Videojet Technologies Inc.

Marconi Data Systems Limited

Pietro Lostumbo

Alex Levin

James E Clark

Frank Eremity

Alexander M Levin

A cleaning system for a continuous ink jet printer includes a first solvent supply conduit connected to a solvent source for conveying solvent through a supply opening and onto the front face of the print head. A second solvent supply conduit is connected to the solvent source for conveying solvent through a supply opening and onto a surface of the catcher. The solvent that is supplied to the print head and the catcher is removed under vacuum and returned to the ink supply system. The cleaning system may include an orifice unclogging mechanism that causes said solvent disposed on said front face to flow into said orifice in the reverse of the direction ink flows through said orifice for printing. The cleaning system may also include a piezoelectric element for generating a stress wave in the print head during cleaning. The piezoelectric element may comprise a piezoelectric oscillator that is also used during printing to creates perturbations in the ink flow at the nozzle so as to generate a stream of spaced drops from the nozzle.

Cleaning system for a continuous ink jet printer

Embodiments of the present invention provide a self-cleaning print head for an ink jet printer that directs ink to a substrate to be marked. The print head includes a ground plate having a channel formed therethrough, and a makeup fluid supply system that supplies makeup fluid directly to the ground plate through a makeup supply conduit, and into a catcher. The makeup fluid removes ink residue from the channel as the makeup fluid flows through the channel.

Ink jet print head cleaning system

A self-cleaning print head for an ink jet printer directs ink to a substrate to be marked. The print head has a drop generator with a body that has a front face, an ink supply conduit and at least one orifice extending through the front face. The orifice also defines a nozzle for ejecting ink droplets. A solvent supply conduit is provided for supplying solvent to the front face of the drop generator, and a drain conduit is provided for suctioning the solvent from the front face and into the drain conduit. The supply conduit and the drain conduit have openings on the front face disposed relative to each other and the orifice(s) so that the solvent released from the supply conduit moves along the front face, adjacent the orifice(s) and into the drain conduit regardless of the spatial orientation of the print head. This allows the solvent to move residue from the front face and into the drain conduit no matter the orientation of the print head.

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Bloomingdale, IL, United States of America

Pietro Lostumbo