Deaeration of ink in an ink jet system
First Claim
1. A deaerator for removing gas dissolved in hot melt ink at elevated temperatures from molten ink in a hot melt ink jet system comprising gas-permeable/ink-impermeable barrier means forming a wall of an ink-containing element of the ink jet system, plenum means forming a plenum on the side of the barrier means opposite from the ink-containing element, and pressure control means for providing a reduced gas pressure in the plenum means sufficient to cause gas dissolved in the hot melt ink at elevated temperatures to be extracted from the molten ink in the ink-containing element through the barrier means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In the particular embodiment of an ink deaerator described in the specification, an elongated ink path leading to an ink jet head is formed between two permeable membranes. The membranes are backed by air plenums which contain support members to hold the membranes in position. Reduced pressure is applied to the plenums to extract dissolved air from the ink in the ink path. Increased pressure can also be applied to the plenums to eject ink from the ink jet head for purging. Within the ink jet head ink is circulated convectively from the orifice to the deaerating path even when the jet is not jetting ink.
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Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A deaerator for removing gas dissolved in hot melt ink at elevated temperatures from molten ink in a hot melt ink jet system comprising gas-permeable/ink-impermeable barrier means forming a wall of an ink-containing element of the ink jet system, plenum means forming a plenum on the side of the barrier means opposite from the ink-containing element, and pressure control means for providing a reduced gas pressure in the plenum means sufficient to cause gas dissolved in the hot melt ink at elevated temperatures to be extracted from the molten ink in the ink-containing element through the barrier means.
- 7. A method for removing gas dissolved in hot melt ink at elevated temperatures from the hot melt ink in a hot melt ink jet system comprising providing a gas-permeable/ink-impermeable barrier means having one side in contact with molten hot melt ink in the ink jet system and applying reduced gas pressure to the other side of the barrier means.
Specification