Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'

h a l f b a k e r y

Thunk.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:

pass:
register,

Self cleaning printer / MFD

I expect this exists - but where?

(+3, -1)

[vote for,
against]

1) Many printers have a cleaning feature - a built in process that cleans print heads or toner feeds, transfer belts, etc. In every printer I've seen it's either run when needed from a menu selection on the device, or configurable to run at set intervals (e.g., every few thousand pages).

2) Single-purpose printers are SO twentieth century. For a couple decades now the Multi-Function Device (MFD) that can scan, fax AND print has nudged aside the simpler print-only models.

SO... design the MFD to run every printed page under a scanner head just after the fuser output. When it detects lines or other defects on output that aren't part of the image stored in its buffer, it could initiate a cleaning sequence on its own.

—	a1, Mar 09 2023

Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.

Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee

Destination URL. E.g., https://www.coffee.com/

Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)

As long as it comes with the exact opposite as well ie the capacity to insert random glitches and errors to generate visually unpredictable abberations as printed outcomes.

—	xenzag, Mar 09 2023

You work for the company that holds the service contract?

—	a1, Mar 09 2023

And there was me thinking this was a self-MFDing idea.

—	pocmloc, Mar 09 2023

;)

But it certainly will be if/when someone points out an available printer with this feature.

—	a1, Mar 09 2023

Why would they do this when they can just make it self-clean more than necessary, using up incredibly profitable ink?

—	Voice, Mar 10 2023

If you combined a roomba with a 3d printer, you could make a self- printing cleaner.

—	pertinax, Mar 10 2023

An inkjet addon to the shower nozzle in the bathroom could be a cleaning self-printer

—	pocmloc, Mar 10 2023

A printer with a mini vacuum attachment to keep the shelving on which it sits next to your computer dust-free would be a shelf-cleaning printer

—	hippo, Mar 10 2023

My antique printer has a pretty powerful cooling fan so all that would be needed would be a mount to hold the printer at an appropriate level to blow the dust off the shelf.

—	pocmloc, Mar 10 2023

I miss the days of watching the big pen plotters scribble back and forth in an x-y grid at silly speeds.

A stick with a camera on it and a feather-duster could be a print-cleaning selfie.

—	RayfordSteele, Mar 11 2023

Revision: Instead of relying on comparison between user-submitted jobs and output, the printer could have some reference images built in and scan its own test page at predefined intervals. This might give a more consistent result and also answer [Voice]'s Mar 10th concern that it wouldn't waste enough ink or toner to be profitable to the manufacturers.

—	a1, Mar 17 2023

back: main index

business computer culture fashion food halfbakery home other product public science sport vehicle