CLEANING HEAD AS WELL AS DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CLEANING PRINTING HEADS

• US 20190160821A1
• Filed: 05/24/2017
• Published: 05/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: GENCAN, Engin, REINIGER, Markus, van de WYNCKEL, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1652 by driving a fluid through the nozzles to the outside thereof, e.g. by applying pressure to the inside or vacuum at the outside of the print head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16552 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/1657 Cleaning of only nozzles or print head parts being selected

Abstract

A cleaning head includes an end face that faces an inkjet print head to be cleaned. A supply opening and a discharge opening are spaced apart on the end face. A supply channel carries cleaning fluid to the supply opening. The discharge opening receives cleaning fluid that is to be conveyed away after having been emitted through the supply opening. The cleaning head emits a cleaning fluid jet through the supply opening with the cleaning fluid jet being emitted in a direction having a component that is directed towards the discharge opening so that the cleaning fluid can be conveyed away by suction through the discharge opening.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An apparatus for cleaning an inkjet print head, said apparatus comprising a cleaning head, said cleaning head comprising an end face, a supply channel, a supply opening, a discharge opening, and a discharge channel, wherein said supply channel carries, to said supply opening, cleaning fluid to be used for cleaning said inkjet print head, wherein said discharge opening receives cleaning fluid that is to be conveyed away after having been emitted through said supply opening, wherein said supply opening and said discharge opening are arranged to be spaced apart on said end face, wherein said end face faces said print head during cleaning thereof, wherein said cleaning head emits a cleaning fluid jet through said supply opening with said cleaning fluid jet being emitted in a direction having a component that is directed towards said discharge opening so that said cleaning fluid can be conveyed away by suction through said discharge opening.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said supply channel comprises an end section that is angled towards said discharge opening.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said discharge channel comprises an end section that is angled toward said supply opening.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein, when said cleaning head is installed and ready for use, said supply opening is disposed above said discharge opening.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said supply opening is a slot having an opening width and an opening height that is less than said opening width and said discharge opening is a slot and wherein said discharge opening is a slot having an opening width and an opening height that is less than said opening width.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said supply opening and said discharge opening are parallel to each other.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least one of said discharge opening has a width that is greater that that of said supply opening and said discharge opening has a height that is greater than that of said supply opening.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the supply opening is provided at a free end of a supply channel, wherein said supply channel widens horizontally along a direction leading toward said supply opening, and wherein said supply channel narrows vertically along said direction.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said discharge opening is at a free end of a discharge channel, wherein said discharge channel widens horizontally in a direction leading toward said discharge opening, and wherein said discharge channel narrows vertically in said direction.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said discharge opening is a first discharge opening, said apparatus further comprising a second discharge opening disposed below said first discharge opening.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said cleaning head comprises an end face, wherein said supply opening, said first discharge opening, and said second discharge opening are disposed on said end face.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said cleaning head further comprises a drip tray and wherein said second discharge opening opens out into said drip tray.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein second discharge opening connects to at least one of said drip tray and said discharge channel.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a printing station and a locating device, wherein said print head is disposed at said printing station, wherein said locating device positions said cleaning head in front of said print head.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said printing station comprises reference faces, wherein said locating device comprises an adjustment section that bears against at least one of said reference faces.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, comprising a holding section, wherein said adjustment section is arranged on said holding section so as to be variable in position.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said adjustment section is above said cleaning head and wherein said adjustment section is configured to interact with a structure selected from the group consisting of a container and a holding-and-centering unit.

38. A method comprising using a cleaning head to clean an inkjet print head, wherein using said cleaning head comprises, from a supply opening of said cleaning head, emitting cleaning fluid in a direction having a component leading toward a discharge opening of said cleaning head, sucking said cleaning fluid through a said discharge opening thereby forming a cleaning fluid stream that extends from said supply opening to said discharge opening, and introducing said nozzles to be cleaned into said cleaning fluid stream

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said cleaning fluid stream traverses a flow path along an end face of said cleaning head.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said discharge opening is below said supply opening, said method further comprising causing said cleaning fluid to flow from said supply opening to said discharge opening along an end face of said cleaning head in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said print head'"'"'s nozzles dispense ink