Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100201764 | Foam Plate for Reducing Foam in A Printhead - A reservoir assembly for use in an imaging device, the reservoir assembly includes an ink input port configured to receive liquid ink from an ink source and an ink tank configured to receive ink from the input port. A filter is positioned between the input port and the ink tank configured to filter ink received via the input port prior to reaching the ink tank. The reservoir assembly includes a foam reducing path configured to guide ink that passes through the filter to the ink tank, the foam reducing path having a varying cross-sectional size and/or shape configured to collapse, compress, stretch, and/or shear air bubbles in foam that passes through the filter prior to reaching the ink tank. | 08-12-2010 |
20100271424 | Selective Purging of Ink Jets to Limit Purge Mass - A method of performing maintenance on a printhead of an imaging device includes the detection of at least one contaminated ink jet in a printhead. A first pressure is applied to ink in the printhead in response to the detection of the at least one contaminated ink jet. The first pressure is configured to prevent ink from entering a plurality of apertures in an aperture plate of the printhead and to prevent ink from drooling from the plurality of apertures unless the apertures are wiped by a wiper blade. A first portion of apertures in the plurality of apertures in the aperture plate is wiped with a wiper blade while leaving a second portion of the apertures untouched by the wiper blade while the first pressure is applied to the ink in the printhead. The wiping of the first portion of apertures enables ink to drool from the first portion of apertures. The first portion of apertures includes the at least one detected contaminated ink jet. | 10-28-2010 |
20100271450 | Open Loop Oil Delivery System - A drum maintenance system for use in an imaging device includes an applicator configured to apply a release agent to a surface of an intermediate transfer drum of an imaging device at a first flow rate, and a reservoir spaced from the applicator including a supply of the release agent for the applicator. A first fluid path fluidly couples the reservoir to the applicator for delivering release agent to the applicator; and a second fluid path fluidly couples the applicator to the reservoir for recirculating release agent back to the reservoir. A delivery pump is configured to pump release agent from the reservoir to the applicator via the first fluid path at a second flow rate; and a recirculation pump is configured to pump release agent from the applicator to the reservoir at a third flow rate. The second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate, and the third flow rate is greater than the second flow rate. | 10-28-2010 |
20100271451 | Method of Servicing A Drum Maintenance Unit (DMU) in An Image Generating System - A method of servicing a customer replaceable unit of an imaging device includes providing a customer replaceable unit configured for insertion and removal from an imaging device. The customer replaceable unit includes at least an applicator configured to apply a release agent to a surface of an intermediate transfer drum of the imaging device, a reservoir including a supply of the release agent for the applicator, a delivery pump configured to pump release agent from the reservoir to the applicator, a recirculation pump configured to pump release agent from the applicator to the reservoir, and a memory including operational data for the customer replaceable unit. A maintenance procedure is then performed on the customer replaceable unit. | 10-28-2010 |
20100277557 | Segmented Ink Stick - A method facilitates insertion of a segmented ink stick into an ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer. The method includes bending of a flexible strand between ink stick segments during insertion of the ink stick segments and then straightening the flexible strand to orient the ink stick segments in the ink feed system. | 11-04-2010 |
20110197669 | Oil Reservoir with Float Level Sensor - A drum maintenance system for use in an imaging device includes a reservoir for the storage of release agent used by the drum maintenance unit. The reservoir includes a bottle, an end cap, and a float sensor. The float sensor operates to detect the release agent in the bottle reaching a predetermined minimum level. | 08-18-2011 |
20120120171 | Image Transfix Apparatus Using High Frequency Motion Generators - A phase change ink imaging device includes a transfix apparatus configured to apply ultrasonic action to ink pixels deposited onto an image bearing surface to facilitate transfer and/or fixing of the ink pixels to print media. | 05-17-2012 |
