Oce-technologies B.v.

Henricus W C Douven

Clemens T Weijkamp

Hubertus M J M Boesten

Barry B Goeree

Franciscus J W M Wolters

Franciscus J H M Van Den Beucken

Stefan A C J Winteraeken

Jeroen A A Van Assen

Cornelis H J Slaats

Johannes H Huyghen

Mike P Van Eekhout

In a printer having a print head moveable relative to a recording medium, the recording medium and print head may touch each other, thereby possibly damaging the print head and/or the recording medium. In order to prevent further damage, it is advantageous to detect a medium touch as soon as possible. An available feedback signal relating to the print head, e.g. originating from a carriage on which the print head is mounted, is employed to determine whether a medium touch has occurred such that a dedicated medium touch or crash sensor may be omitted. A malfunctioning nozzle signal is used to determine a change in a number of malfunctioning nozzles to detect a medium touch. Alternatively, a print head position signal is used to determine a position error and derive from the position error whether or not a medium touch has occurred.

Method and apparatus for detecting a media touch of an inkjet printhead

A printer comprising a carriage, a guide rail and a print surface, the carriage being movable along the guide rail and carrying a printhead that faces the print surface and is movable in a direction normal to the plane of the print surface, wherein a stop or brake mechanism responsive to a movement of the printhead in said direction normal to the plane of the print surface is provided and adapted to stop the movement of the carriage.

Printer with a movable carriage

A multicolor ink jet printing method which includes the steps of moving a carriage is moved relative to a recording medium in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, printing each color with a different group of nozzle heads mounted on the carriage, wherein at least one color is printed with a larger number of nozzle heads than the other colors, and printing the at least one color with a larger printing resolution in the main scanning direction than the other colors.

Multicolor ink jet printing method and printer

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Nederweert Eind, Netherlands

Henricus W C Douven