Abstract: A method for removing contaminants from an ink jet print head having a nozzle plate with a plurality of nozzles, having the steps of: a) applying a heat-activatable adhesive material over the surface of the nozzle plate having contaminants on the surface thereof; b) applying heat to the heat-activatable to the adhesive material to cause it to flow over the surface of the nozzle plate having contaminants on the surface thereof, thereby causing the contaminants to adhere to the heat-activatable adhesive material; and c) removing the heat-activatable adhesive material having the contaminants adhered thereto.

Abstract: Drop-on-demand ink jet printer capable of directional control of ink drop ejection and method of assembling the method. The method comprises a print head body having an ink ejection orifice adapted to poise an ink meniscus thereat about a center axis passing through the orifice. A deflector is coupled to the print head body and is adapted to be in communication with the poised meniscus for lowering surface tension of a region of the poised meniscus. The poised meniscus deflects away from the region of lower surface tension and away from the center axis to define a deflected meniscus, whereby an ink drop separated from the deflected meniscus travels at an angle with respect to the center axis, so that the ink drop can strike a receiver at any one of a plurality of predetermined locations on a print line.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pump [10] for pumping various primary fluids. A body is formed from silicon dies [102,104]. A primary fluid channel [110] is formed in the body and a primary fluid supply [122] is coupled to the primary fluid channel [110] to supply a primary fluid to the primary fluid channel [110]. A mechanism for introducing a secondary fluid to an interface region of the primary fluid channel [110] is formed in the body. An energy delivery device is formed in the body to deliver energy to an interface between region between the primary fluid and the secondary fluid to create a thermal gradient along the fluid interface. The thermal gradient results in a surface tension gradient along the interface. The primary fluid will move to compensate for the surface tension gradient. Various semiconductor fabrication processes can be used to form the elements on the body.

Abstract: A droplet generator is provided that is particularly adapted for generating micro droplets of ink on demand in an inkjet printhead having a plurality of nozzles. The droplet generator includes a droplet separator formed from the combination of a droplet assistor and a droplet initiator. The droplet assistor is coupled to ink in each of the nozzles and functions to lower the amount of energy necessary for an ink droplet to form and separate from an ink meniscus extending across the nozzle outlet. The droplet assistor may be, for example, a heater or surfactant supply mechanism for lowering the surface tension of the ink meniscus. Alternatively, the droplet assistor may be a mechanical oscillator such as a piezoelectric transducer that generates oscillations in the ink sufficient to periodically form convex ink meniscus across the nozzle outlets, but insufficient to cause ink droplets to separate from the outlets.

Abstract: A self-cleaning ink jet printer with cleaning mechanism and method of cleaning the ink jet printer. The printer comprises a print head having a surface thereon surrounding a plurality of ink ejection orifices. The orifices are in communication with respective ones of a plurality of ink channels formed in the print head. A solvent delivering canopy is constructed from alternating stacked layers of polyimide and stainless steel sheets with internal geometries, one on top of each other, thus creating internal fluidic passageways. The canopy is connected to a manifold body and has a passageway alignable with the surface. Contaminant residing on the surface is entrained in the solvent when a wiper blade loosens contaminant from the surface. Per an applied vacuum, the canopy vacuums the solvent and entrained contaminant from the surface.

Abstract: An asymmetric heat-type inkjet printer includes an inkjet printhead having at least one nozzle for continuously ejecting a stream of ink that forms a train of ink droplets, a heater disposed adjacent to the nozzle for selectively thermally deflecting the droplet forming stream of ink either toward a printing medium, or an ink gutter that captures and recirculates the ink. To increase the angle of deflection that the intermittently operated heater imposes on the droplet-forming stream of ink, a steering fluid assembly is provided in communication with the inkjet nozzle for co-extruding a thin film of fluid around the ink which has a higher volatility and a lower thermal diffusivity than the liquid forming the ink. When the ink is water based, the steering fluid may be, for example, polyethylene oxide based surfactant, or isopropanol.

