Method and device for filtering the recycled atmosphere of a print head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179456-B2
Application number	US-201715678400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A device for recovery of the atmosphere containing solvent vapors from at least one ink recovery reservoir of a print machine comprising: n (n≥1) filter(s) arranged at the outlet from at least one ink reservoir (10). Each filter comprises an inlet face, an outlet face, a filter body between the two faces, and conduit(s) for recovering at least part of a liquid condensed on the surface of the inlet face before this liquid has passed through it. Each filter is either: upstream from a condenser, an atmosphere output from the reservoir, passing through the inlet face, and then the filter body and the outlet face before being sent to the condenser; or downstream from the condenser, an atmosphere from the condenser passing through the inlet face, and then the filter body and the outlet face before being sent to at least one print head of the print machine, respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for recovery of an atmosphere containing solvent vapours from at least one ink recovery reservoir of a print machine comprising:
n(n≥1) filter(s) arranged downstream from said at least one ink recovery reservoir, each of said n filter(s) comprising :
an inlet face, an outlet face and a filter body between said inlet face and said outlet face,
at least one duct to recover at least part of a liquid condensed on the surface of said inlet face of one of said n filter(s), before said liquid has passed through the surface of the inlet face of said one of the n filter(s),
and each of said n filter(s) being:
either upstream from solvent extraction means, an atmosphere from said at least one ink recovery reservoir, passing through said inlet face, and then through said filter body and through said outlet face before being sent to said solvent extraction means,
or downstream from solvent extraction means, an atmosphere from said solvent extraction means passing through said inlet face, and then through said filter body and through said outlet face before being sent to at least one print head of the print machine, respectively.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which n>1, and comprising at least a valve to select a single one of said n filters to treat an atmosphere output from said at least one ink recovery reservoir or from said solvent extraction means, respectively.

3. The device according to claim 1 , said at least one duct bringing at least part of the liquid condensed on said inlet face of at least one of said n filter(s) to a reservoir.

4. The device according to claim 1 , said at least one duct directing the liquid that flows by gravity from said inlet face of at least one of said n filter(s) to a reservoir.

5. The device according to claim 1 , also comprising:
a circuit to introduce some of the liquid outlet from said solvent extraction means or from a solvent reservoir respectively, through said outlet face of at least one of said n filter(s);
and/or a circuit to introduce some of the gas outlet from said solvent extraction means or from a gas reservoir, or some of the gas filtered by another filter or from a gas reservoir respectively, through said outlet face of at least one of said n filter(s).

6. The device according to claim 5 , in which n>1, and comprising at least a valve to select a circulation pathway, to said outlet face of only one of said n filters:
for some of the liquid outlet from said solvent extraction means or from said solvent reservoir respectively,
or for some of the gas outlet from said solvent extraction means, or from a gas reservoir or from another filter respectively.

7. The device according to claim 6 comprising:
at least a 1 st valve to select a 1 st one of said n filters for treating an atmosphere output from said at least one ink recovery reservoir;
while at least a 2 nd valve selects a circulation pathway to said outlet face of a 2 nd one of said filters:
for some of the liquid outlet from said solvent extraction means or from said solvent reservoir respectively,
or for some of the gas outlet from said solvent extraction means or from said gas reservoir or from said 1 st one of said n filters respectively.

8. The device according to claim 5 , comprising at least a circuit to bring some of the gas outlet from said solvent extraction means, through the outlet face of one of said n filter(s), said circuit carrying circulation of this gas in a closed loop in a gas supply system of the print head.

9. The device according to claim 1 , in which n>1, and comprising:
at least a 1 st valve to select one of said n filters treating an atmosphere output from said at least one ink recovery reservoir, or from said solvent extraction means respectively;
and at least a 2 nd valve to simultaneously clean another one of said n filters.

10. A supply circuit for at least one print head, comprising:
at least one ink recovery reservoir, to recover ink not used for printing and to supply said at least one print head;
a recovery device of an atmosphere originating from said at least one ink recovery reservoir, according to claim 1 .

11. A printer comprising at least one print head and a supply circuit according to claim 10 , said print head comprising a plurality of nozzles to form k jets, where k>1.

12. A method for recovery of an atmosphere from at least one ink recovery reservoir of a print machine comprising:
filtering of an atmosphere from said at least one ink recovery reservoir using at least one filter comprising an inlet face, an outlet face and a filter body between said inlet face and said outlet face, said filter being arranged:
downstream from said at least one ink recovery reservoir but upstream from solvent extraction means, an atmosphere from said at least one ink recovery reservoir passing through said inlet face, and then through said filter body and through said outlet face, before being sent to said solvent extraction means,
or downstream from solvent extraction means, an atmosphere from said solvent extraction means passing through said inlet face, and then through said filter body and through said outlet face, before being sent to at least one print head of said print machine,
recovery of at least part of a liquid condensed on the surface of said inlet face of said filter, before this liquid has passed through the surface of the inlet face of the filter.

13. The method according to claim 12 , in which the following are introduced through said output face of said at least one filter:
some of the liquid outlet from said solvent extraction means or from a solvent reservoir respectively;
and then possibly part of the gas that exits from said solvent extraction means or from a gas reservoir, or respectively from another filter or from a gas reservoir.

14. The method according to claim 13 , comprising n filters, n>1, and in which a circulation pathway is selected to only one of said n filters:
for part of the liquid outlet from said solvent extraction means or from a solvent reservoir respectively,
or for some of the gas outlet from said solvent extraction means, or from a gas reservoir or from another filter respectively.

15. The method according to claim 14 , in which:
a 1 st one of said n filters is selected to filter an atmosphere from said at least one ink recovery reservoir,
and a pathway to a 2 nd one of said n filters is selected for circulation of some of the liquid outlet from said solvent extraction means or from said solvent reservoir respectively, or some of the gas outlet from said solvent extraction means, or from another filter respectively.

16. The method according to claim 13 , in which part of the gas output from said solvent extraction means circulates in a closed loop in a gas supply system of said print head.

17. The method according to claim 12 , comprising n filters, n>1, and in which an atmosphere from said at least one ink recovery reservoir is filtered by a 1 st filter of said n filters, a 2 nd filter of said n filters being cleaned at the same time.

18. The method according to claim 12 , in which at least part of the liquid condensed on said inlet face of said at least one filter flows by gravity from said inlet face of said at least one filter and is possibly directed to a reservoir.

19. The method according to claim 12 , in which at least part of the liquid condensed on said inlet face of said at least one filter flows by gravity from said inlet face of said at least one filter to a reservoir an

Assignees

• Dover Europe Sarl

Inventors

• Xing Jean
• Marion Adrien
• Pourtier Francis

Classifications

• B41J2/02

  generating a continuous ink jet · CPC title

• B41J2/185 Primary

  Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers · CPC title

• B41J2/17563

  Ink filters · CPC title

• B41J2002/1853

  ink collectors for continuous Inkjet printers, e.g. gutters, mist suction means · CPC title

• B01D5/0036

  Multiple-effect condensation; Fractional condensation · CPC title