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:
Jul. 21, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 23, 1995
Mitsuo Ozaki, Kawasaki, JP;
Shigeharu Suzuki, Kawasaki, JP;
Shino Sakai, Kawasaki, JP;
Keita Akeno, Kawasaki, JP;
Shigeyoshi Umemiya, Kawasaki, JP;
Yasuo Yamagishi, Kawasaki, JP;
Fujitsu Limited, Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed are a method of and an apparatus for cleaning a plurality of nozzles of an ink jet head. This cleaning method comprises a step of covering a nozzle surface formed with the plurality of nozzles with a cap; a step of depressurizing an air space formed between the nozzle surface and the cap by use of a depressurizing element to suck the inks from the nozzles; a step of stopping the depressurization by the depressurizing element; a step of keeping the nozzle surface covered with the cap so that the inks jetted from the nozzles due to the depressurization wet-spread over the entire nozzle surface by a capillary force; and a step of retracting the cap from the nozzle surface. Further, in this cleaning apparatus, a contact angle .theta.1 between the ink and the cap internal surface and a contact angle .theta.2 between the ink and the nozzle surface are set to 90.degree. or smaller and also set such that .theta.2 is not greater than .theta.1.