Hewlett-packard Company

Other

James A Harvey

Donald L Michael

James P Kearns

John H Dion

Alan Shibata

Christie Dudenhoefer

Catherine A Rotering

William F King

Norman E Pawlowski

Eric Joseph Johnson

Mark J Hauck

Thomas J Purwins

Stephen M DeRoos

Peter W Fezatt

James E Green

Mike M Morrow

Ronald A Harvey

A foam-filled cap sealing ink-ejecting nozzles of an inkjet printhead in a printing mechanism has a two-layer structure, with an outer skin layer of an elastomer, and a second foam core layer inside the skin. The skin defines a sealing lip that surrounds the nozzles when the cap is in a sealing position to avoid unnecessary drying of the ink. The skin has an interior surface that defines a cavity under the sealing lip. The foam core, located within the cavity, may be formed by expanding a foam preform or by injecting raw foam into the cavity. An insert may be molded into the cap structure for use in mounting the cap in the printing mechanism. An optional backing layer molded to the structure is used to attach a vent basin to the cap. A method of constructing this cap, and a printing mechanism having this cap, are also described.

Foam-filled caps for sealing inkjet printheads

An ink containment vessel characterized by improved resistance to the corrosive effects of ink, the ability to prevent air entry into the ink, and enhanced dimensional stability. The system also avoids the evaporative loss of volatile components from the ink supply. The ink containment vessel is produced from polyethylene naphthalate, at least one liquid crystal polymer, or polyethylene naphthalate combined with at least one liquid crystal polymer. The storage of ink within vessels made from the specialized materials listed above offers multiple benefits as previously noted and substantially improves the operational efficiency of the entire ink delivery system.

High-durability ink containment unit for use in an ink delivery system

A high-durability flexible bladder designed for placement within in an ink containment vessel. When inflated and deflated, the bladder maintains proper pressure levels in the ink containment vessel which improves the operating efficiency of the entire printing system. The bladder has a specially-constructed side wall that prevents air and ink materials from passing therethrough and is characterized by a high degree of structural integrity and longevity. The side wall is produced from polyethylene naphthalate which provides the benefits listed above. Either a single material layer produced in whole or in part from polyethylene naphthalate may be used or a plurality of material layers can be employed in combination to manufacture the side wall, with at least one layer containing in whole or in part polyethylene naphthalate. As a result, problems involving premature bladder deterioration, leakage, and the like are avoided.

High durability pressure control bladder for use in an ink delivery system

An ink jet print head wiping apparatus having a wiper blade comprising a flexible elastomeric matrix containing particles of a harder material than the matrix, such that the particles resist wear to prolong the useful life of the wiper, the particle material may be a non abrasive but hard polymer such as polyethylene, which may be bonded to the matrix with a coupling agent such as silane.

Particle-reinforced wiper for ink jet print head

A free-ink inkjet pen is adapted to be fluidically coupled to a positive pressure, off-axis ink reservoir. The pen includes a pressure regulator mechanism in an ink accumulation chamber fluidically coupled to a print head mechanism maintained at a predetermined back pressure by the pressure regulator. A flexible bag is maintained at atmospheric pressure within the accumulator and acts as an actuator against a pressure regulator bias. In the preferred embodiment, the pressure regulator mechanism includes an actuation lever and a pressure regulation lever biased toward each other. The flexible bag is mounted between the levers where by expanding and contracting both levers are actuated appropriately. A variety of bag fabrication configurations, bag materials, and valve seat materials are disclosed.

Regulator for a free-ink inkjet pen

A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system wherein a treatment fluid is applied to at least one of the printhead and wiper elements in an inkjet printer, then subsequently the wiper wipingly contacts the printhead and wipes a portion of the printhead orifice plate where the nozzle orifices are located removing dried ink and other accumulated debris, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render such accumulations more removable by wiping, wherein the treatment fluid is stored in a non-flowable state so as to prevent leaking during periods when the printer is not in use, the treatment fluid being changed to a flowable liquid state for wiping.

Print head servicing system and method employing a solid liquefiable

A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system including a source of treatment fluid further including a treatment fluid reservoir and a treatment fluid transfer element adapted to transfer treatment fluid from the reservoir to at least one of the two elements involved in wiping the printhead, the two such elements consisting of the printhead and the wiper, the transfer element thereby acts as an applicator placing treatment fluid onto said at least one element, the source of treatment fluid not contacting said one element directly, and the treatment fluid then is available to assist in cleaning the printhead as it is wiped by the wiper, removing accumulated dried ink solids and other debris, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render such accumulations more removable by wiping.

Printhead servicing system and method using a moveable wiper between a

A seafood separator for separating sea creatures captured by a net is provided, comprising a support structure attached to the deck of a boat; a number of vertically arranged frames attached to the support structure, each frame containing a screen for retaining sea creatures of predetermined sizes, wherein the grid spacing of each screen is smaller than the grid spacing of any higher screen. Each screen is capable of slidable motion relative to the support structure or to any other screen in order to facilitate cleaning and seafood removal. A tray for collecting trash and unwanted seafood is attached to the support structure below a lowermost screen and has an end positioned over the boat deck to allow return of the trash back into the sea. A method for separating sea creatures and returning undesirable sea creatures back to the sea alive is also provided.

Seafood separator device

An attachment is disclosed that is mountable to a scraper blade carried on a powered vehicle such as a log skidder. The attachment is easily mounted and removed from the scraper blade to enable a log skidder to clear roadways of snow and other loose materials. The attachment includes a carrying frame that is releasably mountable directly to the scraper blade. A plow blade is pivotably mounted to the carrying frame. The plow blade is selectively pivotal at its center about a vertical axis to alternate positions forming acute angles with respect to the scraper blade. Therefore, loose material may be plowed to either side of the path desired to be cleared by the blade. Struts are provided that are interchangeable at opposite ends of the blade to enable selective angular positioning of the plow blade.

Growing community of inventors

Corvallis, OR, United States of America

James A Harvey