Patent ID: 9415600
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: B41J

Claim Text:
1. A printer comprising: a printhead configured to eject drops of material; a planar support positioned to receive drops of material ejected from the printhead; a receptacle; at least one actuator operatively connected to the printhead, the at least one actuator being configured to move the printhead between a first position where the planar support receives drops of material ejected by the printhead and a second position where the receptacle receives drops of material ejected by the printhead, and to move the printhead in two perpendicular directions in a plane parallel to a face of the printhead when the printhead is at the second position; an optical sensor having a focal plane at a predetermined distance from the optical sensor, the optical sensor is positioned to enable the focal plane to be perpendicular to the face of the printhead when the printhead is at the second position and to the plane in which the printhead is configured for movement in the two perpendicular directions; a strobe light positioned to illuminate the focal plane of the optical sensor; and a controller operatively connected to the at least one actuator, the printhead, the strobe light and the optical sensor, the controller being configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the printhead from the first position to the second position, to operate the printhead to eject drops of material from inkjets in the printhead into the receptacle, to activate the strobe light as the controller initiates operation of the printhead to eject drops of material through the focal plane of the optical sensor into the receptacle to enable the strobe light to operate at a frequency at which the controller operates inkjets within the printhead, to receive image data of the drops passing through the focal plane of the optical sensor generated by the optical sensor, and to operate the at least one actuator to move the printhead in the two perpendicular directions in the plane parallel to the face of the printhead when the printhead is at the second position, and to move the printhead from the second position to the first position.