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:
Feb. 11, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 17, 2000
Gilbert A. Hawkins, Mendon, NY (US);
Michael E. Meichle, Rochester, NY (US);
Ravi Sharma, Fairport, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A self-cleaning printer includes a print head having a surface that is susceptible to a contaminate build up. A cleaning liquid containing a concentration of macroscopic cleaning particles is flowed in frictive contact with the contaminate such that a combined effect of frictive force and hydrodynamic shearing force acting on the contaminate effectively removes the contaminate from the surface. Preferably, the cleaning particles are adapted to attach to the contaminate. They may include polymeric beads such as polystyrene spheres. The cleaning particles preferably have surfaces to which polymeric chains are attached, the polymeric chains having end groups which adhere to the contaminate.