20120194601 | Oil Reservoir with Float Level Sensor - A drum maintenance system for use in an imaging device includes a reservoir for the storage of release agent used by the drum maintenance unit. The reservoir includes a bottle, an end cap, and a float sensor. The float sensor has a buoyant member that is pivotably coupled to a proboscis extending from the end cap into the bottle and movement of the buoyant member enables detection of the release agent in the bottle reaching a predetermined level. | 08-02-2012 |
20130186329 | Method To Reduce Surface Resistivity of a Release Agent Applicator in a Printing Apparatus - A release agent applicator displaying decreased and consistent surface resistivity, and a method of making same. The release agent applicator includes an foam delivery surface having an ionic layer such that the surface resistivity of the delivery surface is reduced, thereby decreasing the chances of static charge accumulation on the roller that may interfere with high quality printing. | 07-25-2013 |
20130241989 | Method For Sensing Remaining Life In A Drum Maintenance Unit - A method implemented in an imaging device senses the remaining life of a drum maintenance system in the imaging device. The method includes detecting a buoyant member, which is pivotably coupled to a proboscis extending from an end cap of a reservoir in a reservoir of the DMU, reaching a predetermined position in the reservoir and then updating an estimate of the remaining release agent in the reservoir with reference to a total media area and total inked area. | 09-19-2013 |
20130265352 | System and Method for Clearing Weak and Missing Inkjets in an Inkjet Printer - An inkjet printer is operated to print an ink image and clear inkjets simultaneously. The inkjet printer delivers to a first inkjet in a printhead a first signal that ejects an ink drop from the first inkjet that corresponds to a pixel of an ink image stored in a memory of the printer and delivers to at least one other inkjet in the printhead a second signal that ejects an ink drop from the at least one other inkjet that does not correspond to a pixel of the ink image stored in the memory of the printer. | 10-10-2013 |
20130335762 | INTEGRATED IMAGING DEVICES - The present disclosure provides systems and methods for implementing an integrated imaging device. The device includes a scan-bar located along a media path in flow communication with an input tray, and a printing assembly associated with the media path. During a scan operation, the scan-bar scans a medium received along the media path from the input tray while the printing assembly is configured to be non-operational. | 12-19-2013 |
20140022292 | PIEZOELECTRIC SENSOR ARRANGEMENT FOR SENSING FLUID LEVEL IN SMALL VOLUME AND IRREGULAR SHAPE RESERVOIRS - A fluid level sensor measures a height of a fluid in a volume with a plurality of piezoelectric sensors arranged along at least one wall of a container. The sensors are positioned to enable activated sensors to interact with the materials adjacent the sensors to produce electrical signals in more than one of the sensors. These electrical signals are used to identify the fluid level in the volume. | 01-23-2014 |
20140035981 | System And Method For Clearing Weak And Missing Inkjets In An Inkjet Printer - An inkjet printer is operated to identify inoperative inkjets without generating test patterns or analyzing image data. The inkjet printer delivers to the inkjet in the printhead a driving signal configured to operate a piezoelectric actuator in the inkjet and receive a response signal from the piezoelectric actuator. The condition of the inkjet is determined with reference to the response signal. The identified condition can correspond to one of the inkjet being blocked by a particle, the inkjet being blocked by air, and the inkjet being ready to eject ink. | 02-06-2014 |
20140111911 | PRINTER ARCHITECTURE ENABLING NARROW OR WIDE FRONT FACING ORIENTATION - A printer architecture that enables a printer (or other media processing device) with an elongate foot print to be configured with media input and operator controls oriented at either a narrow end or a wide side thereof, that surface becoming the “front” of the unit. Controls and/or display(s) are mounted such that either the end or side orientation can be accommodated. The media input tray includes a separate assembly so that selection of the tray with access to end or side complements the user control panel in establishing the front of the machine. The combination of control/display mounting and oriented media tray structure integration with the print engine to establish which of the printer surfaces is considered the front allows for multiple orientations of the printer and greater flexibility to the customer. | 04-24-2014 |
