Abstract: An ink supplying apparatus includes an ink flow passage connecting an ink storing portion for storing ink and an ejecting portion for ejecting the ink; a chamber disposed in the ink flow passage; a filter which divides the chamber into two spaces, one of which is provided with an ink entrance opening leading to the ink storing portion, and the other of which is provided with an ink exit opening leading to the ejecting portion; wherein the ink exit opening is disposed adjacent to the top wall of the chamber, with respect to gravity direction, and also, the ink exit opening is disposed above a level at which the ink entrance opening is disposed, with respect to direction.

Abstract: The carrier recovery apparatus includes a water/carrier separating unit with a level sensor installed at a predetermined level on a purge tank. The level sensor detects the level of the liquid carrier in the purge tank and generates a signal representing the level of the liquid carrier.

Abstract: This present invention is embodied in a printing system for a printhead portion of an inkjet printer. The printing system of the present invention includes a filter, coupled between an ink supply and an inkjet printhead. A filter member having a plurality of holes can be coupled between the ink supply and the microscreen filter. Alternatively, the filter can be a thermally efficient filter comprised of a filter integrated with a heat transfer device and can be coupled to the inkjet printhead.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead of an ink jet cartridge includes a filter plate that is downstream of the ink. Particularly, the filter plate is attached to the back of the heater chip of the printhead. The filter plate is in addition to a wire mesh filter that is disposed at the inlet of a plumbing standpipe that prevents particles which are shed from the ink reservoir from passing into the printhead chip assembly. The filter plate of the present invention prevents particles that originate in the plumbing standpipe channels below the wire mesh filter from clogging the bubble chambers of the heater chip of the printhead chip assembly. The filter plates are formed on a polymer sheet with a series of holes ablated using an eximer laser. The filter plates are bulk registered and laminated to the back of the heater chips wafer in sheet form during the circuit manufacturing process and then singulated when the wafer is diced into individual heater chips.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink cartridge case having an ink chamber containing ink and a foam chamber containing a porous member impregnated with ink. An ink supply hole formed in the ink chamber is provided with a filter having fine pores whose mesh is smaller than that of the cell pores of the porous member. The filter is mounted into the ink supply hole from outside the cartridge case, and fixed by an adapter. The filter prevents ink leakage during connection of the ink cartridge to an ink introducing portion of a recording head due to surface tension in a meniscus of the ink formed in fine pores of the filter. Ink flows through the filter toward the recording head when the ink cartridge is connected to the recording head because the surface tension in the ink in each fine pore of the filter is destroyed during connection.

Abstract: An ink tank cartridge is provided removably mountable onto an ink supply needle of the ink-jet type recording apparatus body. The cartridge has a housing provided with an ink supply port extending through and projecting from a wall of the housing and into the chamber of the housing. A porous member having ink impregnated thereon is positioned inside the chamber of the housing abutting against the ink supply port. A filter is mounted on the inner end opening of the ink supply port. The ink tank cartridge is further provided with a packing member for resiliently abutting against the outer periphery of the ink supply needle and is positioned adjacent one end of the ink supply port. The outer opening of the ink supply port is sealed with a sealing member through which the ink supply needle penetrates.

Abstract: An ink cartridge connectable to a print head having a supply pipe which receives a supply of ink includes a casing having a first, upper chamber and a second, lower chamber communicating with each other via a communicating hole and storing the ink, a porous body provided in the first chamber and storing the ink by a negative pressure, and a connection part provided in the second chamber and connectable to the supply pipe. The connection part has normally closed valve means for communicating the print head with the second chamber by opening when the supply pipe is inserted into the connection part. The ink cartridge includes a connecting pipe extending from the first chamber into the second chamber and a filter member covering the opening of the connecting pipe in the second chamber. The filter member releases air from the connecting pipe upwardly into an upper region of the second chamber.

Abstract: An ink jet print device includes a passageway for flowing ink having an outlet for ejecting ink at one end. The passageway has a portion where the cross-sectional dimensions of the passageway change. A generating device which generates energy for ejecting ink from the outlet is disposed on a surface intersecting the passageway and defines a part of the portion where the cross-sectional dimensions of the passageway change.

