Dynamic inkjet nozzle flushing mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809036-B2
Application number	US-201113242507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2011
Priority date	Sep 23, 2011
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A method is disclosed. The method includes analyzing an image of a first flushing pattern applied on a medium during production of a print job to detect presence of one or more defective ink jet nozzles and adjusting to a second flushing pattern during the production of the print job upon detecting the presence of one or more defective print head nozzles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
rasterizing print job data;
combining a flushing pattern with the print job data;
analyzing an image of a first flushing pattern applied on a medium during production of a print job to detect presence of one or more defective ink jet nozzles
adjusting the flushing pattern from a first flushing pattern to a second flushing pattern during the production of the print job upon detecting the presence of one or more defective print head nozzles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second flushing pattern has a higher flushing frequency than the first flushing pattern.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the first flushing pattern prior to commencing production of the print job.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining the first flushing pattern with the rasterized print job data prior to applying the first flushing pattern on the medium.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying the second flushing pattern with the rasterized print job data on the medium.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the combined flushing pattern with the print job data for printing upon detecting no defective print head nozzles.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second flushing pattern is selected from a flushing preference table.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising reverting from the second flushing pattern back to the first flushing pattern during production of the print job.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein reversion back to the first flushing pattern occurs after production of a predetermined number of sheets in the print job.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein reversion back to the first flushing pattern occurs upon print production on a predetermined length of the medium.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
rasterizing print job data;
combining a flushing pattern with the print job data;
analyzing an image of a first flushing pattern applied on a medium during production of a print job to detect presence of one or more defective ink jet nozzles
adjusting the flushing pattern from a first flushing pattern to a second flushing pattern during the production of the print job upon detecting the presence of one or more defective print head nozzles.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the second flushing pattern is selected from a flushing preference table.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11 comprising a machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising combining the second flushing pattern with the rasterized print job data prior to applying the second flushing pattern on the medium.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11 comprising a machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising reverting from the second flushing pattern back to the first flushing pattern during production of the print job.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 wherein reversion back to the first flushing pattern occurs after production of a predetermined number of sheets in the print job.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein reversion back to the first flushing pattern occurs upon print production on a predetermined length of the medium.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 11 comprising a machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising selecting the first flushing pattern prior to commencing production of the print job.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 comprising a machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, further causes the machine to perform operations comprising combining the first flushing pattern with rasterized print job data prior to applying the first flushing pattern on the medium.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 11 comprising a machine-readable medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, further causes the machine to perform operations transmitting the combined flushing pattern with the print job data for printing upon detecting no defective print head nozzles.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the second flushing pattern has a higher flushing frequency than the first flushing pattern.

Assignees

• Chandu Kartheek
• Bildstein Carl
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chandu Kartheek
• Bildstein Carl

Classifications

• B41J2/2142 Primary

  Detection of malfunctioning nozzles (generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045, B41J2/05; jet deflection sensors B41J2/125; for cleaning purposes B41J2/16579) · CPC title

• B41J2/16526

  by applying pressure only · CPC title