Hewlett-packard Company

Brian P Canfield

Jesus Garcia

Joan Carles Vives

John M Wade

Eric Joseph Johnson

Martin Urrutia

Don Boutin

Elizabeth Zapata

Robert R Giles

Mark E Young

Hanno Ix

Felix Ruiz

Rick Becker

Doug Watson

Kurt K Andersen

Clayton L Holstun

John Paul Harmon

David Alan Johnson

King-Wah W Yeung

Gonzalo Gaston

Ronald D Stephens, Jr

Jorge Menendez

Jordi Bartolome

Jesus Garcia Maza

Richard A Becker

Joan Manel Garcia

Manel Martinez

Amy Van Liew

An inkjet printing system having a replaceable set of ink-related components which are installed together and replaced together with a single ink delivery system for each different color of ink. The set includes an ink printhead with an inlet port, an ink supply module, and a printhead service module, each of which is manually mountable by a user onto an inkjet printer. The ink supply module contains enough ink to completely replenish an entire printhead reservoir several times before the expected useful life of the printhead has expired, at which time a user can replace the entire set of ink-related components for a particular color. Similarly, the printhead service module is designed for reliable performance for the expected useful life of the printhead. This system enables the entire ink delivery system to be replaced for different printing needs, such as replacing indoor dye-based inks with outdoor pigment based inks.

Inkjet printing with replaceable set of ink-related components (printhead/service module/ink supply) for each color of ink

A storage container for storing inkjet cartridges, when removed from the carriage of a printer, having a capping housing for holding one or more caps, associated with each cartridge, for capping the printhead of the cartridge, wherein the caps are easily removable from the storage container by a user. The provision of manually removable cap allows the cap of a storage container to be matched to a particular cartridge having a specific printhead, ink formulation and lifetime. This ensures the efficacy of the cartridge is maintained during storage and prevents contamination of one cartridge by ink residue that may be left on a cap by another cartridge, which can damage the printhead due to chemical interaction between the different ink formulations.

Storage container for inkjet cartridges having removable capping means and a method for storing inkjet cartridges

An inkjet printing system with a translational inkjet service module. The system includes a carriage which moves along a scan axis over a print zone, with a plurality of printheads mounted on the carriage, each printhead having an array of nozzles for applying ink to the print media in the print zone. The service module has wipers for engagement with the array of nozzles during a period when the nozzles are not applying ink to the media. A motor moves the servicing module in a linear direction orthogonal to the scan axis in order to simultaneously wipe each array of nozzles. The servicing module also provides a capper function and a priming function.

Translational inkjet servicing module with multiple functions

A replaceable inkjet printhead service module is provided for each separate inkjet printhead. When the printhead for a particular color ink such as cyan has reached the end of its life cycle and requires replacement, the corresponding printhead service module can also be replaced. The printhead service module includes a handle to facilitate manual mounting in a service station carriage which includes identical individual spring-loaded slots with datum guides for securely holding the service module. The service station carriage moves from a user-accessible position for mounting/removing the service module, to various other printhead servicing positions in the path of the printhead carriage.

Manually replaceable printhead servicing module for each different inkjet printhead

An inkjet printing system which provides feedback to enable the user to determine whether various replaceable components such as print cartridges, valve holders, and service station cassettes have been installed in proper position. The system includes a printhead carriage and a first sensor feedback device to determine whether a printhead is installed in an operable position on the carriage. The system also includes at least one off-carriage ink supply to which a printhead or printheads on the carriage is/are periodically connected for periodically providing ink to the printheads and a second sensor feedback device to determine whether the replaceable. off-carriage ink supplies are installed in an operable position. At least one replaceable printhead servicing module is also provided positioned to engage one or more printheads when it is moved into a printhead servicing station and a third sensor feedback device which includes a sensor on the carriage is used to read indicia on the servicing module to confirm that the servicing module is installed in an operable position in said servicing station. Separate safety doors provide access to the printhead or printheads, off-carriage ink supply or supplies and servicing module or modules.

