Printhead air management using unsaturated ink
US6874873B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 1, 2003 |
| Grant date | Apr 5, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 5, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2/17523
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Techniques for air management in an inkjet printing systems. A method includes providing an ink supply for holding a supply of liquid ink, the ink supply including high barriers to air diffusion, filling the ink supply with a quantity of liquid unsaturated ink, storing the filled ink supply for a storage time interval or until needed, installing the ink supply in an inkjet printing system including an inkjet printhead, supplying unsaturated ink from the ink supply to the inkjet printhead for printing, and allowing the unsaturated ink to absorb air introduced into the printing system, and ejecting droplets of the liquid ink from the printing system during the printing. A semipermanent inkjet printhead for the inkjet printing system includes a printhead body with an internal plenum, a pressure regulator for regulating pressure in the plenum, a nozzle array for ejecting droplets of ink, a fluid inlet mounted to the printhead body and coupled to the plenum for connection to an ink supply path for ink delivered from a replaceable ink supply, and a supply of unsaturated ink disposed in the plenum, the unsaturated ink having an air solubility level sufficient to absorb air introduced into…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.