The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 28, 1992
Filed:
May. 10, 1990
Allan G Hock, Londonderry, NH (US);
Kathryn McMahon, Londonderry, NH (US);
John G Sousa, Nashua, NH (US);
Calvin M Winey, Tewksbury, MA (US);
Howtek, Inc., Hudson, NH (US);
Abstract
A head tending apparatus for an ink jet printing system with at least one ink jet being disclosed. The apparatus includes a solvent supply system for spraying solvent on the faces of the ink jets and in the jet openings and a brush for scrubbing the ink jet faces during and immediately after the spraying process. Solvent vapors enter the jets and deprime the jets so that the ink remaining in the jets drains out of the jets back to the ink reservoir allowing solvent vapors to penetrate the jets to the reservoir. Resultantly, when the jets are next primed with ink, the jets are substantially free of air bubbles. Head tending is normally performed when the printer is shut down, or prior to the priming of the ink jets.