公开(公告)号：US5847727A

公开(公告)日：1998-12-08

申请号：US644728

申请日：1996-05-09

申请人： Amy VanLiew ,  Gerold G. Firl

发明人： Amy VanLiew ,  Gerold G. Firl

IPC分类号： B41J2/165

CPC分类号： B41J2/16547

摘要： A service station for use with an inkjet printer is described. The service station includes a sled that is mounted to the printer's chassis. Caps and wipers can be mounted on the sled for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis, and the sled and carriage, are each cam-coupled so that movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of a nominal position to automatically place the sled in one of three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers. In one embodiment of the invention, prior to wiping the printhead of a print cartridge, the print cartridge is spitted to wet the printhead. Such spitting is particularly beneficial for a print cartridge that dispenses a pigmented ink (frequently a black ink), since the pigmented ink tends to crust on the printhead more than inks that are dyes. Preferably, a plurality of drops of ink are spit from the print cartridge at each of a plurality of frequencies. The method according to the invention is applicable to printers including one or more print cartridges.

摘要翻译： 描述了与喷墨打印机一起使用的维修站。 维修站包括安装在打印机机箱上的滑轨。 每个打印机的可移动支架安装的打印头都可以将雪橇和雨刷安装在雪橇上。 滑板和底盘以及滑板和滑架各自凸轮连接，使得滑架的运动产生滑雪板的标准位置的轻微的垂直和横向运动，以将滑板自动地放置在三个主要位置中的一个相对于 托架：用于盖住打印头的升高位置，用于擦拭打印头的中间位置和用于托架自由往复运动的降低位置，而不会在打印头和盖子或擦拭器之间产生干扰。 在本发明的一个实施例中，在擦拭打印墨盒的打印头之前，打印墨盒被喷洒以润湿打印头。 这种吐痰对于分配着色油墨（通常是黑色油墨）的打印盒特别有利，因为着色油墨比打印头上的油墨比作为染料的油墨倾向于外壳更多。 优选地，多个墨水滴以多个频率中的每一个从打印墨盒吐出。 根据本发明的方法可应用于包括一个或多个打印墨盒的打印机。

公开(公告)号：US06000780A

公开(公告)日：1999-12-14

申请号：US225039

申请日：1994-04-08

申请人： William H. Schwiebert ,  Gerold G. Firl

发明人： William H. Schwiebert ,  Gerold G. Firl

IPC分类号： B41J2/165

CPC分类号： B41J2/16547

摘要： A service station for use with an inkjet printer is described. The service station includes a sled that is mounted to the printer's chassis. Caps and wipers can be mounted on the sled for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis, and the sled and carriage, are each cam-coupled so that movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of a nominal position to automatically place the sled in one of three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers. A wiper structure according to the invention includes a pre-loaded spring and wiper blades made of a relatively stiff material so that the wiper blade angle of attack is maintained close to 90.degree., resulting in good wiping of the printheads. The spring can have a low spring constant so that good control of wiping forces is maintained. The wiper blades are made of an injection moldable material. For example, the wiper blades can be made of an injection moldable polymer such as olefin polymers or polyolefin alloys. In one particular embodiment, the wiper blades are made of a blend of polypropylene and polyethylene. Alternatively, the wiper blades can be made of an engineering thermoplastic elastomer (ETE).

摘要翻译： 描述了与喷墨打印机一起使用的维修站。 维修站包括安装在打印机机箱上的滑轨。 每个打印机的可移动支架安装的打印头都可以将雪橇和雨刷安装在雪橇上。 滑板和底盘以及滑板和滑架各自凸轮连接，使得滑架的运动产生滑雪板的标准位置的轻微的垂直和横向运动，以将滑板自动地放置在三个主要位置中的一个相对于 托架：用于盖住打印头的升高位置，用于擦拭打印头的中间位置和用于托架自由往复运动的降低位置，而不会在打印头和盖子或擦拭器之间产生干扰。 根据本发明的擦拭器结构包括由相对刚性材料制成的预加载弹簧和擦拭器刮片，使得刮水片的迎角保持接近90°，从而良好地擦拭打印头。 弹簧可以具有较低的弹簧常数，从而保持良好的擦拭力控制。 刮水片由注射成型材料制成。 例如，刮水片可由可注射成型的聚合物如烯烃聚合物或聚烯烃合金制成。 在一个具体实施例中，刮水片由聚丙烯和聚乙烯的混合物制成。 或者，刮水片可由工程热塑性弹性体（ETE）制成。

