Lexmark International, Inc.

Funai Electric Company Ltd.

Charles Stanley Aldrich

Martin Alan Johnson

Herman Anthony Smith

Daniel Robert LaBar

Gregory Thomas Webb

Jeffrey Ray Ehlert

Robert Michael Meadows

Randal Scott Williamson

James Harold Powers

Benjamin Alan Askren

Donn Duane Bryant

Robert Henry Muyskens

David Amos Ward

Curtis Ray Droege

Jason Todd Vanderpool

Marc Alan Herwald

Edward Lawrence Kiely

Trevor Daniel Gray

Bhaskar T Ramakrishnan

Brian Andrew Naro

John Edward Borsuk

Robert Flynt Strean

Laura Leigh Garcia

James Marvin Jackson

Bradley Kent Drews

A microfluid ejection system includes a fluid path having proximate and distal ends, the proximate end having an inlet to receive fluid from a fluid supply, a vacuum chamber for suctioning of air from both the proximate and distal ends of the fluid path, and a pre-ejection chamber disposed in the fluid path between a proximate end and a distal end. The pre-ejection chamber includes a ceiling inclined upward toward each of the proximate and distal ends from a low point to direct air toward either the proximate or distal end for suctioning from the pre-ejection chamber. The microfluid system further includes a first and second air chambers disposed respectively at the proximate and distal ends of the fluid path to receive and direct air to the vacuum chamber.

Air removal and ink supply system for an inkjet printhead

A consumable supply item for an imaging device holds an initial or refillable volume of ink. An interior retains the ink while exit and return ports define openings through a housing to fluidly communicate the interior to the imaging device. The opening of the return port is larger than the opening of the exit port. The design slows the return of fluid to the housing which minimizes air bubbles or frothiness in the fluid. During use, ink depletes toward a bottom surface of the interior beneath which the ink is prevented from occupying. A housing section below the interior retains a portion of the exit port so that a bottom of the opening of the exit port is substantially horizontally aligned with the bottom surface. It prevents stranding ink beneath the exit port. Further embodiments include port configuration, construction, and modular components, to name a few.

Consumable supply item, fluid reservoir and recirculation system for micro-fluid applications

An improved fluid supply tank for a micro-fluid ejection head and method for improving operation of a micro-fluid ejection device. The fluid supply tank has a body portion for holding a fluid to be ejected. The body portion includes a fluid exit port on an exit end thereof and a cover on an opposing end thereof. An internal vent conduit is disposed in the tank between the exit end and the cover for air removal adjacent to the exit port.

Fluid supply tank ventilation for a micro-fluid ejection head

An ink tank for an inkjet printing device that includes a housing for containing ink, first and second chambers within the housing, and a partition separating the first and second chambers. The ink tank also includes a communication port connecting the first chamber in fluid communication with the second chamber, a tank outlet disposed within a wall of the housing, and a high capillary pressure producing member in direct communication with the outlet. The ink tank may be configured such that the ink may flow from the free ink space through the capillary pressure producing member and exit the outlet without having to travel through the communication port.

Ink tank for a printhead

A method of performing printhead maintenance firing in an ink jet printer that has a printhead carrier that carries an ink jet printhead, the ink jet printer having a waste ink receptacle, includes the steps of decelerating the printhead carrier from a first velocity after printing print data; and controlling a firing of the printhead during the decelerating in accordance with maintenance data so that ink droplets ejected from the printhead during the decelerating are received by the waste ink receptacle.

Method of performing dynamic printhead maintenance firing in an ink jet printer

A print carriage and ink supply system for a printer includes: (a) a print carriage adapted for lateral reciprocation along a print medium within a printer, where the print carriage includes at least one print head; (b) an ink pump including an ink inlet in fluid communication with an ink source, an ink outlet in fluid communication with the print head, and a pump actuator for at least initiating displacement of ink through the ink pump upon actuation; and (c) an inertial mass coupled to the print carriage for reciprocating movement with respect to the print carriage in opposing reaction to acceleration of the print carriage laterally along the print medium; where the inertial mass is indirectly linked to the pump actuator by a mechanical linkage such that the combination of the inertial mass and mechanical linkage actuates the pump at least upon certain accelerations of the print carriage laterally along the print medium.

