Patent ID: 6076910
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink jet printing apparatus comprising:a print cartridge including a heater chip and a nozzle plate coupled to said heater chip, said heater chip having a plurality of heating elements, and said nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles, each of said nozzles having one of said heating elements associated therewith for generating energy to discharge ink therefrom;a driver circuit, electrically coupled to said heating elements, for applying firing pulses to said heating elements;a device for detecting ejected ink from a fired nozzle, said device being located in a nozzle testing station;a print cartridge drive mechanism for effecting movement of said print cartridge so as to move said nozzle plate through said nozzle testing station; andsaid driver circuit firing said heating elements as said plurality of nozzles pass through said nozzle testing station.