SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESERVING INK IMAGE QUALITY IN AN INKJET PRINTER DURING PRINTING
An inkjet printer includes air baffles on opposite sides of each printhead in the process direction. The air baffle on the upstream side of the printheads directs a positive air flow toward a conveyor moving media past the printheads and the air baffle on the downstream side pulls a negative air flow on the opposite side. The positive and negative air flows produce an air flow across the nozzle plates of the printheads that sweep all of the ink drops of a sneeze pattern and satellite ink drops produced from the sneeze pattern ink drops into the air baffle pulling the negative air flow. A kit is provided to retroactively modify an existing inkjet printer to produce an air flow that sweeps the nozzle plate of a printhead between the air baffles of the kit.
1 . An inkjet printer comprising:
at least one printhead configured to eject drops of ink;
a conveyor configured to move media past the at least one printhead to receive ink drops ejected from the at least one printhead;
a first housing positioned on one side of the at least one printhead in a process direction, the first housing have a first opening and a second opening;
a second housing positioned on an opposite side of the at least one printhead in the process direction, the second housing have a first opening and a second opening;
a positive air flow source pneumatically coupled to the first opening of the first housing; and
a negative air flow source pneumatically coupled to the first opening of the second housing.
2 . The inkjet printer of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one actuator configured to move the at least one printhead bidirectionally in a direction that is perpendicular to the conveyor.
3 . The inkjet printer of claim 2 further comprising:
a humidifier pneumatically coupled to the inlet of the first housing between the positive air flow source and the inlet of the first housing.
4 . The inkjet printer of claim 3 , the humidifier being configured to generate solvent vapor.
5 . The inkjet printer of claim 3 , the humidifier being configured to generate water vapor.
6 . The inkjet printer of claim 2 further comprising:
a filter pneumatically coupled to the inlet of the second housing between the negative air flow source and the inlet of the second housing.
7 . The inkjet printer of claim 3 further comprising:
a filter pneumatically coupled to the inlet of the second housing between the negative air flow source and the inlet of the second housing.
8 . The inkjet printer of claim 7 further comprising:
a controller operatively connected to the at least one printhead, the controller being configured to:
operate the at least one printhead to perform a sneeze operation.
9 . The inkjet printer of claim 8 , the controller being operatively connected to the at least one actuator, the controller being further configured to:
operate the at least one actuator to move the at least one printhead away from the conveyor in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor prior to operating the at least one printhead to perform the sneeze operation.
10 . The inkjet printer of claim 9 , the controller being further configured to:
operate the at least one actuator to move the at least one printhead toward the conveyor in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor after operating the at least one printhead to perform the sneeze operation.
11 . A method of operating an inkjet printer comprising:
directing a positive air flow toward a conveyor moving media past at least one printhead in the inkjet printer, the positive air flow being on a first side of the at least one printhead in a process direction; and
pulling a negative air flow across a nozzle plate of the at least one printhead in the inkjet printer, the negative air flow being on a second side of the at least one printhead in the process direction that is opposite the first side of the printhead in the process direction.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
operating at least one actuator to move the at least one printhead bidirectionally in a direction that is perpendicular to the conveyor.
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:
directing humidified air into the positive air flow.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
generating solvent vapor in the humidified air.
15 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
generating water vapor in the humidified air.
16 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:
filtering the negative air flow.
17 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
filtering the negative air flow.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:
operating the at least one printhead to perform a sneeze operation.
19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:
operating the at least one actuator to move the at least one printhead away from the conveyor in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor prior to operating the at least one printhead to perform the sneeze operation.
20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
operating the at least one actuator to move the at least one printhead toward the conveyor in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor after operating the at least one printhead to perform the sneeze operation.
21 . A kit for retroactively modifying an inkjet printer to sweep a nozzle plate of a printhead in the inkjet printer during sneeze operations comprising:
a first air baffle;
a second air baffle;
a clip configured to hold the first air baffle and the second air baffle against opposite sides of a printhead in the inkjet printer;
a positive air flow source configured to be pneumatically coupled to the first air baffle; and
a negative air flow source configured to be pneumatically coupled to the second air baffle.
22 . The kit of claim 21 further comprising:
a humidifier configured to be pneumatically coupled in an air flow path between the first air baffle and the positive air flow source.
23 . The kit of claim 22 , the humidifier being configured to generate solvent vapor.
24 . The kit of claim 23 , the humidifier being configured to generate water vapor.
25 . The kit of claim 22 further comprising:
a filter configured to be pneumatically coupled in an air flow path between the second baffle and the negative air flow source.
26 . The kit of claim 23 further comprising:
a filter to be pneumatically coupled in an air flow path between the second baffle and the negative air flow source.
27 . The kit of claim 26 further comprising:
a non-transitory storage media configured to store programmed instructions that cause a controller of the inkjet printer, when the programmed instructions are executed by the controller, to:
operate the printhead between the first air baffle and the second air baffle to perform a sneeze operation.
28 . The kit of claim 27 , the programmed instructions causing the controller, when the programmed instructions are executed, to:
operate at least one actuator in the inkjet printer to move the printhead between the first air baffle and the second air baffle away from a conveyor in the inkjet printer in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor prior to operating the printhead between the first air baffle and the second air baffle to perform the sneeze operation.
29 . The kit of claim 28 , the programmed instructions causing the controller, when the programmed instructions are executed, to:
operate the at least one actuator to move the printhead between the first air baffle and the second air baffle toward the conveyor in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor after operating the at least one printhead to perform the sneeze operation.