Passive ink pump system for an inkjet printer

A printhead capping assembly includes a cap holder and a printhead cap. The cap holder defines a cavity and a vent exit. The printhead cap has a base and a lip portion extending from the base. The lip portion defines an open interior region. The base is inserted into the cavity of the cap holder. The base includes a serpentine channel extending from the open interior region to the vent exit of the cap holder.

Printhead cap assembly for an ink jet printer

A printhead capping assembly includes a cap holder, a printhead cap and a pin. The pin includes a head and a shaft. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal end being adjacent to the head. The head has an outer periphery, and a bottom surface extending outwardly from the shaft toward the outer periphery. The pin has a channel including a first channel portion and a second channel portion. The first channel portion extends from the outer periphery of the head to the shaft. The first channel portion is connected to the second channel portion. The pin is inserted through the second hole and into the first hole to place the head in contact with the second base of the printhead cap. The second base of the printhead cap seals along the first channel portion to define a first vent path portion.

Printhead capping assembly

A printhead maintenance cap includes a base and a wall portion. The wall portion is defined by a plurality of adjoining walls, and has a proximal end and a distal end, the plurality of adjoining walls defining an interior region. The proximal end is coupled to the base. A first lip extends from the distal end of the wall portion by a first extent in a direction non-orthogonal to the base, the first lip defining a first perimetrical sealing surface. A second lip extends from the distal end of the wall portion by a second extent, the second lip being spaced apart from the first lip, the second lip defining a second perimetrical sealing surface.

Double lipped printhead maintenance cap

A waste ink accumulation system in an ink jet printer includes a rotatable body having an ink-collecting surface and a plurality of projections extending from the ink-collecting surface. An actuating mechanism rotates the body.

Rotating waste ink accumulation system

A printhead capping system for capping a printhead includes a printhead cap having a plurality of adjoining walls. The plurality of adjoining walls has a proximal end and a distal end. The plurality of adjoining walls defines an interior region. A lip portion is provided having a perimetrical sealing surface. The lip portion extends from the distal end of the plurality of adjoining walls in a cantilever manner in, a direction non-orthogonal to an extent of the plurality of adjoining walls. In cross-section the lip portion tapers in a direction from the distal end toward the perimetrical sealing surface.

Low force ink jet printhead capping system

An ink jet printer has a maintenance station in which a movable sled starts from a known position due to a diagonally disposed return spring. A cam profile near the uppermost portion of vertical movement of a movable sled is produced in accordance with a quadratic equation. This quadratic designed equation profile reduces the force required to move the movable sled up the cam profile to its uppermost position. The return spring, which holds the movable sled in the known position by urging a front wall of the movable sled against a front wall of a support housing, also absorbs energy to decrease the noise level of the printer.

Maintenance station for an ink cartridge for a printer

An ink mist controller for a maintenance station including spit louvers and a spit wheel which serve as accumulating surfaces. A flow of air directs ink mist through the louvers and around the spit wheel. Mist that is not attracted to a surface is carried to a manifold which filters, then exhausts, air to the environment, thereby preventing contamination of articles surrounding the printer. Color ink droplets are ejected onto the spit louvers. Low pressure is created between and below the louvers, which increases air and mist velocity over the entire spit zone. An unrestricted air curtain occurs on three sides of the color printhead to further control the location of mist deposit. Black ink is ejected onto the spit wheel which holds the mist deposit during evaporation. At defined intervals, the spit wheel rotates a fraction of a revolution. A scraper removes the non-volatile residue from the wheel during rotation. An air curtain is created on all four sides of the spit wheel to direct mist to this surface. As with the color ink, contaminated air is filtered prior to being exhausted to the environment.

Maintenance mist control

A maintenance station for an ink jet printer includes a frame and a device, such as for example a cylindrical drum, rotatably coupled to the frame for collecting waste ink. A ratchet drive assembly is coupled to the frame for effecting rotation of the device. The ratchet drive assembly includes a ratchet gear coupled to the device, wherein the ratchet gear has a plurality of teeth. A distal end of a back-check member engages the teeth of the ratchet gear for effecting a rotation of the device in a first direction and prevents a rotation of the device in a direction opposite to the first direction. The rotation of the device is effected as the printhead cap is moved in a vertical direction.

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Nicholasville, KY, United States of America

Charles Stanley Aldrich