US4968994A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Head tending apparatus for an ink jet printer
Assignee: iCad Inc
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Filing: 1989-05-30
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Granted: 1990-11-06
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Expires: 2009-05-30
Abstract
Abstract A head tending apparatus for an ink jet printing system with at least one ink jet is disclosed. The apparatus includes a solvent supply system for spraying solvent on the faces of the ink jets and in the jet openings. The apparatus also has a brush for scrubbing the ink jet faces during and immediately after the spraying process. The solvent loosens and dissolves any solid matter that may have formed on the jet faces or in the jet openings and also deprimes any ink remaining in the jets when the printer is shut down; the brush cleans the loosened matter off the jet faces. If the printer has a rotating image insert assembly with the ink jets thereon, the brush and a solvent jet are mounted to a shell adjacent the ink jets. The brush includes a bristle-free section that is normally adjacent the image insert assembly and spaced away therefrom when the head tending appartaus is deactivated; this prevents the apparatus from interfering with the normal operation of the printer. Head tending is normally performed when the
Inventors
- 👤 Allan G. Hock
- 👤 Kathryn McMahon
- 👤 John G. Sousa
- 👤 Calvin M. Winey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:13
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/165; B41J2/16517; B41J2/16552; B41J2/16535; B41J2/16538
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A head tending apparatus for a movable ink jet print head having at least one ink jet, each of said ink jets having a jet opening in an exposed jet face, said head tending apparatus comprising: (A) a solvent jet means spaced from the print head for spraying a solvent on said ink jet faces and in said ink jet openings while said head is moving; and (B) a brush means with bristles, said bristles set to scrub said ink jet faces while said print head is moving.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
88 words
A head tending apparatus for a movable ink jet print head having at least one ink jet, each of said ink jets having a jet opening in an exposed jet face, said head tending apparatus comprising: (A) a solvent jet means spaced from the print head for spraying a solvent on said ink jet faces and in said ink jet openings while said head is moving; and (B) a brush means with bristles, said bristles set to scrub said ink jet faces while said print head is moving.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 1 where said solvent jet means further includes: (A) a container for supplying said solvent; (B) a holder for receiving said container through which said solvent is drawn; (C) at least one solvent jet directed towards said ink jets; and (D) a solvent pump connected to said holder and said solvent jets for supplying solvent to said solvent jets.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 1 wherein said brush means is spaced away from said ink jets when the head tending apparatus is not in use, and in contact with said ink jets when the head tending apparatus is activated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 1 wherein said brush means further includes a rotating brush head spaced away from ink jets with a plurality of bristles that subtend an arc substantially around said brush head for scrubbing said ink jet faces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 4 and further including said bristles subtending an arc less than the circumference of said brush head so as to form a bristle-free section of said brush head spaced away from said ink jets, said bristle-free section of said brush head being positioned adjacent to said ink jets when said head tending apparatus is deactivated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
121 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 1 wherein: (A) said ink jets are on the outer circumference of a cylindrical print head that is part of an image insert assembly that rotates during the printing process; (B) said brush means includes a rotating brush head mounted to a stationary shell adjacent to said print head, said brush head being spaced away from said print head, and a plurality of bristles that extend from said brush head and subtend an arc at least substantially around said brush head, at least an arcuate portion of said bristles contacting said print head; and (C) said solvent jet means including at least one solvent jet mounted in said shell section directed towards said ink jets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 6 and further including said shell section forming a brush opening adjacent to said brush head and said portion of bristles in contact with said print head extending through said brush opening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The head tending apparatus of claim 6 wherein said bristles subtend an arc less than the circumference of said brush head so as to form a bristle-free section of said brush head spaced away from said print head, said bristle-free section of brush head being positioned adjacent to said print head when said head tending apparatus is deactivated.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of tending a ink jet print movable head having at least one ink jet, each of said ink jets having a jet opening in an exposed jet head; said method including the steps of: (A) spraying a solvent on said ink jet heads and in said ink jet openings while the head is moving; (B) scrubbing said ink jet heads while spraying said solvent; and (C) continuing to scrub said ink jet heads for a set period of time after spraying said solvent.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of tending a ink jet print movable head having at least one ink jet, each of said ink jets having a jet opening in an exposed jet head; said method including the steps of: (A) spraying a solvent on said ink jet heads and in said ink jet openings while the head is moving; (B) scrubbing said ink jet heads while spraying said solvent; and (C) continuing to scrub said ink jet heads for a set period of time after spraying said solvent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of head tending an ink jet printer in accordance with claim 9 and further including the steps of: scrubbing said ink jet heads with a brush that is spaced away from said ink jet heads when deactivated from head tending.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of head tending an ink jet printer in accordance with claim 9 wherein said ink jets are on a cylindrical print head that is part of a rotating image insert assembly, further comprising the steps of: (A) rotating said image insert assembly; (B) spraying said solvent from a stationary source adjacent to said print head; (C) scrubbing said ink jet heads with a brush spaced adjacent to said print head.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of head tending an ink jet printer in accordance with claim 10 further including the step of scrubbing said ink jet heads with a rotating brush that is spaced away from said ink jet heads when deactivated from head tending.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of tending a movable ink jet print head having at least one heated jet substantially filled with hot melt ink from ink reservoir means in the head to a meniscus just inside the jet nozzle, said method comprising the steps of: depriming each jet by vaporizing an ink solvent at the nozzle of each jet with the solvent vapor entering the jet through the nozzle and breaking the ink meniscus therein so that substantially all of the ink in that jet drains out of the jet back into the reservoir means; continuing the vaporizing so that the solvent vapors penetrate substantially the entire length of the jet down to the reservoir means, and subsequently priming each drained jet with ink from the reservoir means to form a new ink meniscus just inside the nozzle of that jet.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of tending a movable ink jet print head having at least one heated jet substantially filled with hot melt ink from ink reservoir means in the head to a meniscus just inside the jet nozzle, said method comprising the steps of: depriming each jet by vaporizing an ink solvent at the nozzle of each jet with the solvent vapor entering the jet through the nozzle and breaking the ink meniscus therein so that substantially all of the ink in that jet drains out of the jet back into the reservoir means; continuing the vaporizing so that the solvent vapors penetrate substantially the entire length of the jet down to the reservoir means, and subsequently priming each drained jet with ink from the reservoir means to form a new ink meniscus just inside the nozzle of that jet.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method defined in claim 13 and including the additional step of vaporizing ink solvent at the nozzle of each jet so that the vapors penetrate the jet after the depriming step and just prior to the priming step.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein the depriming step is performed while the print head is rotating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method defined in claim 13 and including the additional step of brushing the nozzle of each jet during the vaporizing step.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-11-05 | 1994-05-07 | 1994-11-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-11-05 | 1998-05-07 | 1998-11-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-11-05 | 2002-05-07 | 2002-11-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |