Xerox Corporation

Michael Kenneth Oehl

David Lyell Knierim

Ivan Andrew McCracken

William Bruce Weaver

Austin Lloyd Richards

Christopher R Gold

Michael Alan Fairchild

Mirza Sabanovic

A method enables adjustment of a print speed for a phase change ink imaging device with reference to an ink level sensor in a print head reservoir indicating an open loop or a closed loop state. The adjustment may also be made with reference to a measured image density, which may be a rolling solid area coverage average.

Open loop print speed control

An ink jam detection and recovery system for use in a phase change ink imaging device includes an ink stick conveyance configured move ink sticks in a forward direction toward a melt plate at a melt end of an ink stick feed path and a reverse direction away from the melt plate. A sensor system is configured to generate a first signal indicative of whether an ink stick is present at the melt plate. A controller is configured to receive the signal and to actuate the ink stick conveyance to move in at least one of the forward direction and the reverse direction in response to the first signal indicating that no ink stick is present at the melt plate.

Ink stick jam detection and recovery system and method

A method of operating an imaging device comprises measuring an ink conductivity of an ink volume in an ink reservoir of an imaging device. The imaging device is operated in a conductivity fault tolerant mode in response to the measured ink conductivity being outside of a predetermined ink conductivity operational range. In the conductive fault tolerant mode, at least one parameter of a melt duty cycle for the ink reservoir is set to a corresponding conductivity fault tolerant (CFT) level.

Ink conductivity fault tolerant mode

A method for restoring ink conductivity of ink in an ink reservoir comprises detecting an ink conductivity of an ink volume in an ink reservoir, and comparing the detected ink conductivity to a predetermined ink conductivity operational range. A flush routine is performed in response to the measured ink conductivity being outside of the predetermined ink conductivity operational range. The flush routine includes: disabling ink supply operations to the ink reservoir; emptying the ink reservoir of ink; refilling the ink reservoir with ink; measuring an ink conductivity of an ink volume in the refilled ink reservoir; and comparing the detected ink conductivity to the predetermined ink conductivity operational range. The imaging device is returned to a normal operating mode in response to the measured ink conductivity being within the predetermined ink conductivity operational range after a flush routine has been performed.

Ink conductivity recovery method for an imaging device

A method detects the level of ink in a printhead reservoir by monitoring the power drawn by a thermistor positioned within the printhead reservoir. The method includes dissipating power in a thermistor in an ink reservoir, controlling the power dissipated in the thermistor to maintain the thermistor at a temperature that is a fixed differential above a reservoir temperature, measuring a parameter that corresponds to the power dissipated in the thermistor, and comparing the measured parameter to a predetermined value to detect ink in the reservoir contacting the thermistor.

Apparatus and method for detecting ink in a reservoir

A solid ink printer includes a solid ink transportation control system that helps ensure a continuous supply of solid ink to a melting device within a printer. The solid ink transportation control system includes an ink loss measurement circuit configured to identify an accumulated ink mass loss of ink from an ink reservoir in a printer and to generate an ink supply replenish signal in response to the accumulated ink mass loss reaching an accumulated loss threshold, a drive motor electrically coupled to the ink loss measurement circuit, the drive motor being configured to operate in response to the ink supply replenish signal, and an ink stick drive train coupled to the drive motor, at least a portion of the ink stick drive train moving towards a melting assembly in the printer in response to the operation of the drive motor.

Transport system for providing a continuous supply of solid ink to a melting assembly in a printer

A method for controlling print speed of an imaging device is provided. The imaging device includes at least one reservoir for supplying liquid ink to a print head and a level sensor in the reservoir. The method comprises measuring an image density of at least a portion of a print job for the imaging device. A state of a level sensor in a print head reservoir is detected. The print speed is adjusted to a target speed in response to the level sensor indicating an open loop state. The target speed is a function of the image density. The print speed is adjusted to a default speed in response to the level sensor indicating a closed loop state.

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Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Michael Kenneth Oehl