Multi-component installation feedback system for replacement print cartridges, valve holders, and service station cassettes for on board ink delivery systems replenishment

An inkjet printing system having a replaceable set of ink-related components which are installed together and replaced together as a single ink delivery system for each different color of ink. The set includes an ink printhead cartridge with an inlet port, an ink supply module, and a printhead service module, each of which is manually mountable by a user onto an inkjet printer. The ink supply module contains enough ink to completely replenish an entire printhead reservoir several times before the expected useful life of the printhead cartridge has expired, at which time a user can replace the entire set of ink-related components for a particular color. Similarly, the printhead service module is designed for reliable performance for the expected useful life of the printhead cartridge. This system enables the entire ink delivery system to be replaced for different printing needs, such as replacing indoor dye-based inks with outdoor pigment based inks.

Inkjet printing with replaceable set of ink-related components

An ink jet printing system comprises multiple print cartridges each containing a different ink and having a plurality of printhead nozzle arrays scanning across printing media in a printing zone. After a specified amount of ink has been dispensed, an ink jet printhead carriage is moved to a refill station for ink replenishment. A label on a print head service module displays encoded visual indicia which are sensed by an optical sensor on the ink jet printhead carriage. The optical sensor is used to read pre-encoded information as well as on the fly information which is recorded on a label when the carriage moves along a traverse path to the printhead service station.

Optical encoding of printhead service module

Printhead service station

An inkjet printing system includes a replaceable printhead servicing module which incorporates multiple functions in a single unit. There is a separate servicing module associated with each different printhead, thus avoiding any contamination of either the printhead or the servicing module from interaction or mixing of different color inks. The servicing module includes a capper, a wiper, a spittoon, and a primer connection.

Replaceable printhead servicing module with multiple functions

A method for operating a thermal ink jet printer including a printhead having a sample resistor and ink firing heater resistors responsive to pulses provided to the printhead. The resistance of a sample resistor is read and the pad to pad resistance of the printhead is determined. The operating energy of the printhead is determined from a look-up table and the target power is determined from the target pulse width. The power supply voltage is determined from the target power and the power supply voltage is set. The operating power is determined and the operating pulse width is set based on the operating power and target energy.

Energy measurement scheme for an ink jet printer

The volume of drops ejected from thermal ink jet printheads varies with the temperature of the printhead. The variation in drop volume degrades print quality by causing variations in the darkness in black and white text, the contrast of gray scale images, and variations in the chroma, hue, and lightness of color images. The present invention reduces the range of drop volume variation by reducing the range of printhead temperature variation during the print cycle by keeping the printhead temperature above a reference temperature. When the printhead temperature falls below the reference temperature during a print cycle the printhead is heated with nonprinting pulses.

Method and apparatus for reducing the size of drops ejected from a

A method for operating a thermal ink jet printer including a printhead having ink firing heater resistors responsive to pulses provided to the printhead. Warming voltage pulses are applied to the printhead to warm the printhead to a temperature that is at least as high as a temperature that would be produced pursuant to ink firing pulses of a predetermined voltage, a predetermined pulse width, and a predetermined pulse frequency. A continuous series of ink firing pulses are then applied to the printhead, starting with a pulse energy substantially equal to the predetermined reference pulse energy and a pulse frequency equal to the predetermined pulse frequency, and then incrementally decreasing the pulse energy of the ink firing pulses. The temperature of the printhead is repeatedly sampled while the ink firing pulses are applied to the ink firing resistors to produce a set of temperature samples respectively associated with the decreasing pulse energies. A thermal turn on energy is determined from the temperature samples, and the printhead is operated at a pulse energy that is greater than the thermal turn on energy and in a range that provides a desired print quality while avoiding premature failure of the heater resistors.

Thermal turn on energy test for an inkjet printer

A thermal ink jet printhead including a thin film substrate with a plurality of polygon shaped thin film resistors, a barrier layer overlying the substrate, and respective firing chambers formed in the barrier layer for each of the resistors. Each firing chamber is formed of a continuously curved concave wall having ends adjacent the boundary of the resistor, and which is within the boundary of the area defined by the resistor and a 10 micrometer wide margin around the resistor.

Thin film resistor printhead architecture for thermal ink jet pens

A paper moving system for a computer driven printer/plotter comprises a paper pinching assembly positioned at the two oppositely facing edges of the paper adjacent the print zone 10. The edges of the paper are fed through each assembly where the paper is gripped between a lubricous shim plate 52 and a straight stretch of a paper drive belt 42 which frictionally engages the paper. The belts of each assembly are biased toward the shim plates by a spring urged rail 50 to hold the belts in non-slip engagement with the paper. The paper is tensioned edge to edge by the assemblies so that a paper table or platen underneath the print zone is unnecessary.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Brian P Canfield