Abstract: A filter chamber having a portion inclined in relation to the horizontal direction is formed between an ink supply channel having one end communicating with an ink cartridge and a throughhole communicating with an ink-jet recording head, and a filter plate is placed in the filter chamber so as to diagonally traverse it, so that ink is allowed to pass through the whole surface of the filter plate.

Abstract: Islands of barrier layer material of an inkjet printhead are disposed between an ink source and the ink feed channels leading to the ink firing chambers to filter particles in the ink. Dimensions of the ink feed channels and ink ejecting orifices have been reduced in size and the thickness of the barrier layer has been made thinner. The nominal size of the filter pores is less than the barrier layer thickness while the width of the ink feed channels and the bore diameter of the orifices is larger than the barrier layer thickness.

Abstract: A heater chip of a thermal ink jet printer has its entire surface, which is opposite the parallel surface having resistors for heating ink supplied from a cartridge body to nozzles in a nozzle plate, supported by and engaged with a surface of a base of a high thermally conductive radiator. The radiator, which is submerged in the ink in the cartridge body, has fins, which preferably have a surface area greater than the surface area of the base, extending upwardly from the base of the radiator. The cartridge body has surfaces, which are exposed to the ambient, with a surface area preferably greater than the surface area of the fins. Heat is transferred from the heater chip to the radiator base and from the fins of the radiator to the ink. The ink transfers heat to the ambient through the cartridge body.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having a substrate with an upper surface, and an ink supply conduit passing through the substrate. An array of independently addressable ink energizing elements are attached to the upper surface of the substrate. An orifice layer has a lower surface conformally connected to the upper surface of the substrate, and has an exterior surface facing away from the substrate. The orifice layer defines a plurality of firing chambers providing communication to the ink energizing elements, and each of the orifices is positioned in registration with a respective single ink energizing element. The exterior surface defines a plurality of nozzle apertures, each providing the upper terminus of a single firing chamber. Each of the firing chambers is laterally separated from all other firing chambers by a septum portion of the orifice layer.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head having discharging ports which discharge a recording liquid, a capping device capable of being mounted on the recording head, a pressure device which enables the recording liquid to flow under pressure in the ink supply passages to the recording head, and pressurizes the interior of the recording head when the capping device is mounted. A first ink supply tube to conductively connect the pressure device and the recording head, a second ink supply tube conductively connects the recording head and a recording liquid reservoir container; a conductive tube conductively connects the first ink supply tube and the second ink supply tube, and a controller controls the flow in the conductive tube, hence making it possible to remove air bubbles in the ink supply systems and ink passages easily and effectively by providing a conductive tube for a conventional ink supply systems.

Abstract: A high reliability ink jet head for an ink jet recording apparatus enabling consistent ink ejecting with no nozzle clogging. The ink jet head therefor comprises a substrate comprising plural ink passages, each comprising a nozzle, pressure generator continuous to the nozzle, and an orifice, and an ink supply member common to the plural ink passages. The substrate comprising an anisotropic crystalline material such as silicon, and a filter channel formed integrally to the ink supply member by anisotropic etching.

Abstract: An ink jet printer which causes ink to fly to a recording medium to form an image, comprising: plural nozzles functioning as ink ejection ports; plural individual flow paths which are disposed with respectively corresponding to the nozzles, the individual flow paths respectively having driving elements which eject internal ink through the nozzles; a common liquid chamber which communicates with the individual flow paths, the common liquid chamber having an opening portion through which ink is supplied into the chamber; an ink supply path which has a sectional area smaller than a sectional area of the opening portion of the common liquid chamber, the ink supply path being connected to the opening portion to guide ink to the common liquid chamber; and an ink supply source for supplying ink through the ink supply path.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer has a tank defining an ink reservoir, and an outlet port from the tank. The outlet port is arranged to receive an ink withdrawal needle of the printer. A fibrous body is provided in the port to act as a filter and wick for ink passing through the port.

Abstract: A common recess, grooves, and common recess and/or column members in the grooves are formed on a base board at the same time, and such board is made a second base board, which is coupled to a first base board on which elements for liquid discharging energy are formed; hence obtaining an ink jet recording head provided with a filter unit in an arbitrary position in the region formed by the ink paths and the common liquid chamber. The filter unit can be processed by a single processing in the ink paths and/or the common liquid chamber to make it possible to prevent disabled discharge from taking place due to dust particles intermingled at the time of head manufacture. In this way, the discharging stability is enhanced, making a high-speed printing possible. A workpiece is efficiently processed by a single processing which is performed to process a three-dimensional configuration with respect to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated.

