Susan M Garrity

US Patent:

58476741, Dec 8, 1998

Filed:

May 2, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/641743

Inventors:

Paul J. Paroff - E. Amherst NY
Susan Garrity - Cheektowaga NY
Roger J. Rowland - Niagara Falls NY
Michael A. Graziano - Grand Island NY
Anthony V. Moscato - North Tonawanda NY

Assignee:

Moore Business Forms, Inc. - Grand Island NY

International Classification:

B41J 2165

US Classification:

347 33

Abstract:

Substantially optimum print quality is maintained for an ink jet printer which includes a nozzle plate having a number of orifice openings from which ink droplets for printing are sprayed. It is electronically determined when a particular orifice opening has been inactive for a predetermined period of time, and then an exercise print command is supplied to the orifice causing an ink droplet to dribble out of the orifice, rather than being sprayed out of the orifice, to keep the orifice clear for printing when a print command is supplied to it. The dribbling drops have a smaller size than the sprayed drops, and may be formed by supplying heater elements associated with the openings with pulses of shorter duration than normal. Dribbling ink droplets are automatically removed from the printer cartridge by one or more strands (e. g. continuous filament rayon thread) moving past the nozzle at a speed of between about 1-3 feet per hour while being positively guided.