Hewlett-packard Company

Shelley I Moore

Todd R Medin

Damon W Broder

Brent W Richtsmeier

William H Schwiebert

Todd L Russell

Raymond M Cundiff

Stephen William Bauer

David W Leong

Corrina A Hall

Richard M Kemplin

Olev Tammer

John Thomas

Combined ink-jet printer, facsimile and copier

An inkjet printer applies ink from one or more printheads to media which is supported by a screen platen. The screen platen allows transfer of heat by radiation and convection from a heat generator unit to pre-printing portion of the print zone, an ink-applying portion of the print zone, and a post-printing portion of the print zone.

Method of multiple zone heating of inkjet media using screen platen

A method and apparatus for heating the print medium in a ink-jet printer to reduce printing defects in a relatively cold machine. The printer includes a print area heater which in a steady state condition for a given print medium is energized at a first heating level. Under cold start conditions, for an initial plot, the hater is overdriven at a second heating level. Under a multiple-pass printing mode, the hating drive is gradually reduced during an initial portion of the initial plot, until the first heating level is achieved. The heater drive level remains at the first heating level for subsequent plots in a given batch. For single-pass print modes, the heater drive level remains at the second level for the entire initial plot in a batch, and is reduced to the first level for subsequent plots. The printer has a preheater along the medium path, with an unheated area along the path between the print area and the preheater. To further improve print quality when printing along top leading edge margins, the paper is initially advanced until the leading edge is over the print area heater and left for a first time interval. The paper is then retracted to position the paper area initially located over the unheated area of the paper path during the first interval over the preheater. The paper is left in the retracted position during a second time interval, and then advanced to the print area to commence printing operations.

Method and apparatus for heating print medium in an ink-jet printer

An ink-jet printer having improved print quality and full color printing capability on plain paper media. A radiant print heater heats the medium at the print area to increase the ink carrier evaporation rate. The heater includes a wire heating element placed in a reflectorized cavity beneath the printing area, and radiant heat energy is directed onto the lower surface of the print medium through a grill. The heating element is energized by a low voltage signal. The print heater heats the portion of the medium disposed at the print area during print operations to cause accelerated drying of ink deposited on the medium.

Print area radiant heater for ink-jet printer

Printer platen

An ink-jet printer having improved print quality and full color printing capability on plain paper media. A media advancing mechanism advances the print medium through a media path during print operations. Electrically energized heater elements heat a portion of the print medium at the print area. A power supply supplies electrical power to the heater elements and the media advancing mechanism. A single fan airflow system with multiple ducts evacuator air from the printer, including the print area. The airflow system evacuates excess ink spray and carrier vapor from the print area, provides cooling for the power supply and other electronics, and actively ventilates the preheater and print heater to avoid runaway temperatures.

Airflow system for ink-jet printer

Growing community of inventors

Poway, CA, United States of America

Shelley I Moore