Roger F Evans

Title: Roger F. Evans: Ink-Jet Pen Innovations

Introduction

Roger F. Evans is an inventor associated with Corvallis, Oregon, and Hewlett-Packard Company. His work includes inventions for preparing ink-jet pen components and improving the priming of multi-color ink-jet pens. He is credited with 2 patents.

Latest Patents

“Addition of Alcohol to Prewet Solutions to Enhance and Accelerate” describes a method for improving the wetting of hydrophobic foam used as an ink reservoir in ink-jet printer pens. The foam is compressed to expel air, placed in an aqueous prewet bath containing a low-molecular-weight alcohol such as n-propanol, and repeatedly compressed and expanded while submerged. Afterward, excess solution is expelled, leaving residual alcohol in the foam. The alcohol helps wet the foam and can also help prevent orifice plugging as it becomes part of the ink and wets pen components during use.

“Priming Apparatus and Process for Multi-Color Ink-Jet Pens” addresses the challenge of priming pens without mixing different ink colors. A resilient seal encloses the pen’s orifice sets in a chamber connected to a vacuum source. Separate suction tubes are positioned near the corresponding orifice sets to draw away excess ink, helping keep the colors from mixing during priming.

Career Highlights

Evans’s listed patents focus on practical ink-jet technology: improving ink absorption in hydrophobic foam and refining the priming process for multi-color pens. Both inventions address ink handling and the reliable operation of printer components.

Collaborations

Evans’s listed coworkers include Charles L. Thierheimer, Jr., and Norman E. Pawlowski. His patent work is associated with Hewlett-Packard Company.

Conclusion

Roger F. Evans’s two patents reflect contributions to ink-jet pen design, particularly in foam wetting, ink delivery, and color-separated priming.