A priming element for priming or maintaining the nozzles or orifices of an ink jet printhead in an ink jet printer. The priming element applies a vacuum or negative pressure generated by a suction device to the nozzles. The priming element includes a first wall and a second wall spaced from the first wall to define a passageway between the first wall and the second wall. One or more support members connect the first wall to the second wall and span the passageway to prevent the walls of the priming element from collapsing from the applied vacuum or negative pressure.
In a method of filling an ink-jet head of an ink-jet type printing apparatus with a liquid stored in an ink cartridge or in a reservoir tank, the head is filled up to the tip of nozzles by bringing a suction cap into close contact with a nozzle opening face of the ink-jet head via a gas-permeable filters and drawing the air inside the suction caps with a pump.
A priming system for selectively priming one of the two printheads of a multicolor ink jet printer. When one of the printheads require periodic priming, the printheads are transported to the printer's maintenance station where individual caps are moved to cover the nozzle faces of the printheads. The priming system has two individual peristaltic pumps, each one of which is connected to a respective one of the caps. The two peristaltic pumps have a single mechanical input to drive selectively one of the pumps and not the other by a positionable swing gear. Each one of the pumps is adapted to prime only one of the printheads. The swing gear engages the drive gear of one pump when the direction of rotation of the input is clockwise and the swing gear engages the drive gear of the other pump when the direction of rotation of the input is counterclockwise.
A priming system for ink jet printers includes an ink tank, an ink supply line, an ink bypass line and a valving arrangement which alternately permits either pressurized ink to be supplied to a remote printhead for printing purposes or unpressurized ink to be drawn to the printhead by use of a vacuum source applied to the bypass line.
A system and associated method for forming three-dimensional objects under computer control and from a material which may be rendered flowable and then dispensed on a layer-by-layer basis. The layers of the material solidify or otherwise physically transform upon being dispensed thereby forming successive cross-sections. The dispensing process is repeated whereby successive layers adhere to each other thereby forming the object.
A system, including an ink supply system configured to supply ink to a printhead; and an autopurge unit configured to automatically clean the printhead. The autopurge unit includes a solvent supply in fluid communication with a solvent line, a solenoid housing, and a waste container. The solenoid housing includes a first solenoid assembly disposed within an ink line, wherein the ink line is in fluid communication with the ink supply and a first outlet that is configured to be in fluid communication with the printhead; and a second solenoid assembly disposed within a solvent line. The waste container is in fluid communication with a waste delivery line having a waste inlet. The waste inlet is configured to be in fluid communication with a waste line that is in communication with the printhead so that fluid waste from the printhead is deposited into the waste container.
