Patent ID: 9102155
Filing Date: 2015-08-11
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A method to clean nozzles and ink channels of at least one ink print head with flushing medium in an ink printing apparatus, comprising the steps: determining a necessary flushing quantity of the flushing medium that is provided and which is necessary for flushing of the ink print head in a flushing process from an unwanted ink deposition flushing quantity to flush unwanted ink deposition droplets which deposit at the print head during printing and thus depends on total printing time of the print head between a first flushing process and a subsequent next second flushing process and from a drying ink flushing quantity to prevent drying of ink caused by print head disuse and thus depends on disuse time of said print head during disuse of the print head between the first and the second flushing processes, said necessary flushing quantity being either said unwanted ink deposition flushing quantity or said drying ink time flushing quantity whichever is greater; said unwanted ink deposition flushing quantity being derived from a curve stored as a table of flushing quantity versus printing time in a printer controller of the printing apparatus, and the drying ink flushing quantity being derived from at least one flushing quantity stored as a table of flushing quantity versus print head disuse time in said printer controller when the print head is in disuse; and using the determined necessary flushing quantity to flush the ink print head.