Abstract: An ink delivery system for a liquid electrophotographic color printer including a plurality of circulation tanks connected to respective development units containing developer liquids, a plurality of jet portions disposed between the respective circulation tanks and the respective development units, for jetting the ink in the circulation tanks to development gaps in the respective development units, a plurality of ink cartridges having concentrated ink of different colors and detachably installed in a printer body, a plurality of concentrated ink supply paths through which the concentrated ink is supplied to the corresponding circulation tanks, a carrier tank containing a carrier and fixed in the printer body, a carrier supply path through which the carrier in the carrier tank is supplied to the respective circulation tanks, a waste ink disposal tank connected to the respective circulation tanks by an ink exhaust path, for collecting the waste ink in the circulation tanks, and a filtering mechanism installed

Abstract: A liquid jet head can be detachably fitted into an opening portion of a liquid tank having a liquid absorbing member therein by a liquid receiving member with a liquid path formed therein. The liquid head has a filter, and the peripheral part of the filter is immovably embedded in the foremost end of the liquid receiving member such that the radially outermost end of the filter is not exposed, and the filter is maintained so as to have a dome-shaped contour adapted to come in pressure contact with the liquid absorbing member when the liquid jet head is fitted to the liquid tank by the immovable embedding of the peripheral part of the filter therein. A liquid jet apparatus with a liquid tank has a liquid absorbing member and an opening portion formed thereon, as well as a liquid jet head of this type. A method of immovably securing a filter to a liquid receiving member of a liquid jet head is also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a modulating device for an ink jet printing head comprising a support (1) supporting a gun (3) equipped with a nozzle or discharging the ink jet, means for introducing pressurized ink (21), means for controlling the ink jet associated with the gun (3), ink filtering means, the gun defining a circuit permitting the circulation of the ink introduced into the assembly up to the nozzle. The filtering means (30) tangential filtering means, draining means (22) being provided for the discharge of the unfiltered ink.

Abstract: In a connecting device for connecting an ink supply source and an ink jet head, a connecting member 16 connected with an ink cartridge 7 is provided with a needle member 17, a first and second ink guide paths 19 and 20, which communicate with one another, a filter 21 is disposed at a slant with the direction A of ink flowing in the first ink guide path 19. The velocity and the negative pressure of ink flow flowing along a filter face 21A of the filter 21 increase as the ink flows downward, and the velocity and the negative pressure of ink flow at a filter face 21B are contrary thereto. By utilizing this property, air bubble K generated at an ink supply operation to the ink jet head H is allowed to rapidly move downward along the filter face 21A, passed through the filter 21, and led to a second ink guide path 20.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head which includes a plurality of ejection outlets for ejecting ink; discrete ink passages communicating with respective ejection outlets; a common liquid passage communicating with the discrete ink passages for supplying ink thereto; a liquid chamber for supplying the ink to the common ink passages; and a filter. The filter includes plural projections between the common liquid passage and the liquid chamber, for preventing foreign matter from entering the discrete liquid passages. Adjacent projections define a liquid passing area having a size smaller than that of the ejection outlets.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus, recording is performed by discharging ink through discharge ports in a recording head onto a recording medium. Ink flows into a housing from an ink storing portion through an ink inlet portion on an upper surface of the housing. The housing contains an impeller on an end of a shaft. An ink outlet portion of the housing is located tangentially with respect to the rotating impeller to supply ink to the recording head.

Abstract: An ink cartridge (3) including an ink reservoir portion having a porous member (37) for storing ink and an ink supply portion (39) has an ink inducing element (47) disposed between the ink reservoir portion and the ink-supply portion (39). The ink inducing element (47) is made of bundle of fibers in which each fiber is disposed in parallel to the direction of ink supplying from the ink reservoir to the ink supply portion (39), and one end of the ink inducing element (47) is press-touched to the porous member (37).