公开(公告)号：US5646667A

公开(公告)日：1997-07-08

申请号：US417510

申请日：1995-04-04

申请人： Damon W. Broder ,  William C. Hilliard ,  Aneesa Rahman Scandalis ,  Gerold G. Firl ,  Robert R. Giles ,  Joseph P. Milkovits

发明人： Damon W. Broder ,  William C. Hilliard ,  Aneesa Rahman Scandalis ,  Gerold G. Firl ,  Robert R. Giles ,  Joseph P. Milkovits

IPC分类号： B41J2/01 ,  B41J11/00 ,  B41J13/10 ,  B41J15/04 ,  B41J13/14

CPC分类号： B41J11/0005 ,  B41J11/002 ,  B41J11/005 ,  B41J13/10

摘要： Two printing-medium guide systems restrain the medium. One is in an area upstream (along the direction of medium advance) from the pen, and extending laterally across the width of the medium except in one or more regions laterally near the engagement of a print-medium advancing device. The other guide system is disposed laterally from the pen, and extends laterally across the medium only in one or more regions laterally near the engagement of the advancing device. Preferably these "one or more regions" are only near the lateral edges of the medium--so that (1) the first guide system restrains the medium over an area that stops short (ideally about 11/2 centimeter short) of the lateral edges; and (2) the second guide system is bifurcated, disposed laterally in two directions from the pen, and restrains the medium across only the lateral edges of the medium (most preferably in a strip whose width is a few millimeters, ideally 3 mm). Preferably a human-actuable control selects a print-medium width, and shifts at least one bifurcation of the second guide system. A tensioning system, longitudinally beyond the marking head from the medium advancing device, and generally aligned laterally with that device, tensions the medium away from the advancing device to hold the medium taut at the pen. Preferably the advancing and tensioning devices are very closely spaced upstream and downstream, respectively, from the pen zone. When tensioned, the medium moves a normal distance through the apparatus at each operation of the advancing device; but after a trailing edge of the medium passes the advancing device (so that the medium is advanced only by the tensioner and no longer tensioned), the advance distance is decreased (preferably by about half).

摘要翻译： 两个打印介质导向系统限制介质。 一个是在笔的上游（沿着介质前进的方向）的区域中，并且横向延伸穿过介质的宽度，除了在打印介质前进装置的接合附近的一个或多个区域中。 另一个引导系统从笔的横向设置，并且横向延伸穿过介质，仅在横向靠近推进装置的接合的一个或多个区域中延伸。 优选地，这些“一个或多个区域”仅在介质的侧边缘附近，使得（1）第一引导系统将介质限制在停止短的区域（理想地约为1 + E，fra 1/2 + EE厘米 短）; 和（2）第二引导系统被分叉，从笔的两个方向横向设置，并且限制介质仅横过介质的侧边缘（最优选地在宽度为几毫米的条带中，理想地为3mm）。 优选地，人可起动控制选择打印介质宽度，并移动第二引导系统的至少一个分支。 纵向超过标记头从介质推进装置延伸并且与该装置大致对准的张紧系统使介质紧张地从推进装置拉紧以将中间张紧在笔上。 优选地，推进和张紧装置分别与笔区分开的上游和下游非常紧密地间隔开。 当张紧时，在推进装置的每次操作时，介质移动通过装置的正常距离; 但是在介质的后缘通过前进装置（使得介质仅由张紧器前进并且不再张紧）之后，提前距离减小（优选地大约一半）。

公开(公告)号：US06219159B1

公开(公告)日：2001-04-17

申请号：US09037719

申请日：1998-03-09

申请人： Gerold G. Firl

发明人： Gerold G. Firl

IPC分类号： H04N146

CPC分类号： H04N1/484

摘要： A color imaging system in which the lamp spectrum is tuned so that, in the charge coupled device, the signal to noise ratio is maximized for all three RGB channels equally. This result is obtained by a process wherein the fluorescent lamp output is adjusted by alteration of the relative amounts of red, green and blue phosphors which coat the inside surface of the lamp. In this manner, when the lamp spectrum is tuned so that the RGB channels of the CCD have equal levels when scanning a white background, the signal to noise ratio can be maximized for all three channels equally. Thus, it is possible to scan a white paper without saturating and all three colors can be scanned simultaneously, since the lamp brightness can be set at a level which maximizes signal strength for all three color signals. That is, the lamp output spectrum and the RGB response of the CCD are tuned to provide balanced system response.

