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. 25, 2011
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2009
John Robert Sheahan, Balmain, AU;
Mark Jackson Pulver, Balmain, AU;
Brian Christopher Morahan, Balmain, AU;
Alireza Moini, Balmain, AU;
Timothy Peter Gillespie, Balmain, AU;
Michael John Webb, Balmain, AU;
Angus John North, Balmain, AU;
Kia Silverbrook, Balmain, AU;
John Robert Sheahan, Balmain, AU;
Mark Jackson Pulver, Balmain, AU;
Brian Christopher Morahan, Balmain, AU;
Alireza Moini, Balmain, AU;
Timothy Peter Gillespie, Balmain, AU;
Michael John Webb, Balmain, AU;
Angus John North, Balmain, AU;
Kia Silverbrook, Balmain, AU;
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd, Balmain, New South Wales, AU;
Abstract
A printhead IC is provided having an ejection nozzle having a heater for heating printing fluid, and drive circuitry for generating print pulses and maintenance pulses for driving the heater of the ejection nozzle. The maintenance pulses have a series of sub-ejection pulses preceding a de-clog pulse. The print signals are generated to heat the heater to form a first vapor bubble in printing fluid that causes ejection of the printing fluid from the nozzle. The de-clog pulse is generated to have lower power and longer duration than the print pulses so as to heat the heaters to form a second vapor bubble in the printing fluid which does not cause ejection. The sub-ejection pulses are generated to have lower power than the print pulses and shorter duration than the de-clog pulse so as to heat the heater without sufficient energy to nucleate a vapor bubble in the printing fluid.