Eastman-kodak Company

John E Mooney

Werner N Fassler

Charles D DeBoer

Marcello D Fiscella

Clayton G Johnson

Ravi Sharma

David John Nelson

James E Pickering

Joel D Decaro

James W Meyer

Joseph P Palmer

Thomas Floyd Gillette

An ink jet printing apparatus having a cleaning station that cleans the orifice plate with a cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid includes a hydrophobic additive that has a strong affinity for the orifice plate material and which coats the orifice plate to form a protective coating. If a portion of the protective coating is removed, that portion will be repaired by the additive.

Cleaning and repairing fluid for printhead cleaning

The present invention provides for an imaging device such as a scanner or printer. The imaging device includes a unique media gate arrangement in which each of the media gates is positioned along the same optical axis. This provides for a gate arrangement in which media of a first format will be conveyed across one of the gates and media of a second format will be conveyed across a second one of the gates. With the arrangement of the present invention it is not necessary to change a media gate based on the format of the film or media used, since the media gates based are positioned along the same optical axis and are positioned such that the light beam passes through both gates.

Imaging device and method for imaging photosensitive media of different formats

An ink jet printer having an ink jet head and defining a structure having a device including a structure defining a plurality of orifices for ejecting ink droplets includes defining an ink cleaning cavity spaced from the printing position for receiving cleaning fluid; a roller disposed in the cleaning cavity and partially submerged in the cleaning fluid and spaced from the structure is rotated so that the fluid coats the roller and is carried by surface tension around the roller; and the structure is brought into proximity with the cleaning roller so that the orifices are cleaned by the cleaning fluid carried on the roller and delivered through the cleaning cavity to the structure.

Cleaning orifices in ink jet printing apparatus

A cleaning fluid for use with an inkjet printer having orifices for injecting ink, the surface of the orifices at the injection point being formed by a predetermined material includes a liquid for cleaning the surface of the orifices, such liquid including a di or trihydroxysilane which acts as a biocide, surfactant, and humectant.

Cleaning fluid for inkjet printers

A film gate for transporting an elongated film therethrough, comprising:

Film gate and scanner, and method of scanning using the scanner

An ink for use in an inkjet printer having nozzles for ejecting ink droplets includes a colorant, a hydroxysilane having at least two hydroxy groups, and a liquid carrier for the colorant and the silane.

Inks for ink jet printers

Cleaning apparatus for cleaning debris from orifices in an ink jet print head orifice plate includes a structure defining a cleaning cavity for receiving cleaning liquid; a roller partially submerged in the cleaning liquid. The roller is rotated so that cleaning liquid coats the roller and is carried by surface tension around the roller; and relative movement is provided between the orifice plate and the structure so that the orifice plate is positioned adjacent to the cleaning cavity with the rotating roller spaced a distance from the orifice plate so that there is turbulence of the cleaning liquid and such turbulence causes the cleaning fluid to engage the orifice plate and remove debris from the orifice plate and orifice nozzles.

Turbulent cleaning action for ink jet print heads and orifices

A printing plate processor for processing a printing plate having a substrate, a hydrophilic layer over the substrate and a processable ink-receiving layer over the hydrophilic layer includes a structure for receiving processing fluid and a roller partially submerged in the processing fluid. The roller is rotated so that processing fluid coats the roller and is carried by surface tension around the roller, and the printing plate is moved into a processing region with the rotating roller but spaced from the roller a distance selected so that the turbulence of the processing fluid engaging the ink-receiving layer causes portions of the ink-receiving layer to be removed by the processing fluid carried on the roller.

Non-abrasive processing of printing plates

An inkjet printer having an inkjet head and defining a structure having means including a structure defining a plurality of orifices for ejecting ink droplets. A cleaning cavity is spaced from the printing position for receiving cleaning fluid. An adjustable vane partially submerged in the cleaning fluid and spaced from the structure and a pump delivers the cleaning liquid at a desired velocity towards the adjustable vane so that the vane creates a flow of cleaning liquid past the structure in the cleaning cavity space. The adjustable vane is positioned so as to create a desired flow of cleaning liquid which engages the structure.

Adjustable vane used in cleaning orifices in inkjet printing apparatus

A mechanical flexure with two legs in a symmetrical structure that provides straight line motion when a force is applied to one leg end, along an axis through both leg ends. Such a force translates leg ends solely along said axis in a straight line, without deviation in an orthogonal axis. Components attached to flexure leg ends will thus travel in a straight line in a single axis over a useful range. The flexure could also provide rotational translation over small angular ranges when used with appropriate hardware configurations. The flexure is capable of integral manufacture with other components and simultaneously provides alignment and translation functions.

Alignment mechanism using flexures

The improved film clamp comprises a base plate having an aperture defined therethrough and over which a film strip is positioned in a plane; a platen having a flat surface and an aperture defined therein and mounted to said base plate with the apertures of said base plate and said platen aligned with each other when the platen is clamped to the base plate; and flexible gripping means positioned around the periphery of the aperture of either said platen, said base plate or both, each of said flexible gripping means including a locating section arranged so as to be inserted into locating slots provided around the periphery of the aperture of either said platen, said base plate or both, said locating slots being, when said base plate and said platen are clamped together, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the film strip and a gripping section angled with respect to said locating section outward from the aperture(s) so as to grip and tension said film strip between said base plate and said platen when they are clamped together.

Multiformat film clamp

An exposure control mechanism for use with chemical flash illumination includes a shutter having a primary shutter blade mounted for pivotal movement between a rest position wherein the shutter blade covers an exposure aperture, through an intermediate position wherein the shutter blade uncovers the exposure aperture, and a rebound position. A spring urges the shutter blade toward the rest position. A shutter driver drives the primary shutter blade from the rest position to the rebound position, and a flash firing mechanism synchronized with the shutter driver ignites a chemical flashlamp substantially simultaneously with the start of movement of the primary shutter blade. An auxiliary shutter blade operatively coupled to the primary shutter blade, covers the exposure aperture during movement of the primary shutter blade through its intermediate position on its way from its rest position to its rebound position, and uncovers the exposure aperture during movement of the primary shutter blade through its intermediate position on its way from its rebound position to its rest position, thereby effecting an exposure after an initial delay.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

John E Mooney