EP0832746A1 - Tintenstrahldrucker mit vorrichtung zur justierung eines druckkopfes mit einem erwartungssystem - Google Patents

Tintenstrahldrucker mit vorrichtung zur justierung eines druckkopfes mit einem erwartungssystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0832746A1
EP0832746A1 EP97116568A EP97116568A EP0832746A1 EP 0832746 A1 EP0832746 A1 EP 0832746A1 EP 97116568 A EP97116568 A EP 97116568A EP 97116568 A EP97116568 A EP 97116568A EP 0832746 A1 EP0832746 A1 EP 0832746A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
print head
head
maintenance
inkjet
station
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
EP97116568A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0832746B1 (de
Inventor
Jerome E. Jackson
Richard A. Malin
David Priven
Patricia Wong
Edilberto I. Salazar
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.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes 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
Priority claimed from US08/710,795 external-priority patent/US5889535A/en
Priority claimed from US08/786,383 external-priority patent/US5760801A/en
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of EP0832746A1 publication Critical patent/EP0832746A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0832746B1 publication Critical patent/EP0832746B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • 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
    • B41J2/16517—Cleaning of print head nozzles
    • B41J2/16535—Cleaning of print head nozzles using wiping constructions
    • B41J2/16544—Constructions for the positioning of wipers
    • B41J2/16547—Constructions for the positioning of wipers the wipers and caps or spittoons being on the same movable support
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00516—Details of printing apparatus
    • G07B2017/00556—Ensuring quality of print

