Claims
- 1. An ink jet printer, comprising:
(a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles arranged such that a first nozzle is adapted to print along a first path substantially the same as a second path previously printed by a second nozzle; and (b) a control adapted to enable said first nozzle during a portion of the first path and to enable said second nozzle during a complementary portion of the first path, such that said first or said second nozzle is enabled during the entirety of the first path, said control being effective to disable said first or said second nozzle during the entirety of the first path to enable said first nozzle or said second nozzle during the entirety of the second path.
- 2. A printer for printing an image on a receiver, comprising:
(a) a print head; (b) a plurality of nozzles formed in said print head, a proportion of said nozzles being inoperative and a remaining proportion of said nozzles being operative; (c) an optical detection system coupled to said nozzles for optically detecting said inoperative nozzles; and (d) a computer connected to said nozzles for re-assigning printing function of said inoperative nozzles to said operative nozzles, so that said operative nozzles compensate for said inoperative nozzles in order that the image is printed on the receiver by the operative nozzles.
- 3. The printer of claim 2, further comprising a print head transport mechanism connected to said print head for translating said print head in a first direction with respect to the receiver, so that said print head prints on the receiver in the first direction.
- 4. The printer of claim 3, further comprising a receiver transport mechanism engaging said receiver for transporting said receiver in a second direction with respect to said print head, so that said print head prints on the receiver in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
- 5. A printer for printing a plurality of pixels forming a two-dimensional digital image on a receiver, each pixel being printed at a pixel location, comprising:
(a) an ink jet print head; (b) a plurality of nozzles formed in said print head and segregated into a first nozzle group capable of printing predetermined ones of the pixels in a first printing pass and a second nozzle group capable of printing remaining ones of the pixels in a second printing pass, at least one of said nozzles in the first nozzle group being inoperative and at least another one of said nozzles in the second nozzle group being operative, said operative nozzle capable of ejecting an ink droplet; (c) a light source disposed near said plurality of nozzles for emitting a light beam traveling along a predetermined light beam path extending adjacent said nozzles; (d) a light sensor disposed near said plurality of nozzles and in the light beam path for receiving the light beam, said light sensor capable of generating an output signal as the ink droplet ejects from said operative nozzle and into the light beam path to interrupt the light beam, said light sensor failing to generate the output signal as the ink droplet fails to eject from said inoperative nozzle; and (e) a computer connected to said light sensor for receiving the output signal generated thereby, said computer capable of detecting said inoperative nozzle by absence of the output signal and capable of detecting said operative nozzle by presence of the output signal, said computer capable of reassigning printing function of said inoperative nozzle in the first nozzle group to said operative nozzle in the second nozzle group, whereby said inoperative nozzle fails to print at the predetermined pixel location in the first printing pass, and whereby said operative nozzle prints in the second printing pass at the pixel location left unprinted by said inoperative nozzle.
- 6. The printer of claim 5, further comprising a print head transport mechanism connected to said print head for translating said print head horizontally with respect to the receiver, so that said print head prints on the receiver in a horizontal direction.
- 7. The printer of claim 5, further comprising a receiver transport mechanism engaging said receiver for transporting said receiver vertically with respect to said print head, so that said print head prints on the receiver in a vertical direction.
- 8. The printer of claim 5, wherein said computer is capable of electrically driving said nozzles to eject ink droplets therefrom.
- 9. The printer of claim 5, wherein said print head is formed of a piezoelectric material.
- 10. The printer of claim 5, wherein said print head is a plurality of print heads, each print head capable of ejecting ink droplets having a unique color.
- 11. A print head, comprising:
(a) a plurality of nozzles, at least one of said nozzles being inoperative and at least another one of said nozzles being operative; and (b) a computer connected to said nozzles for re-assigning printing function of said inoperative nozzle to said operative nozzle.
- 12. The print head of claim 11, further comprising a detection system coupled to said nozzles for detecting said inoperative nozzle.
- 13. The print head of claim 12, wherein said detection system is an optical detection system.
- 14. A print head for printing an image on a receiver, comprising:
(a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles arranged such that a first nozzle is adapted to print along a first path substantially the same as a second path previously printed by a second nozzle; and (b) a control adapted to enable said first nozzle during a portion of the first path and to enable said second nozzle during a complementary portion of the first path, such that said first or said second nozzle is enabled during the entirety of the first path, said control being effective to disable said first or said second nozzle during the entirety of the first path to enable said first nozzle or said second nozzle during the entirety of the second path.
- 15. The print head of claim 14, further comprising a first transport mechanism connected to said nozzles for translating said nozzles in a first direction with respect to the receiver, so that said nozzles print on the receiver in the first direction.
