7 052 124

7,052,124 Title:

Ink assist air knife

In operating an inkjet printing mechanism, media passes through a printzone including a support apparatus supporting the media thereat. When passing through the printzone, print imaging is applied by application of ink from an ink dispensing element and onto a surface of the media. The method includes directing an airflow at the media surface, the airflow including a first directional component away from the printzone and a second directional component onto the media surface thereby urging the media against the support apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an inkjet printing mechanism, the method comprising: passing media through a print zone, said print zone including a support apparatus supportingsaid media thereat; during said passing, applying in a print zone print imaging by application of ink from an ink dispensing element and onto a first surface of said media; and directing an airflow at said first surface prior to the first surface beingcontacted by a structure downstream of the print zone, said airflow including a first directional component away from said print zone so as to not intersect the print zone and a second directional component into said first surface, said seconddirectional component urging at least a portion of said media against said support apparatus in said print zone, wherein said airflow carries heat energy taken from a heat source performing a function other than heating air and otherwise producing wasteheat energy.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said airflow is directed from an elongate vent.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein a length dimension of said elongate vent is generally transverse to a media feed direction of said media passing through said print zone.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein said length dimension of said elongate vent is substantially coincident with a width of said print zone.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said airflow carries heat energy taken from a heat source.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said heat source includes resistive elements carrying electrical current therethrough and having resistance thereto sufficient to produce elevated temperature in said airflow as said heat energy carriedby said airflow moving therepast.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said resistive elements include electronic control circuit components serving also to support operation of an inkjet printer.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the heat energy carried by the airflow preheats the media prior to the media entering the print zone and wherein the airflow is directed at the first surface after the first surface has passed through the printzone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the airflow carrying the heat energy preheats the media while the media is in a feed tray.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein said airflow is provided from an elongate vent having a length dimension less than a width of said print zone.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said waste heat energy originates from electronic control circuit components.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein said waste heat energy originates from motor components.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein directing said airflow includes directing said airflow from a vent located on a carriage of an inkjet printer, and said applying comprises carrying said dispensing element.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein said carrying comprises reciprocating said carriage laterally relative to a feed direction of said media passing through said print zone.

15. A method according to claim 1 wherein said second directional component is of sufficient magnitude to maintain said media against said support surface in said print zone.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said second directional component is directed away from said print zone.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first directional component is substantially uniform across said media in a direction generally transverse to a feed direction of said media passing through said print zone.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said second directional component varies in a direction generally lateral to a direction of said media passing through said print zone and has greater magnitude at a laterally-outermost portion of saidmedia relative to a laterally-central portion of said media.

19. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first directional component varies across said media in a direction generally transverse to a direction of said media passing through said print zone.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the airflow is directed from a vent having an opening between the ink dispensing element and the first surface of the media.

21. A method according to claim 1 wherein the airflow is directed from a vent having an opening between the ink dispensing element and the first surface of the media.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein the media is passed through the print zone in a first direction and wherein the first directional component is in the first direction.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein the airflow is directed through a conduit extending towards the first surface and terminating at a vent proximate to and angularly facing the first surface.

24. A method of claim 23 wherein the ink dispensing element is provided by a printhead at a first end of a cartridge having a second opposite end, wherein the conduit extends from the first end to the second end.

25. A method according to claim 1 including varying a magnitude of the airflow across the first surface.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein the media is passed through the print zone in a first longitudinal direction, wherein a media has a central region and a lateral edge and wherein the first directional component of the airflow isdirected at the first surface with a first magnitude at the central portion and with a second greater magnitude at the lateral edge.

27. A method according to claim 25 wherein the media is passed through the print zone in a longitudinal direction, wherein the media has a central region and lateral edges and wherein the second directional component of the airflow has a firstmagnitude at the lateral edge and a second greater magnitude at the central region.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the airflow is directed at the first surface and at the support apparatus underlying the first surface.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the media is passed through the print zone relative to the support which is stationary.

30. A printing mechanism comprising: a printhead configured to selectively eject fluid printing material onto a print surface in a print zone; a pressurized air source having an opening proximate the print surface and angularly facing awayfrom print zone so as to direct pressurized air against the print surface to stabilize the print surface within the print zone and such that pressurized air does not intersect the print zone, wherein pressurized air is directed through a conduitextending towards the print surface and terminating at the opening and wherein the mechanism further comprises a cartridge providing the printhead at a first end having a second opposite end, wherein the conduit extends from the first end to the secondend.

31. The print mechanism of claim 30 wherein the airflow is directed from a vent having an opening between the printhead and the print surface.

32. The print mechanism of claim 30 wherein the print surface is passed through the print zone in a first direction and wherein the opening angularly faces in the first direction.

33. The print mechanism of claim 30 including varying a magnitude of the airflow across the print surface.

34. The print mechanism of claim 33 wherein the print surface is passed through the print zone in a first longitudinal direction, wherein the print surface has a central region and a lateral edge and wherein airflow from the pressurized airsource has a directional component directed at the first surface with a first magnitude at the central portion and a second greater magnitude at the lateral edge.

35. The print mechanism of claim 33 wherein the print surface passes through the print zone in a longitudinal direction, wherein the print surface has a central region and lateral edges and wherein airflow from the pressurized air source has adirectional component away from the print zone with a first magnitude at the lateral edge and a second greater magnitude at the central region.

36. A method of operating an inkjet printing mechanism, the method comprising: passing media through a print zone, said print zone including a support apparatus supporting said media thereat; during said passing, applying in a print zone printimaging by application of ink from an ink dispensing element and onto a first surface of said media; and directing an airflow at said first surface, said airflow including a first directional component away from said printzone so as to not intersect theprintzone and a second directional component into said first surface, said second directional component urging at least a portion of said media against said support apparatus in said printzone, wherein said first directional component varies across saidmedia in a direction generally transverse to a direction of said media passing through said printzone.

37. A method of operating an inkjet printing mechanism, the method comprising: passing media through a print zone, said print zone including a support apparatus supporting said media thereat; during said passing, applying in a print zone printimaging by application of ink from an ink dispensing element and onto a first surface of said media; and directing an airflow at said first surface, said airflow including a first directional component away from said print zone so as to not intersectthe print zone and a second directional component into said first surface, said second directional component urging at least a portion of said media against said support apparatus in said print zone, wherein the airflow is directed through a conduitextending towards the first surface and terminating at a vent proximate to and angularly facing the first surface, wherein the ink dispensing element is provided by a printhead at a first end of a cartridge having a second opposite end and wherein theconduit extends from the first end to the second end.