Solid phase change ink melter assembly and phase change ink image producing machine having same

• US 6,866,375 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Leighton, Roger, Phillips, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lamson
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIANG, LEONARD S
• Application Number:
  US10/320,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: B41/J00.2/175, G01/D01.1/00, 347/88, 347/85, 347/99
• US Class Current: 347/88
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17593 Supplying ink in a solid state

Abstract

In a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine having a printhead system and a controller, apparatus and method for melting solid phase change ink into melted molten liquid ink, and for controlling the melted molten liquid ink to achieve a high throughput rate of image production are provided. The apparatus for the method includes (a) feeding assembly for first feeding solid pieces of phase change ink into a solid pieces melter housing; (b) a melter assembly including a melter housing and a melting device for heating and melting the solid pieces of phase change ink to form melted molten liquid ink; (c) a first storage and control apparatus including a first storage reservoir for storing and controlling a first quantity of the melted molten liquid ink in the first storage reservoir; (d) a second storage reservoir and filter assembly connected to the first storage reservoir for holding a second volume of the melted molten liquid ink; and (e) control apparatus for controlling flow of melted molten liquid ink from the first storage reservoir into the second storage reservoir and filter assembly, and from the second storage reservoir towards a printhead system.

Claims

1. In a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine having a printhead system and a controller, a method of melting solid phase change ink into melted molten liquid ink, and controlling the melted molten liquid ink for a high throughput rate of image production, the method comprising:

(a) first feeding solid pieces of phase change ink into a solid pieces melter housing;

(b) heating and melting said solid pieces of phase change ink within said melting housing to form melted molten liquid ink;

(c) next feeding and controlling a first quantity of said melted molten liquid ink into a first storage reservoir;

(d) connecting to said first storage reservoir, a second storage reservoir for holding a second volume of said melted molten liquid ink; and

(e) controlling flow of melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir and from said second storage reservoir towards a printhead system, said controlling of flow of melted molten liquid ink comprising allowing melted molten liquid ink to flow gravitationally through a check valve device from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first feeding of solid pieces of phase change ink comprises gravitationally dropping a controlled quantity of solid pieces of phase change ink into said melter housing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein next feeding and controlling said first quantity of melted molten liquid ink into said first storage reservoir includes sensing a level of said first quantity of melted molten liquid ink in said first storage reservoir.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling flow of melted molten liquid ink comprises allowing melted molten liquid ink to flow gravitationally through a check valve device from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir, and pressurizing said second storage reservoir to force flow of melted molten liquid ink from said second storage reservoir towards said printhead system.

5. In a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine having a printhead system and a controller, apparatus for melting solid phase change ink into melted molten liquid ink, and for controlling the melted molten liquid ink to achieve a high throughput rate of image production, the apparatus for comprising:

(a) feeding assembly for first feeding solid pieces of phase change ink into a solid pieces melter housing;

(b) a melter assembly including a melter housing and a melting device for heating and melting said solid pieces of phase change ink to form melted molten liquid ink;

(c) first storage and control means including a first storage reservoir receiving ink from said melter assembly for storing and controlling a first quantity of said melted molten liquid ink in said first storage reservoir;

(d) a second storage reservoir and filter assembly connected to said first storage reservoir for holding a second volume of said melted molten liquid ink; and

(e) control means for controlling flow of melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir and filter assembly, and from said second storage reservoir towards a printhead system, said control means including flow and control apparatus having a check valve device for gravitationally feeding melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said feeding assembly includes feed tubes for gravitationally dropping a controlled quantity of solid pieces of phase change ink into said melter housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first storage and control means includes a level sensor for sensing a level of said first quantity of melted molten liquid ink in said first storage reservoir.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said control means includes (a) flow and control apparatus having a check valve device for gravitationally feeding melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir, and (b) pressurization means for pressurizing said second storage reservoir to force flow of melted molten liquid ink from said second storage reservoir towards said printhead system.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, including a heating element mounted to said second storage reservoir for maintaining melted molten liquid ink associated therewith in melted molten liquid form.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, including a filter assembly mounted downstream of said first storage reservoir for filtering melted molten liquid ink being fed towards said printhead system.

11. A high-speed phase change ink image producing machine comprising:

(a) a control subsystem for controlling operation of all subsystems and components of the image producing machine;

(b) a movable imaging member having an imaging surface;

(c) a printhead system connected to said control subsystem for ejecting drops of melted molten liquid ink onto said imaging surface to form an image; and

(d) apparatus for melting solid phase change ink into melted molten liquid ink, and for controlling the melted molten liquid ink, said apparatus including;

(i) feeding assembly for first feeding solid pieces of phase change ink into a solid pieces melter housing;

(ii) a melter assembly including a melter housing and a melting device for heating and melting said solid pieces of phase change ink to form melted molten liquid ink;

(iii) first storage and control means including a first storage reservoir receiving ink from said melter assembly for storing and controlling a first quantity of said melted molten liquid ink in said first storage reservoir;

(iv) a second storage reservoir and filter assembly connected to said first storage reservoir for holding a second volume of said melted molten liquid ink; and

(v) control means for controlling flow of melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir and filter assembly, and from said second storage reservoir towards a printhead system, said control means including flow and control apparatus having a check valve device for gravitationally feeding melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein said feeding assembly includes feed tubes for gravitationally dropping a controlled quantity of solid pieces of phase change ink into said melter housing.

13. The machine of claim 11, wherein said first storage and control means includes a level sensor for sensing a level of said first quantity of melted molten liquid ink in said first storage reservoir.

14. The machine of claim 11, wherein said control means includes (a) flow control apparatus having a check valve device for gravitationally feeding melted molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into said second storage reservoir, and (b) pressurization means for pressurizing said second storage reservoir to force flow of melted molten liquid ink from said second storage reservoir towards said printhead system.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, including a heating element mounted to said second storage reservoir for maintaining melted molten liquid ink associated therewith in melted molten liquid form.

16. The machine of claim 11, including a filter assembly mounted downstream of said first storage reservoir for filtering melted molten liquid ink being fed from said second reservoir towards said printhead system.

17. The machine of claim 11, wherein said first storage reservoir includes a first aluminum housing having plural segments for separately containing different colors of the melted molten liquid ink.

18. The machine of claim 11, wherein said second storage reservoir includes a second aluminum housing having plural segments for separately containing different colors of the melted molten liquid ink.

19. The machine of claim 17, wherein each segment of said plural segments of said first aluminum housing includes short walls dividing said each segment into plural compartments for preventing formation of one massive block of molten liquid ink in each such segment in the case of heat failure and ink solidification therein.

20. The machine of claim 18, wherein each segment of said plural segments of said second aluminum housing includes short walls dividing said each segment into plural compartments for preventing formation of one massive block of molten liquid ink in each such segment in the case of heat failure and ink solidification therein.