CONDENSATION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN INK JET PRINTING SYSTEM

摘要

Condensation control systems are provided for use with inkjet printing systems that use a combination of higher resistance flow areas and lower resistance flow areas to allow a vaporized carrier fluid reducing airflow to flow between a printing module and a receiver during printing without creating observable artifacts in a print. Removal of the vaporized carrier fluid reduces condensation.

主权项

1. A condensation control system for use an inkjet printing system having a plurality of inkjet printheads that eject ink droplets of an ink having a vaporizable carrier fluid toward a receiver that is moved past the printing module by a receiver transport system; the condensation control system comprising:
a barrier between the inkjet printheads; a plurality caps with each cap positioned at one of the plurality of inkjet printheads and extending from the barrier toward the receiver to create higher flow areas between the inkjet printheads and the receiver, with the caps being separated to create lower resistance flow channels between the caps and further having openings through which ink droplets can pass from the inkjet printheads through the higher resistance flow areas and onto the receiver; a cross-module airflow generation system generating a cross-module airflow to remove a portion of any vaporized carrier fluid from between the barrier and the receiver; and wherein differences between a lower resistance to the cross-module airflow in the lower resistance flow channels and a higher resistance to the cross-module airflow in the higher resistance flow areas cause the cross-module airflow to flow through the cross-module airflow channels so that any portion of the cross-module airflow entering the higher resistance flow areas does not create variations in the travel paths of the ink droplets that are sufficient to form an observable artifact in a print made on the receiver using the ink droplets.