摘要翻译： 一种彩色成像系统，其中灯光谱被调谐，使得在电荷耦合器件中，所有三个RGB通道的信噪比最大化。 该结果通过以下方法获得：荧光灯输出通过改变涂覆在灯的内表面上的红色，绿色和蓝色荧光体的相对量来调节。 以这种方式，当灯光谱被调谐使得当扫描白色背景时CCD的RGB通道具有相等的电平时，对于所有三个通道可以均衡地使信噪比最大化。 因此，可以扫描白皮书而不饱和，并且可以同时扫描所有三种颜色，因为灯的亮度可以被设置为使得所有三种颜色信号的信号强度最大化的水平。 也就是说，调整灯的输出光谱和CCD的RGB响应以提供平衡的系统响应。

公开(公告)号：US5644347A

公开(公告)日：1997-07-01

申请号：US225163

申请日：1994-04-08

申请人： William H. Schwiebert ,  Gerold G. Firl ,  Heinz H. Waschhauser ,  William S. Osborne

发明人： William H. Schwiebert ,  Gerold G. Firl ,  Heinz H. Waschhauser ,  William S. Osborne

IPC分类号： B41J2/165

CPC分类号： B41J2/16511 ,  B41J2/16547

摘要： A service station for use with an inkjet printer is described. The service station includes a sled that is mounted to the printer's chassis. Caps and wipers can be mounted on the sled for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis, and the sled and carriage, are each cam-coupled so that movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of a nominal position to automatically place the sled in one of three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers. According to the invention, wipers are biased against corresponding print cartridges such that the wipers that wipe the printhead of a print cartridge dispensing pigmented ink are biased against the printhead in a different manner, e.g., with greater force, than wiper blades that wipe the printhead of a print cartridge dispensing dye. Differential wiping can be obtained by varying the spring constant of springs used to bias the wipers against the printheads. In one embodiment, leaf springs used to bias the wipers are varied in width and/or thickness to produce differential wiping force. In one embodiment of the invention, print cartridges that dispense pigmented ink are spitted to wet the printhead before wiping.

摘要翻译： 描述了与喷墨打印机一起使用的维修站。 维修站包括安装在打印机机箱上的滑轨。 每个打印机的可移动支架安装的打印头都可以将雪橇和雨刷安装在雪橇上。 滑板和底盘以及滑板和滑架各自凸轮连接，使得滑架的运动产生滑雪板的标准位置的轻微的垂直和横向运动，以将滑板自动地放置在三个主要位置中的一个相对于 托架：用于盖住打印头的升高位置，用于擦拭打印头的中间位置和用于托架自由往复运动的降低位置，而不会在打印头和盖子或擦拭器之间产生干扰。 根据本发明，擦拭器被偏置抵靠相应的打印盒，使得擦拭打印墨盒的打印头的擦拭器分配着色的墨水以不同的方式（例如以更大的力）偏压打印头，而不是刮擦打印头的刮片 的打印墨盒分配染料。 通过改变用于将擦拭器偏压打印头的弹簧的弹簧常数可以获得差分擦拭。 在一个实施例中，用于偏置刮水器的板簧在宽度和/或厚度上变化以产生差别擦拭力。 在本发明的一个实施例中，分配着色油墨的打印墨盒被喷洒以在擦拭之前润湿打印头。

公开(公告)号：US5973815A

公开(公告)日：1999-10-26

申请号：US30321

申请日：1998-02-25

申请人： Dennis J. Schissler ,  Gerold G. Firl

发明人： Dennis J. Schissler ,  Gerold G. Firl

IPC分类号： H04N1/028 ,  H04N1/03 ,  H04N1/10 ,  H04N1/193 ,  G02B26/08

CPC分类号： H04N1/03 ,  H04N1/02815 ,  H04N1/0285 ,  H04N1/0287 ,  H04N1/02885 ,  H04N1/1017 ,  H04N1/1043 ,  H04N1/1048 ,  H04N1/1052 ,  H04N1/193 ,  H04N2201/0246 ,  H04N2201/02491

