Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Patent
1995-09-05
1998-09-01
Le, N.
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
B41J 2175
Patent
active
058017356
ABSTRACT:
A system is provided for refilling an ink reservoir associated with an ink jet printhead. The printhead is mounted on a movable carriage which, when refill is needed, and in a first embodiment, is automatically moved to a refill station. At the refill station, a refill ink source is brought into sealing engagement with the front nozzle face of the printhead. Ink from a refill container is forced into the printhead nozzles and flows through the nozzle channels back into the reservoir. The refill operation is then enabled by establishing a pressure gradient against the refill ink container forcing it through a pressure regulating drive seal, or a filter, into the nozzles. Alternatively, a vacuum is established through a vent tube connecting into the cartridge reservoir creating a negative differential at the vent hole and causing the ink from the refill container to pass through the nozzles into the supply reservoir. In another embodiment, a maintenance station wherein the printhead nozzles are periodically primed is selectively converted into a refill station under control of a system controller.
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Apollonio Renato P.
Lorenze, Jr. Robert V.
Le N.
Xerox Corporation
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