EP0805030A2 - Dispostif de chauffage d'une lèvre pour une imprimante à jet d'encre continu - Google Patents

Dispostif de chauffage d'une lèvre pour une imprimante à jet d'encre continu Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0805030A2
EP0805030A2 EP97302692A EP97302692A EP0805030A2 EP 0805030 A2 EP0805030 A2 EP 0805030A2 EP 97302692 A EP97302692 A EP 97302692A EP 97302692 A EP97302692 A EP 97302692A EP 0805030 A2 EP0805030 A2 EP 0805030A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
eyelid
seal
ink
printhead
assembly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP97302692A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0805030B1 (fr
EP0805030A3 (fr
Inventor
Robert J. Simon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kodak Versamark Inc
Original Assignee
Kodak Versamark Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kodak Versamark Inc filed Critical Kodak Versamark Inc
Publication of EP0805030A2 publication Critical patent/EP0805030A2/fr
Publication of EP0805030A3 publication Critical patent/EP0805030A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0805030B1 publication Critical patent/EP0805030B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16505—Caps, spittoons or covers for cleaning or preventing drying out
    • B41J2/16508—Caps, spittoons or covers for cleaning or preventing drying out connected with the printer frame
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
    • B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to continuous ink jet printing and, more particularly, to a heater element formed into the eyelid of a continuous ink jet printhead.
  • Ink jet printing systems are known in which a printhead defines one or more rows of orifices which receive an electrically conductive recording fluid from a pressurized fluid supply manifold and eject the fluid in rows of parallel streams.
  • Printers using such printheads accomplish graphic reproduction by selectively charging and deflecting the drops in each of the streams and depositing at least some of the drops on a print receiving medium, while others of the drops strike a drop catcher device.
  • the ink jet printhead When the ink jet printhead is not in operation, means must be provided to seal the printhead so that ink does not dry in the catcher face area, or weep from the jets and soil the apparatus or adjacent work surfaces. It is desirable, therefore, to attach an eyelid device to a printhead.
  • the eyelid contains and directs the fluid flow through the catcher during the startup sequence of the continuous ink jet printer. The startup sequence establishes the jets, dries the high voltage electrodes, and turns on charging voltage.
  • the eyelid diverts the flow of ink from a resonator back into the printhead while the printer is running but not printing.
  • the eyelid can be opened any time after the charging voltage is applied.
  • the eyelid remains closed while waiting for other printers to come on line, the paper to be loaded, during operator breaks, and other interruptions of a normal production run.
  • the eyelid stays closed to protect documents or equipment below the printhead in the case of crooked jets or other printhead errors which are not detected automatically.
  • an eyelid assembly in a continuous ink jet printhead comprises an eyelid for containing and directing fluid flow through a catcher throat and a heater element formed into the eyelid to prevent condensate on the eyelid.
  • the eyelid device 1 typically comprises an actuator element la and a seal element 1b.
  • the actuator la opens when printing begins to allow print drops to exit printhead 10.
  • the eyelid seal 1b contains and directs the fluid flow 2d, as illustrated in Fig. 2, through catcher throat 2a during the startup sequence.
  • the startup sequence establishes the ink jets 3 from the droplet generator 4, dries the high voltage electrodes 2b, and turns on a charging voltage.
  • the eyelid can be opened any time after the charging voltage is applied.
  • the eyelid remains closed while waiting for other printers to come on line, the paper to be loaded, during operator breaks, and other interruptions of a normal production run.
  • the eyelid stays closed to protect documents or equipment below the printhead in the case of crooked jets or other printhead errors which are not detected automatically.
  • Printhead design has been optimized to reduce evaporation rates in order to minimize ink concentration changes in the system. However, this optimization also has the effect of reducing airflow through the catcher to a minimum.
  • the reduced catcher flow is not capable of completely removing air in region 5 around the jets when the eyelid is closed. This air becomes saturated with water vapor due to localized evaporation from ink drops, causing the air temperature to approach the ink temperature, which is 5 to 10°C above the eyelid seal temperature.
  • the saturated air condenses on the eyelid, particularly on surface 1c of Fig. 2. Over time, the condensate fills the volume and drips out of the eyelid, or causes shorts to the high voltage electrode.
  • an eyelid heater 6 is provided to prevent condensate on the surface of the eyelid, particularly surface 1c of the eyelid, parallel to the catcher face, which has ink impacting on it.
  • the heater 6 comprises a flex circuit with the heater element 6b located in the face of the flex circuit; a flange on the upper surface which extends beyond the molded portion, to fix the flex circuit in the correct position in the mold cavity during the molding process; and electrical connections 6a.
  • Eyelid assembly 1 comprising actuator la and eyelid seal 1b, seal the printhead 10 when the printhead is not in operation, so that ink does not dry in the catcher face area, or weep from the jets.
  • the seal 1b preferably comprises a silicone rubber eyelid sea.
  • the heater element 6 is integrated into the eyelid seal 1b to maintain the surface temperature of the eyelid above the local air temperature and eliminate the formation of condensate on the eyelid 1. Molding the heater element into the eyelid seal also has the desirable effect of minimizing power requirements. The molding reduces the power requirements by eliminating the energy which is wasted by heating the actuator element.
  • the actuator which is aluminum, conducts heat very well, as aluminum has a high thermal conductivity; whereas the seal, which is silicone rubber, does not conduct heat well, as silicone rubber has a low thermal conductivity. If the heater 6 is placed external to the silicone, rather than molded into the seal as in the present invention, the energy must pass through the interface to the silicone, and through the silicone, to reach the face that needs to be heated. This increases the power requirements from 1.5 W to a range from 6 W to 10 W.
  • the integral eyelid and heater assembly also comprises an integral connector 6a to allow easy removal of the eyelid for servicing.
  • the present invention is useful in the field of ink jet printing, and has the advantage of preventing the formation of condensate on the surface of a printhead eyelid. It is a further advantage of the present invention that it integrates a heater element into the eyelid seal assembly to maintain the surface temperature of the eyelid above the local ambient air temperature. Finally, it is an advantage of the present invention that the heater can be molded into the eyelid seal to minimize power requirements.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
EP19970302692 1996-04-30 1997-04-21 Dispostif de chauffage d'une lèvre pour une imprimante à jet d'encre continu Expired - Lifetime EP0805030B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US64023396A 1996-04-30 1996-04-30
US640233 1996-04-30

