Print head jet maintenance
US9533491B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 2015 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 28, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2025/008
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A print strategy periodically inserts sacrificial print media, such as a small number of sacrificial sheets of paper into a print job to exercise underused print head jets and prevent nozzle dry-up and/or degraded jetting integrity. This can be implemented with sacrificial sheets out of a tray used by a current print job or from another paper tray housing, for example, the widest stock currently installed in the image forming device. Jets that need to be exercised can be determined by using Feed-Forward image content from the Image Path, and those jets are exercised to print ink on the sacrificial sheet(s). The sacrificial sheet may be diverted to a bypass tray as scrap. Without the need for a purge cycle, or a cycle-down, the image forming device can continue seamlessly to the next print job without performance loss from using the previously under-used print head jets.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.