Taft, Stettinuis & Hollister LLP
Methods and devices for purging gases from an ink reservoir
A printhead comprising a first ink reservoir in fluid communication with an outlet nozzle and downstream from a first ink filter, and a pump assembly in fluid communication with the first ink reservoir and operative to withdraw gas from the first ink reservoir and subsequently inhibit fluid communication between the withdrawn gas and the first ink reservoir. The present invention also includes method of removing gas in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, the method comprising purging gas from a gas accumulation area of an ink reservoir, where purging act includes manipulating a valve assembly downstream from an ink filter, the valve assembly operative to separate the gas accumulation area of the ink reservoir from an external environment, the valve assembly operative to facilitate unidirectional volumetric flow of the gas between the gas accumulation area and the external environment.
Lexmark International, Inc.
B B
B41J B41J
inventional inventional
David Emerson James Daniel Matthew Joe
Greer Anderson, Jr. Russell