Abstract: The present invention relates to free-ink type ink-jet pens. A dual-chambered housing forms ink accumulators which provide a local supply of ink for a printhead mechanism. The accumulators are fluidically coupled to an off-board ink reservoir by a valve mechanism. A pressure regulator mechanism is incorporated into a chamber for maintaining a predetermined gage set point back-pressure within the pen and for regulating the flow of ink from the reservoir by controlling the valve mechanism. A near linear force by biasing the regulator mechanism so as to balance it against a force exerted thereon by the ambient atmosphere via a vent when the valve mechanism is opened due to a force exerted by a differential between ambient atmospheric pressure and the bias force. The mechanism is insensitive to the rate of flow of ink through the valve.

Abstract: An aerosol reduction system collects stray ink aerosol generated by inkjet printheads includes ventilation and collection components. During printing and purging, the printhead ejects ink to generate a desired ink droplet and a by-product comprising floating ink satellites. The aerosol collection system may be either passive or active, with the passive devices relying upon carriage motion to bring the collection elements into contact with the aerosol collection location. The passive systems have collection elements mounted on the carriage, including a rigid electrostatic filter, a billowing sail shaped filter geometry, or electrically charged plates. The active systems use some additional mechanism to bring the aerosol and the collection location together, such as the carriage-mounted aerosol removal or extraction fans illustrated. The collection location of these active systems may be mounted at the carriage, or well behind the carriage.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead body has an ink filter structure integrally incorporated therein and operative to filter ink flowing into its internal ink receiving channels disposed between piezoelectrically deflectable interior wall portions of the body. In various illustrated embodiments of the printhead, the filter structure is defined by a series of photoetched micro filter passageways formed integrally in an outer side portion of the printhead body, a filter cavity formed in the outer side portion and receiving a separate photoetchable filter member in which photoetched micro filter passageways are formed, and a filter cavity formed in the outer side portion and receiving a separate mesh-type micro filter member.

Abstract: In order to reduce particle clogging of ink firing chambers in an inkjet printer printhead, the barrier layer is configured to have a plurality of inner barrier islands, each associated with a respective one of the heater resistors, disposed between an ink firing chamber and the ink plenum, to form two ink feed channels. The two ink feed channels are designed to have a right angle turn to prevent particles from entering the ink firing chamber. A plurality of outer barrier islands, having a number equal to twice the number of inner barrier islands, are disposed between the inner barrier islands and the ink plenum, and are configured in lines parallel to the lines of heater resistors to prevent particles from reaching the ink feed channels.

Abstract: In the embodiments described in the specification, an ink jet head has an orifice filter disposed between a pressure chamber and an orifice to trap contaminant particles having a size likely to block the orifice, while permitting smaller particles to pass through the filter, thereby preventing blocking of the orifice while avoiding substantial pressure drop in the pulses producing ejection of drops from the orifice. In addition, a separate filter having a substantially smaller pore size is incorporated in a reservoir from which ink is supplied to the pressure chamber, thereby filtering out small particles which might accumulate to produce orifice-blocking particles.

Abstract: In the simplified ink jet head described in the specification, a tubular member made of air-permeable, ink-permeable material which is closed at one end and connected at the other end to a source of subatmospheric pressure is inserted into an ink passage in the ink jet head to extract dissolved air through the material of the tubular member from a surrounding body of ink in the ink passage.

Abstract: An ink-jet type recording apparatus including a connecting member which is provided with a first ink supply passage disposed in a carriage and extending in parallel toward a print head unit and a second ink supply passage extending upwardly and communicated with the ink tank and the first ink supply passage, an ink head unit connected to the connecting member for jetting ink droplets corresponding to print signals, a hollow needle engaging with a needle insertion hole of the ink tank, a filter member provided in parallel with a tapered concave portion formed between the hollow needle and the second ink supply passage, a cap member detachably mounted on the print head unit for communicating with a suction pump, and a control member for driving the suction pump in a first suction mode which operates intervally and a second suction mode which operates continuously.

Abstract: Marangoni flow induced print defects are alleviated by underprinting and/or overprinting by a primary ink-jet ink with at least one treating solution that is capable of inducing the precipitation of the colorant in the primary ink-jet ink upon sustained contact. Since the time scale of precipitation is fast compared with the development of print defects due to Marangoni flow, the deleterious effects of Marangoni flow are forestalled. The method of the invention offers an effective and easily-implemented solution to the problem of Marangoni flow induced print defects that supplants the use of specially-treated paper and its associated high cost and inconvenience.