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to inkjet printer apparatus having an inkjet print head and a maintenance head, and to methods of cleaning and maintaining an inkjet head
  • the invention is applicable to postage meters.
  • Print heads are used in many applications today, and inkjet print heads are often preferred. Such print heads spray small drops of ink on paper and typically travel along an axis of transport. When inkjet print heads are not in use they are moved to a maintenance station where a cleaning and maintenance procedure is effected which includes wiping, priming, spitting and capping. Typically, the maintenance system is spaced in axial alignment with the path of travel of the print head. In this manner, the axis of transport of the print head must necessarily extend beyond the range where printing is to occur.
  • inkjet printers such as in a postage meter or mailing machine
  • moving the print head along more than one axis to accommodate the maintenance system would be excessively complex.
  • use of an inkjet printer having the print head and maintenance system in axial alignment is difficult to effect in some applications.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a maintenance system which does not require additional space for the maintenance station and thus permits use of the inkjet printer in applications such as postage meters where it might otherwise not be feasible.
  • inkjet printer apparatus comprising an inkjet print head translatable in a first direction: means for translating said print head to a cleaning station; an inkjet maintenance head translatable in at least second and third directions defining a plane, wherein said plane is perpendicular to said first direction; and means for translating said maintenance head in said at least two directions in said plane to engage said print head at said cleaning station.
  • a method of cleaning and maintaining an inkjet print head with a maintenance head comprising translating an inkjet print head in a first direction to a cleaning station; and translating an inkjet maintenance head in at least second and third directions defining a plane to mating engagement with said print head at said cleaning station, wherein said first direction is perpendicular to said plane.
  • the reliable positioning of the print and maintenance heads in proper mating relationship is achieved by:
  • the method further includes:
  • a method comprising the stops of positioning a print head and a maintenance head of an inkjet printer into proper mating relationship; driving the print head to a hard stop; measuring an indicator of the distance from the proper mating relationship position to the print head hard stop; and storing the print head distance indicator in a memory.
  • a postage meter 8 having an inkjet printing system generally designated 10 which includes an inkjet print head 12, an inkjet maintenance head 14 for servicing and cleaning the print head 12 and suitable framework (not shown) for supporting the various components of the inkjet printing system 10.
  • the print head 12 is used for printing a postage indicia on an envelope 16, which travels in the direction indicated by the arrow, and also on tape 18 passing therebelow in a path parallel to the path of the envelope 16 as explained in further detail hereinbelow.
  • the print head 12 includes a pair of rollers 20 and 22 which ride on a pair of rails 24 and 26 respectively.
  • a lead screw 28 is driven by a drive motor 30 and threadingly engages the top of the print head 12 in order to translate the print head 12 back and forth along the rails 24 and 26.
  • a conventional encoder system 130 is operatively connected to the drive motor 30 for providing signals indicative of the position of the print head 12 along the lead screw 28, such as a light source (not shown), a light detector (not shown) and a vane (not shown) fixably mounted to the shaft of the motor 30 and operatively located between the light source and the light detector to alternatively block and unblock the light source.
  • the print head 12 can be stopped in one of three positions.
  • Fig. 1 shows the print head 12 stopped at station 1, indicated by arrow 32, at which the print head 12 can print on the tape 18 in conventional manner.
  • the print head 12 can also be stopped at station 2, indicated by the arrow 34, at which the print head 12 can print on the envelope 16 in conventional manner.
  • the home or resting position of the print head 12 is at station 3 indicated by the arrow 36.
  • the print head 12 further includes an alignment tab 110 having an alignment hole 112 located therethrough.
  • the alignment tab 110 is located on a vertical wall of the print head 12 near the bottom of the print head 12.
  • the maintenance head 14 has a camming surface 19 which sits on a track 38 and is translatable along the track 38 by means of a pin 40 which engages an aperture (not shown) in the maintenance head 14
  • the track 38 is vertically aligned with the print head station 3.
  • the pin 40 is seated in a block 42 which threadingly engages a lead screw 44 which in turn is driven by a drive motor 46.
  • the track 38 includes a slot 48 in which the pin 40 is translated.
  • the track 38 includes a horizontal path or section 50, an angled, cam section 52, and a second, horizontal section 54 at the end thereof.
  • the cam section 52 is shown angled at a diagonal, but other angles or shapes could be employed.
  • the maintenance head 14 is shown at its home or resting position which is station 4 indicated by the arrow 56.
  • the maintenance head 14 is situated at station 4 whenever the print head 12 is being used to print the envelopes 16 or the tape 18.
  • the maintenance head 14 further includes an alignment tab 120 having an alignment hole 122 located therethrough.
  • the alignment tab 120 is located on a vertical wall of the maintenance head 14 near the top of the maintenance head 14.
  • a conventional encoder system 146 is operatively connected to the drive motor 46 for providing signals indicative of the position of the maintenance head 12 along the lead screw 44.
  • the print head 12 Whenever the print head 12 is not being used to print envelopes 16 or tape 18, the print head 12 is translated by the lead screw 28 to the position of station 3 and remains stationary at station 3. Whenever the print head 12 is stationary at station 3, the inkjet printing system 10 is programmed to move the maintenance head 14 to station 5 indicated by the arrow 57 into a docked position which is in mating relationship with the print head 12, as shown in Fig. 3, i.e. the maintenance head 14 is moved below the print head 12.
  • the movement of the maintenance head 14 along the track 38 to the station 5 will now be described.
  • the maintenance head 14 moves in a single, vertical plane which is aligned with the print head home station 3.
  • the initial movement of the maintenance head 14 along the track 38 is from left to right on the first horizontal path 50.
  • the drive motor 46 causes the maintenance head 14 to approach the cam section 52, at which point the camming surface 19 of the maintenance head 14 engages the cam section 52 to thereby lift the maintenance head 14 as it is being translated from left to right.
  • the camming surface 19 has finished traversing the cam section 52, the maintenance head 14 is elevated and continues to move from left to right along the second horizontal track section 54 to the cleaning position seen in Fig. 3.
  • the maintenance head 14 experiences lateral and vertical movement in being moved from its home position at station 4 to its cleaning position at station 5 where the top surface of the maintenance head 14 engages the bottom surface of the print head 12.
  • the lateral movement takes place along the horizontal track sections 50 and 54, and both lateral and vertical movement takes place along the cam section 52.
  • the movement along the horizontal track sections 50 and 54 comprises movement in one direction and the movement along the cam section 52 comprises movement in a second direction.