摘要： A screen-printed reflector reflectively redirects light from a scanner bulb in a substantially uniform illumination pattern across a desired scan area of a document to be scanned. A middle or central portion of the reflector is printed with a non-reflective pattern, while the end portions of the reflector are composed of highly reflective polyester textured matte that in combination with the non-reflective pattern substantially equalizes the illumination across the desired scan area of the document being scanned. The manner of using and constructing the screen printed reflector, provides a fast and efficient method for tuning a light distribution profile to provide a sufficient light reflective pattern that compensates for non-uniform light distribution patterns produced by scanner bulbs.

摘要翻译： 丝网印刷的反射器以基本上均匀的照明图案反射地将来自扫描器灯泡的光重定向穿过要扫描的文件的期望的扫描区域。 反射器的中部或中央部分印有非反射图案，而反射器的端部由高反射聚酯纹理的哑光构成，与非反射图案的组合基本上均匀化所需扫描区域上的照明 正在扫描的文档。 使用和构造丝网印刷反射镜的方式提供了一种用于调谐光分布轮廓以提供足够的光反射图案的快速且有效的方法，其补偿由扫描器灯泡产生的不均匀的光分布图案。

公开(公告)号：US5644346A

公开(公告)日：1997-07-01

申请号：US225040

申请日：1994-04-08

申请人： William H. Schwiebert ,  Gerold G. Firl

发明人： William H. Schwiebert ,  Gerold G. Firl

IPC分类号： B41J2/165

CPC分类号： B41J2/16547

摘要： A service station includes a sled that is mounted to the printer's chassis having caps and wipers mounted on the sled for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis, and the sled and carriage, are each cam-coupled so that movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of a nominal position to automatically place the sled in one of three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers. In one embodiment, wiping structure according to the invention includes a wiper, a wiper mount on which the wiper is mounted, and a wiper frame on which the wiper mount is mounted. Injection molding the wipers onto the wiper mount is a simple and inexpensive method for producing wipers according to the invention. The wiper structure can be easily assembled to and removed from the remainder of the service station structure without need to use tools such that the remainder of the original service station structure can continue to be used.

摘要翻译： 维修站包括安装在打印机机架上的滑雪板，其中安装有用于每个打印机可移动的托架安装的打印头的滑板上的盖子和擦拭器。 滑板和底盘以及滑板和滑架各自凸轮连接，使得滑架的运动产生滑雪板的标准位置的轻微的垂直和横向运动，以将滑板自动地放置在三个主要位置中的一个相对于 托架：用于盖住打印头的升高位置，用于擦拭打印头的中间位置和用于托架自由往复运动的降低位置，而不会在打印头和盖子或擦拭器之间产生干扰。 在一个实施例中，根据本发明的擦拭结构包括刮水器，其上安装有刮水器的刮水器安装件，以及安装刮水器安装件的刮水器框架。 将擦拭器注射到擦拭器安装座上是根据本发明的用于生产刮水器的简单和便宜的方法。 擦拭器结构可以容易地组装到服务站结构的其余部分并从其中移除，而不需要使用工具，使得可以继续使用原始服务站结构的其余部分。

公开(公告)号：US5581289A

公开(公告)日：1996-12-03

申请号：US56449

申请日：1993-04-30

申请人： Gerold G. Firl ,  Robert R. Giles ,  Steven M. Goss ,  Ronald J. Kaplan

发明人： Gerold G. Firl ,  Robert R. Giles ,  Steven M. Goss ,  Ronald J. Kaplan

IPC分类号： B41J2/21 ,  B41J2/01 ,  B41J11/00 ,  B41J13/00 ,  B41J13/10 ,  B41J29/00 ,  B41J29/13

CPC分类号： B41J13/10 ,  B41J11/002

摘要： An ink-jet printer having improved print quality and full color printing capability on plain paper media. To accommodate placement of both input and output media trays on the same side of the printer housing for operator convenience, a paper path with a direction reversal is employed. A paper preconditioning preheater with a curved surface and a multi-purpose paper path component accomplish the direction reversal. The paper path component is a unitary component which employs curved ribs to reduce the contact area with the medium and reduce static charge buildup, and has slots formed therein to release water vapor given off by the medium when preheated. The component permits paper to be loaded manually via a second manual feed path, through a housing, and upon opening a rear access door in the housing, such component is easily removable to facilitate operator access to the paper path and electrical components.