Abstract: The invention includes an ink delivery and filtration medium for delivering and filtering ink from an ink chamber to a printhead in an ink jet system. The ink delivery and filtration medium comprises a porous woven material. The woven material can be made with fibers such as Nylons, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethersulfone, polyesters, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene. The woven material is flexible, thermally stable and chemically resistant to ink. The pore size and porosity of the woven material can be controlled by controlling the number of stitches per inch, fiber stitching pattern and fiber thickness or diameter. In addition, the pore size can be controlled by layering the woven material in combination with woven materials of the same or different pore sizes. Accordingly, not only can the pore size of each layer be controlled, but the pore size of the entire medium can be controlled by cumulative stacking of layers of materials with same or different pore size.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printing unit comprising a printing head mounted on the container, a measuring circuit comprising a pair of electrodes which substantially enclose the volume of ink within the container, allows hysteresis- free linear mode measurement of variations in the ink volume within the container and the signalling of at least one of the ends of the variation interval to indicate the most suitable moment for recharging ink in the container by means of a cartridge inserted into the container.

Abstract: A particulate filter (16) is provided within an inlet channel (22) of an ink jet (14). The filter is oriented generally in the direction of ink flow to provide a greater filter surface area. Positioning the filter within the inlet channel results in reduced acoustic crosstalk, more effective filtering, and more efficient purging of the filter itself because of the relatively high ink pressure drop across the filter in the channel. Positioning the channel vertically assists the buoyancy of the bubble movement during operation and purging.

Abstract: A thermal ink-jet pen cartridge including an ink reservoir for maintaining ink under negative pressure. The ink reservoir is coupled to the printhead via a discharge port. To prevent air bubbles from entering the reservoir via the discharge port and printhead after ink is expelled via the thermal process, a check valve is placed in the fluid path between the ink reservoir and the printhead at the discharge port. The check valve is a mesh having a very small mesh opening sufficient to prevent air bubbles from passing through under normal pressures. The check valve also serves the function of a particulate filter to prevent contamination of the printhead by particles from the ink reservoir.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes ink ejecting outlets for ejecting ink, an ink container for containing the ink to be supplied to the ejecting outlets, ink supply passage for supplying the ink from the container to the ejecting outlets, a recovery system for forcedly ejecting the ink through the ejecting outlets. The recovery system repeats the forced ejecting action, and a quantity of the ink ejected by one forced ejecting action is larger than an inside volume of the ink supply passage.

Abstract: A filter device that is usable for a print head in an ink jet printer. The filter device is interposed between an ink reservoir and the ink ejecting nozzles. Two flat, permeable thin films are juxtaposed with an adequate clearance from the inlet of a filter chamber toward the outlet thereof to define negative pressure chambers. A flat filter member is interposed in parallel with an adequate clearance H between the two permeable thin films. Dust contained in ink is caught by the filter member. A negative pressure generator is used to decrease the pressure inside the negative pressure chamber to less than that of atmospheric pressure so as to remove bubbles contained in the ink in the filter chamber. Consequently, it is possible to prevent dust and bubbles from intruding into the ink ejecting nozzles in the ink jet printer to ensure there is no interruption of the ejection of the ink.

Abstract: An ink jet printer cartridge assembly including a cartridge body with at least one ink chamber from which ink flows to a print head. A standpipe in the ink chamber includes an opening therethrough for the flow of ink to the print head, and a filter cap is secured on the top of the standpipe to limit the introduction of air bubbles and particulate matter in the flow of ink toward the print head. The filter cap includes a mesh material formed into a dome-shaped configuration and an elastomeric material molded about the periphery of the mesh portion, with the elastomeric material being received around the top portion of the standpipe.

Abstract: An ink jet cartridge includes a head portion, an ink container portion; an ink passage for supplying ink from the ink container portion to the head portion, ink absorbing material in the ink container, and a filter press-contacted to the ink container. The filter adjacent to an end of the ink passage and has an area larger than a cross-sectional area of the ink passage.

Abstract: A cleaning solution supplying device is set in such a manner that it is communicated with a cleaning solution supply section through a cleaning solution supply pipe, and covers the end face of an ink jet head, and a cleaning solution sucking device, which is communicated with a used solution receiving section through a suction pump, is connected to a cleaning solution discharge outlet provided between the ink jet head and the ink supply passageway, so that the cleaning solution is intermittently sucked into the ink jet head through the orifices or ink filter of the latter and discharged therefrom, thereby to positively remove foreign matters from the ink jet head.

