(19)
(11) EP 0 893 264 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
31.03.1999 Bulletin 1999/13

(43) Date of publication A2:
27.01.1999 Bulletin 1999/04

(21) Application number: 98303578.3

(22) Date of filing: 07.05.1998
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: B41J 2/17
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 21.07.1997 US 897797

(71) Applicant: Xerox Corporation
Rochester, New York 14644 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Drake, Donald J.
    Rochester, New York 14618 (US)
  • Barner, Jeffrey D.
    Rochester, New York 14618 (US)
  • Morano, Richard A.
    Lyons, New York 14489 (US)

(74) Representative: Walker, Antony James Alexander et al
W.P. Thomson & Co., Coopers Building, Church Street
Liverpool L1 3AB
Liverpool L1 3AB (GB)

   


(54) An ink jet printhead including a non-ink priming and coating fluid


(57) An ink jet printhead for use in an ink jet printer, or mounted in an ink jet printer being shipped or being stored. The ink jet printhead (34) consists of a printhead structure having a body including walls having surfaces defining fluid flow channels (44) and fluid ejecting nozzles (62) at the ends of the channels. In order to achieve a successful first time ink wetting and priming of the printhead structure, the channels and the nozzles are filled with a non-ink priming and coating fluid prior to a first time filling thereof with printing ink. The non-ink priming and coating fluid has low surface tension and volatility characteristics for enabling the non-ink priming and coating fluid to spontaneously and quickly move through the channels of the printhead and into the nozzles thereof. The non-ink priming and coating fluid also has surface treating characteristics for wetting and coating the surfaces of the walls of the channels and nozzles in order to clean and lubricate such surfaces, thereby destroying any hydrophobic film on such surfaces, and enabling a successful first time wetting and priming of the channels and nozzles with printing ink.






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