Recorders – Markers and/or driving means therefor – With ink supply to marker
Patent
1989-10-05
1990-06-19
Miller, Jr., George H.
Recorders
Markers and/or driving means therefor
With ink supply to marker
G01D 1518
Patent
active
049357530
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an apparatus for the cleaning and sealing of the nozzle surface on an ink head, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
For the troublefree operation of ink printers, in which ink droplets are ejected from small nozzle orifices which are arranged, for example, in nozzle plates, it is necessary to keep the nozzle surface clean at all times, since dust particles, for example from the paper, or ink residues in the nozzle region can lead to skewed spraying or complete failure of the nozzles.
During cleaning of the nozzle surfaces, it must be ensured that the spraying function of the nozzles is maintained, for which reason air or dirt must not be forced into the small nozzle orifices in each cleaning operation.
If different-colored inks from neighboring rows of nozzles are ejected in ink printers, ink mixings due to ink residues on the nozzle surfaces, which could flow into the nozzle ducts, must not occur.
Furthermore, a drying-up of the nozzles during breaks in recording must be avoided and the nozzle orifices must be sealed during transportation, so that no ink can escape.
It is known from German Patent Specification 2,610,518 to clean the ink head and, in particular, the nozzle surfaces by the ink pressure briefly being increased manually and by the dirt particles being flushed away by the ink discharged at the nozzle surface.
The high ink consumption and the inadequate effect in the case of firmly adhering dirt are disadvantageous.
Other known cleaning apparatuses (German Offenlegungsschrift 3,207,072) use a pivotally arranged plate, which is moved back and forth with one edge over the nozzle surface.
In the case of plates which are taken flat over the nozzle plates, occasional air bubbles may, however, be forced into the nozzle orifices. Furthermore, it is not ensured that the dirt particles are wiped away from the nozzle plate.
Also known, from German Offenlegungsschrift 2,919,727, is an apparatus for the sealing of the nozzle surface on an ink recording head, in which a motor-driven flexible endless band is provided which lies in contact with the nozzle surface.
Such a contacting endless flexible band has the disadvantage that, under certain circumstances, dirt adhering to the nozzle surface is not removed but only spread and disturbances in the recording operation ensue. Furthermore, due to the tightly contacting band, air bubbles may be forced into the nozzle orifices during rotation.
The object of the invention is to design an apparatus for the cleaning and sealing of the nozzle surface on an ink head in such a way that the disadvantageous effects described at the beginning do not occur and consequently the operational reliability of the ink head is enhanced.
This object is achieved in the case of an apparatus of the type mentioned at the beginning according to the defining part of the first patent claim.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterised in the subclaims.
By the arrangement of wiping lips, which are of such a wedge-shaped design that they cannot wrap around each other, and which extend over the width of all nozzle rows, the nozzle surface can be cleaned of adhering dirt absolutely reliably without air being forced into the nozzles during cleaning. Even firmly adhering dirt particles are reliably removed.
The necessary flexibility and compliance for producing the contact pressure of the wiping lips is brought about in an advantageous way by the flexure of the band itself.
The wedge-shaped lip form has the advantage that, with a defined angle, the lip can be moved towards and away from the orifices of the nozzle surface. This is of advantage in particular whenever an ink print head is operated with a vacuum, in which case an ink meniscus develops in the region of the orifices of the nozzle surface.
Furthermore, such a lip form has the important advantage that the lip can be cleaned down to the bottom on both sides. The cleaning of the lips is necessary in order not to transport ink and dirt back to the nozzle surface.
In this case, a simple advan
REFERENCES:
patent: 4253103 (1981-02-01), Heinzl et al.
patent: 4300145 (1981-11-01), van Raamsdonk
patent: 4369456 (1983-01-01), Cruz-Uribe et al.
patent: 4500894 (1985-02-01), Kirner
Gotz Werner
Lehmann Manfred
Lehna Heinz
Miller Jr. George H.
Morris Jeffrey P.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
LandOfFree
Apparatus for the cleaning and sealing of the nozzle surface of does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for the cleaning and sealing of the nozzle surface of , we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for the cleaning and sealing of the nozzle surface of will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2263075