Patent · US Expired

Ink delivery pressure control

US5967045A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
25References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 20, 1998
Grant dateOct 19, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 20, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/17556
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

For control of static ink delivery pressure, a system and method make use of an outer chamber having a first outlet for delivery of ink to an ink printing mechanism, an inner chamber having a second outlet for delivery of ink to the outer chamber, and a pressure source that applies negative pressure to the outer chamber. The inner chamber maintains an internal negative pressure that is selected to control a level of the ink within the outer chamber relative to a height of the second outlet within the outer chamber. In particular, inner chamber maintains the ink level at a substantially constant level by replenishing the volume of ink within the outer chamber upon consumption. When ink is consumed by the ink printing mechanism, the inner chamber delivers a proportional volume of ink to the outer chamber that is sufficient to restore the ink to the desired level. The negative pressure applied to the outer chamber is operative on the substantially constant volume of ink maintained within the outer chamber, and can be readily selected to provide a substantially uniform static ink delivery pressure from the outer chamber to the ink printing mechanism. For an inkjet printhead, the level …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.