Ink jet waste and replenish ink system
US4527170A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 9, 1983 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 9, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2/195
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An ink jet printing apparatus is disclosed in which part of ink droplets ejected from a nozzle of an ink ejection head and unused for printing purpose is caught by a gutter and returned to an ink supply source through an ink circulation path to be reused. The ink is partly shunted for disposal while fresh ink is supplied to the ink supply source in proportion to the amount of ink disposal, thereby maintaining the ink viscosity always at a proper value. For the disposal of the ink, a three-way solenoid operated valve is opened periodically for a predetermined period of time or, alternatively, ink droplets ejected from the nozzle are deflected to be caught by a gutter which is independent of the first gutter for routing to disposal means. The amount of disposal is determined by a pressure of ink fed to the nozzle and/or a temperature of ink in the neighborhood of the nozzle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.