Abstract: A self-cleaning printer includes a print head having a surface that is susceptible to a contaminate build up. A cleaning liquid containing a concentration of macroscopic cleaning particles is flowed in frictive contact with the contaminate such that a combined effect of frictive force and hydrodynamic shearing force acting on the contaminate effectively removes the contaminate from the surface. Preferably, the cleaning particles are adapted to attach to the contaminate. They may include polymeric beads such as polystyrene spheres. The cleaning particles preferably have surfaces to which polymeric chains are attached, the polymeric chains having end groups which adhere to the contaminate.

Abstract: The present invention resides in a self-cleaning printer with a print head having an orifice plate defining an ink jet orifice, a cleaning orifice and a drain orifice. The orifice plate further defines an outer surface between the orifices. A source of pressurized cleaning fluid is connected to the cleaning orifice and a fluid return is connected to the drain orifice for storing used cleaning fluid. A cleaning surface is disposed adjacent to and separate from the outer surface to define a capillary fluid flow path from the cleaning orifice across the ink jet orifice and to the drain orifice. During cleaning, the source of pressurized cleaning fluid discharges a flow of a cleaning fluid into the capillary fluid flow path and pressurized cleaning fluid from the capillary flow path passes through the drain orifice and into the fluid return.

Abstract: An ink jet printer with wiper blade cleaning mechanism, and method of cleaning. A print head surface includes a plurality of ink ejection orifices. A solvent delivering wiper has a first passageway therethrough alignable with the surface. The first passageway delivers a liquid solvent to the surface to flush contaminant from the surface. The wiper also includes a plurality of wicking channels alignable with the surface and a second passageway in communication with the wicking channels. A vacuum pump is in communication with the second passageway for vacuuming the solvent and entrained contaminant from the surface, along the wicking channels and through the second passageway.

Abstract: An ink drop deflector mechanism is provided. The ink drop deflector mechanism includes an ink drop source and a path selection device operable in a first state to direct drops from the source along a first path and in a second state to direct drops from the source along a second path. The first and second paths diverge from the source. The mechanism also includes a system which applies force to drops travelling along at least one of the first and second paths with the force being applied in a direction so as to increase the divergence of the paths. The mechanism may include a gas source which generates a gas flow force that is applied in a direction that increases the divergence of the paths. The gas flow may be positioned between the first and second paths. The gas flow may be substantially laminar and interact with at least one of the first and second paths as the gas flow loses its coherence.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a print head comprises a print head body defining an interior chamber and an orifice plate. The orifice plate has an outer surface and further defines a cleaning fluid orifice through the orifice plate for conducting a flow of a cleaning fluid through the cleaning fluid orifice and onto an outer surface of said orifice plate. The orifice plate also defines a drain orifice for conducting a flow of cleaning fluid from the surface to the interior chamber. A supply of pressurized cleaning fluid is disposed in said cavity and connected to the cleaning fluid passageway. During cleaning operations, the fluid flow system defines a flow of a cleaning fluid from the passageway and onto said outer surface. The drain orifice receives cleaning fluid from the outer surface and channels the cleaning fluid into the fluid return.

Abstract: A micro-actuator includes a body of deformable elastomer material having opposed first and second surfaces spaced apart by a predetermined at-rest dimension. A charge mechanism is coupled to one of the opposed surfaces for applying an electrical charge across the body in a first direction. The charge is spatially varied in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction so as to create spatially varied mechanical forces across the body such that body exhibits spatially varied growth in the first direction. A rigid member is associated with the second opposed surface of the body so as to move in the first direction in response to growth of the body. The charge mechanism may include a grille electrode connectable to an electrical potential source.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a self-cleaning print head is provided. The self-cleaning print head comprises a print head body having an outer surface defining an ink jet orifice. A source of pressurized cleaning fluid is provided to generate a flow of cleaning fluid at the outer surface during cleaning. A fluid drain is provided to receive the flow of cleaning fluid. A movable flow guide defines a flow path from the source of pressurized cleaning fluid along the outer surface and ink jet orifice and to the fluid drain. During cleaning, a translation drive moves the flow guides along a path that diverges from the flow path.

