Fluid delivering in a printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11141987-B2
Application number	US-201716089514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Operating a fluid delivering system in a printer, wherein the fluid delivering system comprises a fluid supply including a fluid bag which contains a fluid to be delivered to a fluid delivering tube connected to a printhead, and a closed pressurizing volume which surrounds the fluid bag to expel fluid from the fluid bag to the fluid delivering tube when applying pressure from a pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume, wherein pressure in the pressurizing system relative to atmosphere is measured by a first sensor, and wherein a second sensor provides an output signal which indicates a pressure difference between the pressurizing system and the fluid delivering tube, comprising disconnecting the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply from the pressurizing system, providing a connection of the pressurizing volume to atmosphere to transmit atmospheric pressure to the fluid, generating pressure in the pressurizing system, performing measurements of the pressure in the pressurizing system relative to atmosphere by the first sensor, and calibrating the second sensor by the measurements of the first sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a fluid delivering system in a printer,
wherein the fluid delivering system comprises a fluid supply including a fluid bag which contains a fluid to be delivered to a fluid delivering tube connected to a printhead, and a closed pressurizing volume which surrounds the fluid bag to expel fluid from the fluid bag to the fluid delivering tube when applying pressure from a pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume,
wherein pressure in the pressurizing system relative to atmosphere is measured by a first sensor, and wherein a second sensor provides an output signal which indicates a pressure difference between the pressurizing system and the fluid delivering tube,
comprising disconnecting the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply from the pressurizing system, providing a connection of the pressurizing volume to atmosphere to transmit atmospheric pressure to the fluid, generating pressure in the pressurizing system, performing measurements of the pressure in the pressurizing system relative to atmosphere by the first sensor, and calibrating the second sensor by the measurements of the first sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least first and second different pressure values are generated in the pressurizing system and used to calibrate the second sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising
generating pressure in the pressurizing system at a first pressure (P 1 ),
taking at least one sample of the output signal (E) of the second sensor which corresponds to a measurement (P) of the first sensor at the first pressure (P 1 ),
generating pressure in the pressurizing system at a second pressure (P 2 ),
taking at least one sample of the output signal (E) of the second sensor which corresponds to a measurement (P) of the first sensor at the second pressure (P 2 ), and
calculating offset and gain of a linear function from the samples (E) of the second sensor and the measurements (P) of the first sensor at the first pressure (P 1 ) and at the second pressure (P 2 ) to calibrate the second sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein air pressure is generated in the pressurizing system which is above atmospheric pressure.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising, in a printing mode,
blocking the connection of the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply to atmosphere, connecting the pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply, and
generating pressure in the pressurizing system at a given pressure to expel fluid from the fluid bag over the fluid delivering tube to the printhead,
wherein the output signal of the second sensor is used to determine a remaining amount of fluid in the fluid bag of the fluid supply.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising, in a printing mode,
blocking the connection of the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply to atmosphere, connecting the pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply, and
generating air pressure in the pressurizing system to expel fluid from the fluid bag over the fluid delivering tube to the printhead,
wherein pressure is applied to the fluid in the fluid bag by generating and feeding air at a given pressure from the pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply,
wherein the output signal of the second sensor is used to determine a remaining amount of fluid in the fluid bag of the fluid supply.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid contained in the fluid bag is printer ink.

8. A fluid supply for use in the method of claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid supply comprises a cartridge including a fluid bag and a closed pressurizing volume which surrounds the fluid bag,
wherein the cartridge has a first connecting element to connect the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply to a pressurizing system, and a second connecting element to connect the interior of the fluid bag to a fluid delivering tube connected to a printhead, and
wherein the cartridge further includes a blocking element which blocks the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply from the pressurizing system, and a vent which provides a connection of the pressurizing volume to atmosphere.

9. The fluid supply of claim 8 , wherein the fluid bag contains a fluid to be delivered to the fluid delivering tube connected to the printhead, and wherein the pressurizing volume expels fluid from the fluid bag to the fluid delivering tube when pressure is applied from the pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume.

10. A fluid supply for use in the method of claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid supply comprises a cartridge including a fluid bag which contains a fluid to be delivered to a fluid delivering tube connected to a printhead, and a closed pressurizing volume which surrounds the fluid bag to expel fluid from the fluid bag to the fluid delivering tube when applying pressure from a pressurizing system to the pressurizing volume,
wherein the cartridge has a first connecting element to connect the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply to the pressurizing system, and a second connecting element to connect the interior of the fluid bag to the fluid delivering tube, and
wherein the cartridge further includes a blocking valve which is operable to disconnect the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply from the pressurizing system, and a venting valve which is operable to provide a connection of the pressurizing volume to atmosphere.

11. The fluid supply of claim 9 , wherein the fluid contained in the fluid bag is printer ink.

12. The fluid supply of claim 10 , wherein the fluid contained in the fluid bag is printer ink.

13. A fluid delivering system in a printer, wherein the fluid delivering system comprises
a fluid supply with a cartridge including a fluid bag and a closed pressurizing volume which surrounds the fluid bag, wherein the cartridge has a first connecting element to connect the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply to a pressurizing system, and a second connecting element to connect the interior of the fluid bag to a fluid delivering tube connected to a printhead,
wherein the fluid delivering system further comprises a first sensor to measure pressure in the pressurizing system relative to atmosphere, and a second sensor to provide an output signal which indicates a pressure difference between the pressurizing system and the fluid delivering tube,
wherein the cartridge further includes a blocking element which blocks the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply from the pressurizing system, and a vent which provides a connection of the pressurizing volume to atmosphere, and
wherein the fluid delivering system further comprises a controller which is operable to generate pressure in the pressurizing system, to perform measurements of the pressure in the pressurizing system by the first sensor, and to calibrate the second sensor by the measurements of the first sensor.

14. The fluid delivering system of claim 13 , wherein the blocking element is a blocking valve which is operable to connect and to disconnect the pressurizing volume of the fluid supply from the pressurizing system, and wherein the vent includes a venting valve which is operable to provide and to close a connection of the pressurizing volume to atmosphere.

15. The fluid delivering system of claim 13 , wherein the fluid contained in the fluid bag is printer ink.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Parera Fiestas Oriol
• Kaikkonen Tuomo Eljas
• Crespi Serrano Albert

Classifications

• B41J2/175 Primary

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title

• B41J2/17566

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17596

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title