  • the two directions of movement will comprise elements of both lateral and vertical movement. Since both lateral and vertical movement of the maintenance head 14 are required to move it into its cleaning position at station 5, movements other than what is shown in Figs. 1-3 could be employed, e.g. one direction of movement could be purely horizontal and another direction of movement could be purely vertical.
  • the wiper (not shown) of the maintenance head 14 wipes the nozzles (not shown) on the bottom of the print head 12 in conventional manner.
  • the capping device (not shown) of the maintenance head 14 hermetically seals the nozzles of the print head 12 when the maintenance head 14 is stopped from further translation along the track 38, and a vacuum can be applied to the maintenance head 14 to remove ink from the nozzles. Additionally, the nozzles of the print head 12 can be fired into a spittoon (not shown) or capping device of the maintenance head.
  • the inkjet printing system 10 further includes a control system 200 having a memory 202.
  • the control system 200 is in operative communication with the encoder systems 130 and 146 and the motors 30 and 46 for receiving input signals from the encoder systems 130 and 146, respectively, and outputting control signals to the motors 30 and 43, respectively, for positioning the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 along their respective lead screws 28 and 44.
  • the control system 200 is further in communication with any suitable interface 300, such as a keyboard and LCD or CRT display, which allows the operator to receive information from and provide inputs to the postage meter 8.
  • the control system 200 may include any suitable combination of hardware, software and processors.
  • an alignment calibration routine is performed.
  • the alignment calibration routine may take place during the manufacturing process or during installation at the user location and is used to establish station 3 for the print head 12 and station 5 for the maintenance head 14 so that during normal operation the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 are in proper mating relationship.
  • the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 are brought into proper mating relationship. This is accomplished by repositioning the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 along their respective lead screws 28 and 44 until the capping device properly covers the nozzles of the print head 12.
  • the alignment tabs 110 and 120 are provided. Since the alignment tabs 110 and 120 are manufactured with close tolerance to the remaining features of the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14, respectively, they can be used to assist in properly aligning the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 by inserting a pin (not shown) through the alignment holes 112 and 122.
  • the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 are driven along their respective lead screws 28 and 44 until they each reach a fixed hard stop (not shown) on one end of each lead screw 28 and 44.
  • the fixed hard stops provide a known reference location from which the distance to the station 3 and station 5 can be measured.
  • the controller 200 counts the number of encoder pulses from the proper mating relationship position to each respective hard stop for both the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14. These respective values, print head encoder pulse count (station 3 count) and maintenance head encoder pulse count (station 5 count), are then stored in memory 202 for later use.
  • this routine establishes a reference point for the print head 12 from its hard stop which can be used in repeating accurately the proper position of the print head 12 in station 3.
  • this routine establishes a reference point for the maintenance head 14 from its hard stop which can be used in repeating accurately the proper position of the maintenance head 14 in station 5.
  • a proper mating relationship can be repeatably achieved. Therefore, any tolerancing problems between different postage meters 8 will be accounted for since the encoder pulse counts are unique to each postage meter 8.
  • the print head encoder pulse count and the maintenance head encoder pulse count are preferably stored in a non-volatile type memory 202. In this manner, these counts will not be lost due to power loss in the postage meter 8.
  • the hard stops may merely be one the end of the lead screw 28 and 44, respectively. In which case the respective encoder pulses are counted until the motors 30 and 46, respectively, stall.
  • a mechanical switch or optical sensor could be employed to signal the controller 200 to stop counting encoder pulses.
  • the controller 200 instructs the inkjet printing system 10 to print on the envelope 16, then the print head is driven to station 2 while the maintenance head 14 is driven to station 4. After completing printing, the controller 200 returns the print head 12 to station 3 and the maintenance head 14 to station 5 using the print head encoder pulse count and the maintenance head encoder pulse count, respectively. At predetermined intervals and/or upon the occurrence of a particular event, the controller 200 drives the print head 12 and the maintenance head 14 to their respective hard stops so as to prevent "drift" or "wander" of the system.
  • the print head encoder pulse count and the maintenance head encoder pulse count which are stored in memory 202 continue to serve as accurate indicators of reference points where a proper mating relationship occurs.
  • stepper motors are utilized, then it is possible to count motor pulses instead of encoder pulses. Also, it is preferable that the print head encoder pulse count and the maintenance head encoder pulse count are stored in a non-volatile type memory 202. In this manner, these counts will not be lost due to power loss in the postage meter 8.
  • the inkjet printing system 10 described hereinabove is arranged in such a way that it occupies a minimum of space and thus can be used in many applications which otherwise lack sufficient space for an inkjet printer.
  • a postage meter is just one example of the many applications for which the foregoing inkjet printing system 10 is suitable.
  • the operator is allowed to independently manipulate the station 1 and station 2 counts so as to reposition the postage indicia on the envelope 16 or the tape 18.
  • the postage indicia can be adjusted along the envelope 16 or tape 18 in a direction which is transverse to the path of travel.
  • Prior art systems only allow adjustment of the postage indicia in a direction parallel to the path of travel.
  • Any suitable combination of hardware and software could serve as the interface 300 and controller 200.
  • the operator may be presented with a visual indication on the LCD of the position of the postage indicia on the envelope 16.
  • the operator may reposition the postage indicia where each depression of a respective arrow key either subtracts or adds a predetermined incremental number of counts to the station 2 count.
  • the same technique could be employed to adjust the station 1 coat.
  • the interface 300 provides a menu system where the operator can select whether to adjust the position of the postage indicia on the envelope 16 or the tape 18.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
EP19970116568 1996-09-23 1997-09-23 Tintenstrahldrucker mit Vorrichtung zur Justierung eines Druckkopfes mit einem Erwartungssystem Expired - Lifetime EP0832746B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/710,795 US5889535A (en) 1996-09-23 1996-09-23 Postage meter including an inkjet printer which has an ink-jet maintenance head translating transverse to the movement of the inkjet print head
US710795 1996-09-23
US08/786,383 US5760801A (en) 1997-01-16 1997-01-16 Ink jet printer having print head and maintenance system alignment
US786383 1997-01-16