摘要翻译： 一种在普通纸介质上具有改进的打印质量和全色打印能力的喷墨打印机。 为了方便操作，为了适应输入和输出介质托盘放置在打印机外壳的同一侧，采用具有方向反转的纸张通道。 具有弯曲表面和多用途纸路径部件的纸预处理预热器完成方向反转。 纸路径部件是采用弯曲肋来减小与介质的接触面积并减少静电积累的整体部件，并且在其中形成有槽，以在预热时释放介质所释放的水蒸气。 组件允许通过第二手动进给路径，通过壳体手动加载纸张，并且在打开壳体中的后通道门时，这种部件容易拆卸以便于操作者访问纸路径和电气部件。

公开(公告)号：US5272491A

公开(公告)日：1993-12-21

申请号：US863521

申请日：1992-04-03

申请人： Stuart D. Asakawa ,  John A. Mohr ,  John L. Stoffel ,  William D. Kappele ,  Bruce E. Mueller ,  Gerold G. Firl

发明人： Stuart D. Asakawa ,  John A. Mohr ,  John L. Stoffel ,  William D. Kappele ,  Bruce E. Mueller ,  Gerold G. Firl

IPC分类号： B41J2/14 ,  B41J29/377 ,  B41J2/05

CPC分类号： B41J29/377 ,  B41J2/1408

摘要： A thermal ink jet print device having a phase change material, a solid or fluid, disposed in heat exchange proximity to the thermal ink jet printhead to absorb printhead heat energy by changing physical state at a printhead temperature below that at which unacceptable printing takes place and at a rate commensurate with the rate of heat energy input.

摘要翻译： 一种具有相变材料，固体或流体的热喷墨打印装置，其设置成与热喷墨打印头相邻热交换，以通过将打印头温度下的物理状态改变到低于不可接受的打印发生的打印头温度来吸收打印头热能;以及 以与热能输入速率相称的速率。

公开(公告)号：US4910528A

公开(公告)日：1990-03-20

申请号：US295630

申请日：1989-01-10

申请人： Gerold G. Firl ,  Frederick S. Berretta

发明人： Gerold G. Firl ,  Frederick S. Berretta

IPC分类号： B41J2/05

CPC分类号： B41J2/04528 ,  B41J2/04536 ,  B41J2/0454 ,  B41J2/04563 ,  B41J2/0458 ,  B41J2002/14387

摘要： The temperature of the ejector (12) of a thermal ink jet print head (10) is maintained within acceptable operating limits by measuring the current temperature, predicting the heat loading on a subsequent pass over a printing medium (32), and adjusting the temperature of the ejector (12), as necessary, by heating the ejector (12) or modifying the operation of the printer (60) to permit cooling of the ejector (12). The temperature of the ejector (12) is preferably measured by a thin film temperature measurement resistor (94) codeposited onto a substrate (14) with the thin film ejection resistors (22) that generate the droplets ejected from the ejector (12). Heating of the ejector (12) is preferably accomplished by passing a low level current through the ejection resistors (22). Cooling is preferably accomplished without the use of a fan by delaying the printing pass, or reducing the heat load during the printing pass by slowing the printing rate during that pass only.

摘要翻译： 热喷墨打印头（10）的喷射器（12）的温度通过测量当前温度而保持在可接受的操作限度内，预测在随后的打印介质（32）上的热负荷，以及调节温度 通过加热喷射器（12）或改变打印机（60）的操作以允许冷却喷射器（12），根据需要。 喷射器（12）的温度优选通过由产生从喷射器（12）喷出的液滴的薄膜喷射电阻（22）共沉积到基板（14）上的薄膜温度测量电阻（94）来测量。 喷射器（12）的加热优选通过使低电平电流通过喷射电阻（22）来实现。 冷却优选通过延迟打印通过而不使用风扇来实现，或者通过在该通过期间减慢打印速率来减少打印过程中的热负荷。