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. 01, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 31, 2000
Damon Howard Lou, San Diego, CA (US);
Arthur K Wilson, San Diego, CA (US);
Mark Alan McCluskey, San Diego, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A cleaning system and method for an optical apparatus of a printer. A heating apparatus and a cleaning apparatus are provided in the printer to dry deposits on an optical surface of the optical apparatus and to remove them through mechanical engagement. In an inkjet printer, these deposits are typically stray aerosol ink droplets. In some embodiments the optical apparatus is movable, while the cleaning apparatus is fixed; in other embodiments the cleaning apparatus is movable, while the optical apparatus is fixed; in still other embodiments both apparatuses are movable. The cleaning apparatus typically includes a wiper, brush, scraper, or pad. The optical apparatus typically includes one or more optical elements such as a light source, a light sensor, and a lens. The heating apparatus, which may be operated intermittantly or continuously, may be an heat or light source external to the optical apparatus and positionable in thermal proximity to it for drying the deposits; alternatively, the heating apparatus may be on or within the optical apparatus, or internal to one of the optical elements.