US 11,969,994 B2
Ink jet nozzle health and printing reliability
Brent D. Lien, Minneapolis, MN (US); Evan Pastor, Edina, MN (US); Chad Everett Beery, Waconia, MN (US); Bradley O'Hara, Chanhassen, MN (US); Kyrsten Dominique Elemino, Hopkins, MN (US); and Tanya Jegeris Snyder, Edina, MN (US)
Assigned to ASSA ABLOY AB, Stockholm (SE)
Filed by ASSA ABLOY AB, Stockholm (SE)
Filed on Nov. 5, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/090,238.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/078,285, filed on Sep. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0080722 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 2/045 (2006.01); B41J 2/165 (2006.01); B41J 2/175 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 2/0451 (2013.01) [B41J 2/04586 (2013.01); B41J 2/16535 (2013.01); B41J 2/17513 (2013.01); B41J 2/17566 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for improving ink jet nozzle health and printing reliability of an ink jet printer, comprising:
monitoring whether a triggering event has occurred, wherein the triggering event is an elapsed period of time;
pumping, in response to detecting the triggering event has occurred, at least a portion of ink contained in a header tank from the header tank in a direction toward an ink cartridge through a tube connecting the header tank and the ink cartridge, wherein the header tank is included in a scan head and is connected to a print head, and wherein at least part of the tube is located proximate to a linking mechanism located along at least one of a side or rear of an interior portion of the ink jet printer, and wherein the linking mechanism is configured to move with or accommodate movement of the scan head; and
after pumping the at least the portion of ink contained in the header tank from the header tank in a direction toward the ink cartridge, pumping at least another portion of ink from the ink cartridge through the tube in a direction toward the header tank.