Abstract: A micro-actuator has a pair of conductive metallic layers connectable to an electrical potential source so as to induce a force between the metallic layers upon application of an electrical field. A layer of dense elastomer material is sandwiched between the pair of conductive metallic layers such that there will be a change in the volume of the elastomer material in response to relative movement between the conductive metallic layers. The elastomer material has at least one void within the elastomer material, whereby the micro-actuator exhibits void-enhanced growth and reduction in size in response to the effected force induced by the applied electrical field. At least one of the metallic layers is a flexible electrode plate. The other metallic layer may be rigid and essentially non-deformable. The elastomer material has substantial plurality of voids.

Abstract: A drop-on-demand ink jet printing system includes a print head having at least one mixing chamber with a nozzle opening. A plurality of sources of color liquid ink and a source of bleach communicate with the mixing chamber. A flow controller adapted to selectably meter ink from the sources to the mixing chamber, whereby ink droplets of selectable color are prepared in the least one mixing chamber for delivery from the nozzle. The flow controller is further adapted to meter bleach into the mixing chamber after a droplet is delivered from the nozzle opening to thereby neutralize color ink remaining in the mixing chamber sufficiently such that a next desired color can be attained by adding ink of appropriate color to the mixing chamber. The bleach is universal as to the liquid ink colors, wherein all colors are neutralized thereby. There may be a bleach source associated with each liquid ink color.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided having a printhead defining a plurality of orifices for ejecting ink droplets. The printer comprises a source of cleaning fluid, a cleaning member having a surface partially dipped in the cleaning fluid, a first drive mechanism to move the cleaning member surface creating a flow of cleaning fluid on the surface and a second drive mechanism to advance the printhead and the cleaning member surface into a proximate and separate relation with the cleaning member surface wherein at least one of the orifices of the printhead enters the flow of cleaning fluid wherein the print head and the cleaning member surface are separated by gap of between 0.1 mm and 2.54 mm.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a self-cleaning print head having an orifice plate defining an ink jet orifice, cleaning orifice and drain orifice. The orifice plate further defines an outer surface between the orifices. The print head has a source of pressurized cleaning fluid connected to the cleaning orifice and a fluid return connected to the drain orifice for storing used cleaning fluid. During cleaning operations, the source of pressurized cleaning fluid causes cleaning fluid to flow from the cleaning orifice, and the cleaning orifice directs the flow of cleaning fluid across the outer surface and the ink jet orifice and into the drain orifice.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a print head comprises a print head body defining an interior chamber and an orifice plate. The orifice plate has an outer surface and further defines a cleaning fluid orifice through the orifice plate for conducting a flow of a cleaning fluid through the cleaning fluid orifice and onto an outer surface of said orifice plate. The orifice plate also defines a drain orifice for conducting a flow of cleaning fluid from the surface to the interior chamber. A supply of pressurized cleaning fluid is disposed in said cavity and connected to the cleaning fluid passageway. During cleaning operations, the fluid flow system defines a flow of a cleaning fluid from the passageway and onto said outer surface. The drain orifice receives cleaning fluid from the outer surface and channels the cleaning fluid into the fluid return.

Abstract: An ink jet ink composition comprising water, a dye, a humectant, an organic solvent and a deflection-enhancing additive comprising a diethanolamine or 1-amino-2-propanol.

Abstract: An electrostrictive micro-pump is provided for controlling a fluid flow through a cannula or other narrow liquid conduit. The micro-pump includes a pump body having a passageway for conducting a flow of fluid, a pump element formed from a piece of viscoelastic material and disposed in the passageway, and a control assembly coupled to the viscoelastic material for electrostatically inducing a peristaltic wave along the longitudinal axis of the pump element to displace fluid disposed within the pump body. The control assembly includes a pair of electrodes disposed over upper and lower sides of the pump element. The lower electrode is formed from a plurality of uniformly spaced conductive panels, while the upper electrode is a single sheet of conductive material. A switching circuit is provided for actuating the conductive panels of the lower electrode in serial, multiplex fashion to induce a peristaltic pumping action.