Estimating local ejection chamber temperature to improve printhead performance

• US 20030142159A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Prakash, Satya, Askeland, Ronald A., Giere, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US10/066,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04536 using history data
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0454 involving calculation of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04581 controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/195 for monitoring ink quality

Abstract

A temperature control system for an inkjet printhead assembly, including a printhead assembly having ink ejection elements energizable by an electrical pulse having an amplitude and pulse width, a sensor coupled to the printhead assembly for generating a signal representative of the printhead temperature, a memory for storing current printhead operating parameters and a controller for reading a nominal operating pulse width, the signal from the sensor and the printhead operating parameters, said controller calculates an adjusted pulse width using the nominal operating pulse width, the signal from the sensor and the current printhead operating parameters, wherein the controller uses the adjusted pulse width to control printhead temperature. A method of controlling the temperature of an inkjet printhead including providing a printhead assembly having ink ejection elements energizable by an electrical pulse having an amplitude and pulse width, reading a nominal printhead operating temperature and a nominal operating pulse width, obtaining current printhead operating parameters from a memory and a current printhead operating temperature using a sensor on the printhead, adjusting the pulse width based on the printhead operating parameters and the measured temperature of the printhead and applying the adjusted operating pulse width to the printhead to control printhead temperature.

Claims

1. A temperature control system for an inkjet printhead assembly, comprising:

a printhead assembly having ink ejection elements energizable by an electrical pulse having an amplitude and pulse width;

a sensor coupled to the printhead assembly for generating a signal representative of the printhead temperature;

a memory for storing current printhead operating parameters; and

a controller for reading a nominal operating pulse width, the signal from the sensor and the printhead operating parameters, said controller calculates an adjusted pulse width using the nominal operating pulse width, the signal from the sensor and the current printhead operating parameters;

wherein the controller uses the adjusted pulse width to control printhead temperature.

2. A method of controlling the temperature of an inkjet printhead comprising:

providing a printhead assembly having ink ejection elements energizable by an electrical pulse having an amplitude and pulse width;

reading a nominal printhead operating temperature and a nominal operating pulse width;

obtaining current printhead operating parameters from a memory and a current printhead operating temperature using a sensor on the printhead;

adjusting the pulse width based on the printhead operating parameters and the measured temperature of the printhead; and

applying the adjusted operating pulse width to the printhead to control printhead temperature.