20140184711 | Method To Reduce Surface Resistivity Of A Release Agent Applicator In A Printing Apparatus - A release agent applicator displaying decreased and consistent surface resistivity, and a method of making same. The release agent applicator includes an foam delivery surface having an ionic layer such that the surface resistivity of the delivery surface is reduced, thereby decreasing the chances of static charge accumulation on the roller that may interfere with high quality printing. | 07-03-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100072669 | System And Method For Manufacturing Sold Ink Sticks With An Injection Molding Process - A method manufactures solid ink sticks by forming a solid ink paste and injecting the paste into a mold having internal cavities. The method includes generating a solid ink paste, injecting a portion of the paste under pressure into a cooled mold having at least two separable shells that form ink stick cavities, and separating the shells of the cooled mold to release solid ink sticks from the ink stick cavities. | 03-25-2010 |
20100075008 | System And Method For Manufacturing Fatty Acid Based Material Products With An Injection Molding Process - A method manufactures molded fatty acid based material products by forming a fatty acid based material paste and injecting the paste into a mold having internal cavities. The method includes generating a fatty acid based material paste, injecting a portion of the fatty acid based material paste under pressure into a cooled mold having at least two separable shells that form product cavities, and separating the shells of the cooled mold to release molded fatty acid based material products from the product cavities. | 03-25-2010 |
20110298155 | Method For Manufacturing Solid Ink Sticks With An Injection Molding Process - A method manufactures solid ink sticks by forming a solid ink paste and injecting the paste into a mold having internal cavities. The solid ink paste can be formed by mixing liquid ink and solid ink in a barrel of an injection molding machine. The liquid ink is formed by melting solid ink particulates in the barrel with a heated conveyor and the solid ink particulates are maintained in a solid phase by cooling a portion of the barrel. Movement produced by the heated conveyor mixes the liquid ink and the solid ink in an area between the cooled portion of the barrel and the heated conveyor. | 12-08-2011 |
20120113172 | IMMERSED HIGH SURFACE AREA HEATER FOR A SOLID INK RESERVOIR - A volumetric container for storing phase-change ink includes a housing that is comprised primarily of a thermally insulating material and a heater element positioned within the housing. The heater element is positioned in the container to melt solid ink quickly to enable printing operations. | 05-10-2012 |
20120147105 | Inductive Heater for A Solid Ink Reservoir - A container for storing phase-change ink includes a housing that is comprised primarily of a thermally insulating material and an inductive heater element positioned within the housing. The inductive heater element is formed in a manner that increases the surface area of the heater and enables frozen ink in the vicinity of a reservoir outlet to melt quickly to enable printing operations. | 06-14-2012 |
20120206516 | Drum Maintenance System with Leak Detection - A printer includes a release agent detector that responds to release agent contacting the detector by generating a signal. The signal is processed by a controller to alter operation of the printer. | 08-16-2012 |
20120315347 | System And Method For Manufacturing Fatty Acid Based Material Products With An Injection Molding Process - A system manufactures molded fatty acid based material products by forming a fatty acid based material paste and injecting the paste into a mold having internal cavities. The system includes a controller that regulates heat generated by a movable member in the barrel of an injection molding machine and a cooling jacket on the exterior of the barrel to enable nearly melted fatty acid material and nearly solid melted fatty acid material to mix within the barrel to form a paste that is ejected into a mold to form the products. The paste enables the products to form a skin that is less susceptible to shrinkage during cooling so the product is formed without voids that cause breakage or mar aesthetic appearances of the product. | 12-13-2012 |
20130328953 | Portable Printer for Direct Imaging on Surfaces - A portable imaging device has been developed. The portable imaging device enables a printhead to be mounted to a surface to print an image on the surface. The printhead moves in two or more directions while mounted on the printing surface enable the printhead to eject ink onto the surface to form the image on the surface. | 12-12-2013 |