HYDRAULIC SYSTEM OF ELECTRO-DROPLET-JET PRINTER AND ITS COMPONENTS Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: electro-droplet-jet technology and printers using this technology. SUBSTANCE: hydraulic system has ink tank communicating with solvent delivery, suction, pressure-relief, viscosity metering, and metered make-up circuits; it also has evacuation circuit and nozzle air- or solvent-cleaning circuit, and also solvent-washing circuit for droplet producer and nozzle. Delivery circuit has series-connected intake pipe with first submersible filter of ink tank, delivery pump, check valve, working receiver, second filter, and droplet producer with valve and nozzle member. Suction circuit has series-connected unused droplet trap, entrapped jet sensor of trombo-optic type, filter, suction pump, drain pipe, and ink tank. Viscosity metering circuit includes delivery-circuit pump and also has metering receiver, pressure sensor, and then capillary duct and viscosity metering pipe of ink tank all connected to pump upstream of working receiver check valve. Solvent make-up circuit includes solvent tank, submersible filter at intake pipe edge communicating with make-up pump and terminates in drain pipe in ink tank. Pressure-relief and ink pumping circuit provides communication between droplet producer and ink tank through its valve and pressure-relief valve. Washing circuit has make-up valve at make-up pump inlet and tee-piece upstream of this valve with tap to droplet producer through washing valve installed in circuit. Pressure-relief and ink-pumping circuit is integrated with evacuation circuit and with nozzle cleaning circuit. Pressure-relief circuit provides communication between droplet producer and suction pump inlet through pressure- relief valve and enables insertion of evacuation valve in delivery circuit upstream of droplet producer valve. Trap valve is included in suction circuit at inlet of suction pump. Proposed hydraulic system provides for automatic cleaning of nozzle and system structure, as well as system preservation thereby enhancing its consumer demands. EFFECT: facilitated manufacture, enhanced effectiveness and reliability of system components; enhanced reliability and quality of printing. 33 cl, 21 dwg, 2 tbl