Abstract: A system for supplying liquid ink to a thermal ink-jet printing apparatus comprises a housing defining a chamber having a ventilation port and an outlet port. The chamber retains a quantity of liquid ink. An ink delivery medium is disposed across the outlet port, providing a capillary force greater than that of the medium. The ink delivery medium is a high density, fine pore fully open cell polyester polyurethane, preferably, ULTRA FINE. A filter is attached to the ink delivery medium.

Abstract: An internal ink filter (12) located within an ink jet print head (10) is formed by overlapping filter portions (100 and 102) of two laminated plates (22 and 24) that comprise the print head. Each plate includes an array of holes (120) in the filter portion. The individual holes have an opening dimension (122) such that the plates can be easily manufactured using conventional techniques, although the opening dimension may be too large for effective filtering. The plates are juxtaposed with the holes of each plate partly overlapping the holes of the other plate. The areas of overlap define a filter pore smaller than the individual holes in each plate.

Abstract: An ink supply mechanism, which supplies ink from an ink container for storing ink to an ink jet recording unit which discharges ink, comprises a first filter member provided in an ink outlet section of the ink container; an ink supply passage which conductively connects the ink jet recording unit and the ink container for supplying ink from the ink container to the ink jet recording unit; and a second filter member provided in the ink supply passage between ink discharging ports of the recording unit and the first filter member. The second filter member is provided with holes which create the capillary force greater than the negative pressure in the ink container.

Abstract: A vacuum system solves the heretofore unknown problem of mist generation from an ink reservoir under vacuum. The vacuum system includes an ink reservoir and a vacuum pump for supplying vacuum to the ink reservoir. A mist filter is housed in a housing associated with the vacuum system for capturing ink mist from the ink reservoir.

Abstract: A "barrier reef" configuration, comprising a plurality of cays, or pillars, is provided, each pillar associated with the entrance to a firing chamber in a thermal ink-jet printhead. Each firing chamber is formed in a photopolymer layer, together with an associated barrier inlet channel that fluidically communicates with a common ink refill channel which acts as a common reservoir to the each firing chamber, in which resides a resistor element. When energized, the resistor element fires a droplet of ink toward a print medium. Over each resistor element is a nozzle, formed in an orifice plate, for firing the droplets of ink orthogonal to the resistor element. The pillars, which are positioned near the ink refill channel, serve to support the orifice plate and act as pillars between the substrate and the orifice plate, thereby avoiding any pinching effect that would otherwise occur for an unsupported region.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus in which a filter is placed in an ink supply route, when an ink flow is formed in the ink supply route by ink ejection during recording operations and so on, a valve does not contact firmly to the filter, but when an ejection recovery operation is performed and an ink flow velocity increases, the valve contacts firmly to the filter and covers up a part of the filter. With this structure and operation, the effective cross-section area of the filter decreases and hence, a given quantity of pressure difference is produced between the upstream side and the downstream side of the filter. As a result, bubbles unable to pass through the filter at recording operations can pass through the filter when ejection recovery operations are performed.

Abstract: A thermal ink-jet pen cartridge including an ink reservoir for maintaining ink under negative pressure. The ink reservoir is coupled to the printhead via a discharge port. To prevent air bubbles from entering the reservoir via the discharge port and printhead after ink is expelled via the thermal process, a check valve is placed in the fluid path between the ink reservoir and the printhead at the discharge port. The check valve is a mesh having a very small mesh opening sufficient to prevent air bubbles from passing through under normal pressures. The check valve also serves the function of a particulate filter to prevent contamination of the printhead by particles from the ink reservoir.

Abstract: A capping and maintenance station for an ink-jet printer provides immersion of a printhead into a supply of ink of the same type as emitted by the printhead, when the printhead is not in use. The immersion provides cleaning and priming, and prevents drying of ink within the printhead.

Abstract: A drop on demand ink jet print head includes air bubble removal channels having a larger cross sectional area than the ink jet printing channels. In operation, the air bubble removal channels are operated to remove air bubbles from an ink manifold prior to ink jet printing.