including a dispenser member and a sealing wiper that transfers the sealing liquid from the dispenser member to the printhead. The sealing wiper may also clean the printhead face or be dedicated to only sealing the printhead. A method is provided for sealing an inkjet printhead using a liquid capping system, including the step of spitting the printhead to clear the sealing liquid from the nozzles before returning to printing.

Liquid capping system for sealing inkjet printheads

An ink container for an inkjet printer includes a body having a first ink chamber. The body also has a second ink chamber, with a fluid passage connecting the chambers. The second ink chamber has an elongated capillary portion with a light transmissive window revealing the presence of ink in the capillary portion. The first ink chamber is the primary ink storage chamber, and contains an ink-retaining foam element that contacts a capillary feature of the passage. The foam is compressed at one portion to provide a capillarity gradient, and the second chamber capillary has a capillary gradient.

Ink container with ink level gauge

Document characteristics such as print media and selectable print quality variations are used to determine printhead servicing, e.g., service spitting of ink-jet nozzles. If the next sweep contains the next color in the pen or printhead set, and the next sweep would be greater than the number of sweeps since the last firing of that color ink&mdash;whether on page or at the service station&mdash;and the last sweep did not fire droplets of the color, a decap service spit and nozzle firing tracking reset is triggered. All service calls spit fire all nozzles, so all timer values are reset whenever at a service spit. Reaching or exceeding a fail-safe limit similarly triggers a decap service spit or other known manner service station operations.

Ink-jet look-ahead servicing

A rotary capping system services inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism. A rotary service station has a tumbler with a dual pivoting link that supports a cap platform. The cap platform is gimbal mounted to the link and spring-biased away from the tumbler. The platform has an extending arm that contacts the printhead carriage to align the cap and printhead. When the printhead is positioned for capping, rotation of the tumbler around an axis parallel to the printhead scanning direction brings the platform arm into contact with the carriage. Continued rotation of the tumbler pivots the link and the platform to sweep the cap through a non-linear, generally arcuate path into a capping position at the printhead. The illustrated cap has a multi-ridge lip for sealing over surface irregularities on the printhead nozzle face. A method of sealing inkjet printhead nozzles is also provided.

Multi-ridge capping system for inkjet printheads

Integrated translating service station for inkjet printheads

A service station for an inkjet printing mechanism has a moveable platform that receives waste ink which is occasionally discharged from an inkjet printhead. The printing mechanism has a drive mechanism which moves the platform between a first position for receiving the purged ink, and a second position for discharging the purged ink. The moveable platform may be configured as a rotating annular wheel, with a scraper positioned adjacent thereto for removing the discharged ink from the wheel. The platform may be provided by an endless belt conveyed over two or more rollers. At least one of the rollers may be located substantially tinder the printhead, and another roller may be located either near or remote from the printhead. Ink may be discharged from the belt using a scraper, and/or using specially contoured rollers. A method is also provided for cleaning an inkjet pen mounted for use in an inkjet printing mechanism.

Self-cleaning service station for inkjet printing mechanisms

An inkjet printhead service station for an inkjet printing mechanism includes a platform that is translationally moveable perpendicular to a scanning axis along which a carriage transports the printhead. The sliding pallet carries servicing appliances, like wipers and caps for servicing the printhead orifice plates, as well as flaps for cleaning cheek regions of the printhead adjacent the orifice plate. The pallet may be moved to expose a spittoon formed thereunder for spitting ink from the printhead. An upper bonnet portion of the service station frame has a scraper bar for removing ink residue from the wipers and flaps. An inkjet printing mechanism having such a service station, and a method of servicing an inkjet printhead are also provided.

Translational service station system for inkjet printheads

A rotary self-cleaning servicing system services inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism. A rotary service station has a wiper supporting tumbler that rotates about an axis parallel to the printhead scanning direction to wipe the printhead orthogonally along the length of a linear nozzle array. A dual blade wiper has a forked wiping tip with wiping surfaces separated by recessed land portions. The wiper wicks ink from one nozzle and drags it along the linear array to other nozzles to lubricate the pen face and to dissolve any accumulated ink residue. Any ink rolls escape through the wiping tip recessed lands and move away from the nozzles. An optional wiper scraping system pivots through cammed engagement with the tumbler to selectively engage and scrape the wipers. A method is also provided of cleaning an inkjet printhead to maintain pen health, particularly for pens using fast drying pigment based inks.

Orthogonal rotary wiping system for inkjet printheads

A vertical axis service station adjustment device or tool for adjusting a position of an inkjet printhead service station with respect to a plane defined by a chassis of an inkjet printing device that includes at least one inkjet printhead is disclosed. An embodiment of the adjustment device includes a base, a pair of ramps, and an adjustment mechanism. The base is slideably mounted on the chassis so as to be capable of translation along the plane defined by the chassis. The ramps are coupled to the base and each define an angled track that supports the service station and with respect to which a member of the service station rides during translation of the base. The adjustment mechanism is coupled to the base and is actuable to translate the base along the plane, thereby moving the angled track of each ramp with respect to the member of the service station on that track, which results in movement of the service station in a direction that is at an angle to the plane defined by the chassis. An inkjet printing device including the above-described tool is also disclosed. A method of adjusting a position of an inkjet printhead service station with respect to a plane defined by a chassis of an inkjet printing device is further disclosed.

Vertical axis service station adjustment device and method

A trap door spittoon system confines airborne ink aerosol satellites generated while purging an inkjet printhead. This systems prevent stray ink aerosol from clinging to undesired surfaces in an inkjet printing mechanism. The printing mechanism has an inkjet printhead that selectively ejects ink during both printing and when purging the printhead by a process known as 'spitting.' This ink ejection generates as a by-product airborne ink aerosol satellites, which float about the mechanism, often landing in undesirable locations. To confine the ink aerosol generated during purging, the printing mechanism has a spittoon with a mouth that is covered by a trap door mechanism immediately following spitting to capture the stray aerosol within the spittoon. Various pivoting and sliding door embodiments are shown, along with a method of operating an inkjet printing mechanism to confine the wandering inkjet aerosol.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, WA, United States of America

Bret K Taylor