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0805030A2 true EP0805030A2 (fr) 1997-11-05
EP0805030A3 EP0805030A3 (fr) 1998-06-03
EP0805030B1 EP0805030B1 (fr) 2000-05-10

Family

ID=24567392

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19970302692 Expired - Lifetime EP0805030B1 (fr) 1996-04-30 1997-04-21 Dispostif de chauffage d'une lèvre pour une imprimante à jet d'encre continu

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0805030B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH1034963A (fr)
AU (1) AU714382B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2203953A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69701920T2 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6247781B1 (en) * 1998-12-14 2001-06-19 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Ink jet printhead with an improved eyelid system

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5289893B2 (ja) * 2008-10-30 2013-09-11 株式会社イセトー 印刷制御システムおよび印刷制御方法、プリント稼動制御装置とその処理方法およびプログラム
DE102012215095A1 (de) 2012-08-24 2014-02-27 Bundesdruckerei Gmbh Druckeinrichtung und Druckverfahren

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4857940A (en) * 1987-08-31 1989-08-15 Eastman Kodak Company Molded article with exposed, confined leads, and process for making
US4928115A (en) * 1988-10-31 1990-05-22 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous ink jet printer having remotely operable print head assembly
US5469202A (en) * 1992-03-20 1995-11-21 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Continuous ink jet catcher with improved screen structure
US5475410A (en) * 1992-03-19 1995-12-12 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Seal for ink jet printhead
US5475411A (en) * 1992-05-29 1995-12-12 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Method of fabricating a catcher/charge plate assembly

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4622562A (en) * 1985-04-12 1986-11-11 Eastman Kodak Company Ink jet printhead multi-component heating
US4591870A (en) * 1985-04-12 1986-05-27 Eastman Kodak Company Ink jet printing apparatus and method with condensate-washing for print head
US4928116A (en) * 1988-10-31 1990-05-22 Eastman Kodak Company Ink jet printer having improved print head heater construction

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4857940A (en) * 1987-08-31 1989-08-15 Eastman Kodak Company Molded article with exposed, confined leads, and process for making
US4928115A (en) * 1988-10-31 1990-05-22 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous ink jet printer having remotely operable print head assembly
US5475410A (en) * 1992-03-19 1995-12-12 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Seal for ink jet printhead
US5469202A (en) * 1992-03-20 1995-11-21 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Continuous ink jet catcher with improved screen structure
US5475411A (en) * 1992-05-29 1995-12-12 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Method of fabricating a catcher/charge plate assembly

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6247781B1 (en) * 1998-12-14 2001-06-19 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Ink jet printhead with an improved eyelid system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU714382B2 (en) 1999-12-23
DE69701920T2 (de) 2000-12-07
JPH1034963A (ja) 1998-02-10
EP0805030B1 (fr) 2000-05-10
AU1993697A (en) 1997-11-06
DE69701920D1 (de) 2000-06-15
CA2203953A1 (fr) 1997-10-30
EP0805030A3 (fr) 1998-06-03

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