- 16. The print head of claim 15, further comprising a second transport mechanism engaging said receiver for transporting said receiver in a second direction orthogonal with respect to said nozzles, so that said nozzles print on the receiver in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
- 17. A method of assembling a printer, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles arranged such that a first nozzle is adapted to print along a first path substantially the same as a second path previously printed by a second nozzle; and (b) providing a control adapted to enable said first nozzle during a portion of the first path and to enable said second nozzle during a complementary portion of the first path, such that said first or said second nozzle is enabled during the entirety of the first path, said control being effective to disable said first or said second nozzle during the entirety of the first path to enable said first nozzle or said second nozzle during the entirety of the second path.
- 18. A method of assembling a printer for printing an image on a receiver, comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a plurality of nozzles in a print head, a proportion of the nozzles being inoperative and a remaining proportion of the nozzles being operative; (b) coupling an optical detection system to the nozzles for optically detecting the inoperative nozzles; and (c) connecting a computer to the detection system for re-assigning printing function of the inoperative nozzles to the operative nozzles, so that the operative nozzles compensate for the inoperative nozzles in order that the image is printed on the receiver by the operative nozzles.
- 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of connecting a print head transport mechanism to the print head for translating the print head in a first direction with respect to the receiver, so that the print head prints on the receiver in the first direction.
- 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of engaging a receiver transport mechanism with the receiver for transporting the receiver in a second direction orthogonal with respect to the print head, so that the print head prints on the receiver in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
- 21. A method of assembling a printer for printing a plurality of pixels forming a two-dimensional digital image on a receiver, each pixel being defined at a pixel location in the image, comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a plurality of nozzles in a print head and segregating the nozzles into a first nozzle group capable of printing predetermined ones of the pixels in a first printing pass and a second nozzle group capable of printing remaining ones of the pixels in a second printing pass, at least one of the nozzles in the first nozzle group being inoperative and at least another one of the nozzles in the second nozzle group being operative, the operative nozzle capable of ejecting an ink droplet; (b) disposing a light source near the plurality of nozzles for emitting a light beam traveling along a predetermined light beam path extending adjacent the nozzles; (c) disposing a light sensor near the plurality of nozzles and in the light beam path for receiving the light beam, the light sensor capable of generating an output signal as the ink droplet ejects from the operative nozzle and into the light beam path to interrupt the light beam, the light sensor failing to generate the output signal as the ink droplet fails to eject from the inoperative nozzle; and (d) connecting a computer to the light sensor for receiving the output signal generated thereby, the computer capable of detecting the inoperative nozzle by absence of the output signal and capable of detecting the operative nozzle by presence of the output signal, the computer capable of re-assigning printing function of the inoperative nozzle to the operative nozzle, whereby as the inoperative nozzle fails to print at the predetermined pixel location in the first printing pass, the operative nozzle prints in the second printing pass at the pixel location left unprinted by the inoperative nozzle.
- 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of connecting a print head transport mechanism to the print head for horizontally translating the print head with respect to the receiver, so that the print head prints on the receiver in a horizontal direction.
- 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of engaging a receiver transport mechanism with the receiver for vertically transporting the receiver with respect to the print head, so that the print head prints on the receiver in a vertical direction.
- 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of connecting a computer comprises the step of connecting a computer capable of electrically driving the nozzles to eject ink droplets therefrom.
- 25. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of forming a plurality of nozzles in the print head comprises the step of forming the nozzles in a piezoelectric print head.
- 26. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of forming a plurality of nozzles in the print head comprises the step of forming the nozzles in a plurality of print heads, each print head capable of ejecting ink droplets having a unique color.
- 27. A method of assembling a print head, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles arranged such that a first nozzle is adapted to print along a first path substantially the same as a second path previously printed by a second nozzle; and (b) providing a control adapted to enable said first nozzle during a portion of the first path and to enable said second nozzle during a complementary portion of the first path, such that said first or said second nozzle is enabled during the entirety of the first path, said control being effective to disable said first or said second nozzle during the entirety of the first path to enable said first nozzle or said second nozzle during the entirety of the second path.
- 28. A method of assembling a print head for printing an image on a receiver, comprising the steps of:
(a) coupling an optical detection system to a plurality of nozzles for optically detecting inoperative nozzles, a proportion of the nozzles being inoperative and a remaining proportion of the nozzles being operative; and (b) connecting a computer to the optical detection system for reassigning printing function of inoperative nozzles to the operative nozzles, so that the operative nozzles compensate for the inoperative nozzles in order that the image is printed on the receiver by the operative nozzles.
- 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of connecting a first transport mechanism to the nozzles for translating the nozzles in a first direction with respect to the receiver, so that the nozzles print on the receiver in the first direction.
- 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of engaging a second transport mechanism with the receiver for transporting the receiver in a second direction with respect to the nozzles, so that the nozzles print on the receiver in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/119,909, filed Jul. 21, 1998, entitled “Printer And Method Of Compensating For Inoperative Ink Nozzles In A Print Head” by Xin Wen, Lam J. Ewell, Douglas Couwenhoven and Edward Hauschild.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09119909 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
Child |
09193348 |
Nov 1998 |
US |