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0832746A1 true EP0832746A1 (de) 1998-04-01
EP0832746B1 EP0832746B1 (de) 2001-11-28

Family

ID=27108529

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19970116568 Expired - Lifetime EP0832746B1 (de) 1996-09-23 1997-09-23 Tintenstrahldrucker mit Vorrichtung zur Justierung eines Druckkopfes mit einem Erwartungssystem

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0832746B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69708570T2 (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5901644A (en) * 1997-05-28 1999-05-11 Neopost Limited Apparatus with removable print head
FR2783338A1 (fr) * 1998-09-14 2000-03-17 Secap Machine d'affranchissement compacte a jet d'encre et a insertion manuelle
DE10114541A1 (de) * 2001-03-21 2002-10-02 Francotyp Postalia Ag Vorrichtung zum Drucken
EP2614959A1 (de) * 2012-01-16 2013-07-17 Tkt Brainpower S.L. Vorrichtung zum Reinigen und Schließen von Druckpatronen und Schließelement zum Schließen von Druckpatronen

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102017103202A1 (de) 2017-02-16 2018-08-16 Océ Holding B.V. Drucksystem zum Bedrucken eines Aufzeichnungsträgers und Verfahren zum Reinigen von Druckköpfen eines Drucksystems

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5677159A (en) * 1979-11-30 1981-06-25 Fujitsu Ltd Cleaner for ink jet nozzle
JPS60240454A (ja) * 1984-05-16 1985-11-29 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd インクジエツト記録装置
US5040000A (en) * 1988-05-12 1991-08-13 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording apparatus having a space saving ink recovery system
EP0552030A1 (de) * 1992-01-16 1993-07-21 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Abdeckmechanismus für ein Tintenstrahlaufzeichnungsgerät
US5467709A (en) * 1994-12-22 1995-11-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing machine utilizing ink jet printer
EP0720912A2 (de) * 1995-01-04 1996-07-10 Brother International Corporation Pflegevorrichtung in einem Tintenstrahldrucker

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5677159A (en) * 1979-11-30 1981-06-25 Fujitsu Ltd Cleaner for ink jet nozzle
JPS60240454A (ja) * 1984-05-16 1985-11-29 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd インクジエツト記録装置
US5040000A (en) * 1988-05-12 1991-08-13 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording apparatus having a space saving ink recovery system
EP0552030A1 (de) * 1992-01-16 1993-07-21 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Abdeckmechanismus für ein Tintenstrahlaufzeichnungsgerät
US5467709A (en) * 1994-12-22 1995-11-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Mailing machine utilizing ink jet printer
EP0720912A2 (de) * 1995-01-04 1996-07-10 Brother International Corporation Pflegevorrichtung in einem Tintenstrahldrucker

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 005, no. 147 (M - 088) 17 September 1981 (1981-09-17) *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 010, no. 109 (M - 472) 23 April 1986 (1986-04-23) *

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5901644A (en) * 1997-05-28 1999-05-11 Neopost Limited Apparatus with removable print head
FR2783338A1 (fr) * 1998-09-14 2000-03-17 Secap Machine d'affranchissement compacte a jet d'encre et a insertion manuelle
WO2000016268A1 (fr) * 1998-09-14 2000-03-23 Secap Machine d'affranchissement compacte a jet d'encre et a insertion manuelle
DE10114541A1 (de) * 2001-03-21 2002-10-02 Francotyp Postalia Ag Vorrichtung zum Drucken
US6709087B2 (en) 2001-03-21 2004-03-23 Francotyp Postalia Ag & Co. Printing device
EP2614959A1 (de) * 2012-01-16 2013-07-17 Tkt Brainpower S.L. Vorrichtung zum Reinigen und Schließen von Druckpatronen und Schließelement zum Schließen von Druckpatronen
US8919919B2 (en) 2012-01-16 2014-12-30 Tkt Brainpower, S.L. Device for cleaning and closing print cartridges and closing element for closing print cartridges

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69708570T2 (de) 2002-07-25
DE69708570D1 (de) 2002-01-10
EP0832746B1 (de) 2001-11-28

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