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:
May. 14, 1996
Filed:
Oct. 30, 1992
Robert D Haselby, San Diego, CA (US);
Irene H Williams, Escondido, CA (US);
Gerold Firl, Poway, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Signals indicating ink-discharge presence control priming and preferably halt document creation pending ink resupply--or pending an operator command to go on without resupply. A detector senses ink discharge; circuits including a programmed microprocessor apply the detector signal to control, most typically, pen priming or repriming--and preferably related functions including suspension of printer operation. The detector preferably includes an optical source and detector along an optical path that intersects an ink-discharge path. With a pen that has multiple ink-discharge nozzles, preferably the apparatus distinguishes between ink discharge from the different nozzles (by correlation with nozzle-actuating pulses), and accordingly controls priming of each nozzle independently. Preferably this system is operated before starting to print a new sheet and upon newly installing a pen. In event of inadequate ink discharge, progressively more-energetic priming impulses (higher voltage or duration, or both) are directed to the pen, until adequate discharge results or no further energy increase is deemed suitable.