NOZZLE FIRING ORDER CONTROLLER

• US 20190322100A1
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rubio, Leticia, Sarkar, Utpal, Quintero Ruiz, Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 11,007,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0451 for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/125 Sensors, e.g. deflection sensors nozzle clogging detection for cleaning reasons B41J2/16579; detection for compensation for failed nozzles B41J2/2139
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16579 Detection means therefor, e.g. for nozzle clogging
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2139 Compensation for malfunctioning nozzles creating dot place or dot size errors generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2142 Detection of malfunctioning nozzles generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045, B41J2/05; jet deflection sensors B41J2/125; for cleaning purposes B41J2/16579
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/1657 Cleaning of only nozzles or print head parts being selected

Abstract

A circuit 108 for controlling a plurality of fluid dispense nozzles 202(N), the circuit 108 to change an order in which the fluid dispense nozzles 202(N) are actuated.

Claims

1. A circuit for controlling a plurality of fluid dispense nozzles, the circuit to change an order in which the fluid dispense nozzles are actuated.

2. A circuit according to claim 1, the circuit to change the order in which the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles are actuated in dependence on a nozzle performance status for a nozzle of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles.

3. A circuit according to claim 2, the circuit to inspect a store of the nozzle performance status for the nozzle of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles.

4. A circuit according to claim 2, the circuit to change the order in which the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles are actuated in dependence on respective nozzle performance for a multiplicity of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles.

5. A circuit according to claim 4, the circuit to inspect a store of the nozzle performance status for the multiplicity of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles.

6. A circuit according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle performance status is of use or do not use.

7. A circuit according to claim 6, wherein the nozzle performance status is of a hierarchy of performance status comprising a sub-operational status interposed between the use and do not use performance status.

8. A circuit according to claim 7, to actuate a nozzle comprising a sub-operational performance status to replace actuation of an adjacent nozzle to the nozzle responsive to the adjacent nozzle comprising a performance status lower in the hierarchy of performance status than the performance status of the nozzle.

9. A circuit according to claim 8, to actuate the nozzle comprising a sub-operational performance status to replace actuation of the adjacent nozzle responsive to the nozzle being adjacent a second adjacent nozzle the second adjacent nozzle to another side of the nozzle relative to the adjacent nozzle and the second adjacent nozzle comprising a performance status higher in the hierarchy of performance status than the nozzle.

10. A circuit according to claim 9, to actuate the nozzle and to actuate the nozzle to replace the adjacent nozzle in a same pass.

11. A circuit according to claim 1, to actuate a fluid dispense nozzle of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles more than once in a pass.

12. A printer comprising a circuit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles comprises print fluid dispense nozzles.

13. A processor, comprising processor executable instructions to implement the circuit according to claim 1.

14. A method for operating a plurality of fluid dispense nozzles, the method comprising changing an order in which the fluid dispense nozzles are actuated.

15. A method according to claim 14, the method further comprising changing the order in which the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles are actuated in dependence on a nozzle performance status for a nozzle of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles.

16. A method according to claim 15, the method further comprising changing the order in which the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles are actuated in dependence on respective nozzle performance for a multiplicity of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the nozzle performance status is of use or do not use.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the nozzle performance status is of a hierarchy of performance status comprising a sub-operational status interposed between the use and do not use performance status.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising actuating a nozzle comprising a sub-operational performance status to replace actuation of an adjacent nozzle to the nozzle responsive to the adjacent nozzle comprising a performance status lower in the hierarchy of performance status than the performance status of the nozzle.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising actuating the nozzle for the nozzle being adjacent a second adjacent nozzle the second adjacent nozzle to another side of the nozzle relative to the adjacent nozzle and the second adjacent nozzle comprising a performance status higher in the hierarchy of performance status than the nozzle.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising actuating the nozzle and actuating the nozzle to replace the adjacent nozzle in a same pass.

22. A method according to claim 14, further comprising actuating a fluid dispense nozzle of the plurality of fluid dispense nozzles more than once in a pass.

23. A machine readable medium, comprising processor executable instructions executable by a processor to implement a method according to claim 14.