Abstract: An improved fusing device for a thermal transfer printer having a print system for producing a receiver sheet bearing a transferred dye image. The fusing device includes a fuser drum comprising a heat conducting rigid cylinder shell portion and three roller assemblies constructed to rotate on parallel axes respectively at different locations around the periphery of the drum so as to constrain the path of drum rotation. One roller assembly is coupled to a rotary drive, and one is mounted for displaceable movement toward and away from the drum and resiliently urged toward the drum.

Abstract: An improved protective construction for a bubble jet print head device of the kind having a substrate with a plurality of separately addressable resistive heater portions that are formed by address and common electrodes. The protective construction includes a first layer of dielectric material formed over the heater portions, a second layer of metal formed over the first layer, and a third layer having a physically hard and chemically inert outer surface portion overlying the second layer.

Abstract: An improved orifice construction for a bubble jet print head of the kind including a plurality of electrode-addressed resistive heater elements predeterminedly spaced in a linear array on a support substrate. Such construction includes a plurality of separator means extending up from the substrate surface at positions precisely between respective heater elements and an orifice plate fixedly mounted above the substrate and having a linear slot, of orifice width and linear array length, aligned over the heater elements and their intermediate separator members. The slot edges and separator members cooperate to define a plurality of discrete orifices that are precisely located vis a vis respective heater elements.

Abstract: An improved heater/electrode construction for a bubble jet print head of the kind having discrete ink heater elements formed of electrically resistive material and a plurality of address electrode pairs formed of electrically conductive material and electrically contacting opposing edge regions of respective heater elements. The heater element resistance increases from its center outward and the electrode ends are spaced from the bubble formation region to provide, in a drop ejection condition, a flat slope temperature profile along the current flow path through the bubble formation zone.

Abstract: A bubble jet print cartridge assembly includes an ink supply housing having an ink reservoir and a fluid block component capping the ink reservoir and having ink passages extending from the reservoir to an ink outlet(s). A drop ejection chip comprising a substrate having resistive heater elements and electrode leads is attached to the outer side of the fluid block component with a peripheral chip edge(s) adjacent the ink outlet(s). A raised ink barrier fence formed on the outer surfaces of the fluid block and chip surrounds the heater elements and ink outlet(s). The fence has a height extending above the top surface of the supported chip and an orifice plate member is affixed at its periphery to the top of the barrier fence so as to enclose the region surrounded by said barrier fence.

Abstract: A miniature continuous ink jet print head assembly comprises coupled drop ejection and drop control units. The drop ejection unit includes an elongated stimulator body having a manifold recess in one end and an orifice plate affixed thereover. Piezoelectric actuator strips are mounted on opposing longitudinal side walls of the stimulator body. The drop control unit includes a catcher body and a charge plate mounted on the top surface of the catcher body. Dimensionally stable adhesive couples the drop control unit to the side walls of the stimulator body.

Abstract: A dispensing system for metering precise quantitites of liquid to a use site in droplet streams. The system includes a reservoir containing a quantity of liquid to be dispensed, a droplet generator for producing a stream of uniformly sized droplets of the liquid in the reservoir; and a device for controlling the droplet generator to produce a droplet stream containing a predetermined number of droplets. The control device can include an operator-settable counter for selectively varying the quantity of dispensed liquid by adjusting the number of produced droplets or by adjusting the size of droplets comprising the droplet stream.

Abstract: A gravity ink return system for a continuous ink jet printer of the kind having droplet generator means for directing streams of ink droplets along a print path and ink supply means including an ink reservoir and means for supplying ink from said reservoir to said generator. The gravity return system includes a catcher having an ink return inlet located laterally adjacent the droplet print path for receiving non-print droplets deflected from said path and a discharge passage constructed and located to slope downwardly from said inlet to an outlet of the catcher. A return conduit slopes continuously downwardly from said catcher outlet to the ink reservoir.

Abstract: An improved printer/stand assembly includes a printer having four bottom wall recesses and two U-shaped stand members. The ends of the stand members are sized to interfit loosely within the bottom wall recesses. The span between the stand ends is greater or less than their recess spacing. When the legs are spread or compressed to interfit into their recesses, the interconnector bottom of each member deflects to provide (i) a restoring holding force and (ii) a point contact interface with the rest surface.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for drop-on-demand ink jet printing utilize the steps of: selectively ejecting ink drops from drop ejection regions through related orifices; feeding ink through capillary feed passages to the drop ejection regions to replace ejected ink drops; and supplying ink to said capillary passages from an innately reticulate foam structure comprising a network of fine, mutually-connected, three-dimensionally branched filaments.

Abstract: A charge plate construction for a continuous ink jet print head includes a plurality of charge electrodes and a resistive heater element configured in a serpentine path around the charge electrodes. The electrodes and heater element can be electroplated portions embedded in a dielectric matrix. The heater element can also include a deflection electrode portion formed along its path downstream of the charge electrodes.

Abstract: An improved print head construction for continuous ink jet printing of the kind which directs a plurality of ink streams through a drop charge region toward a print zone. The print head includes: (i) charge electrodes located adjacent the drop charge region for selectively applying an information voltage to droplets; (ii) a deflection electrode(s) closely spaced to, and downstream from, the charge electrodes, for applying a deflection field to the droplets; and (iii) a dielectric matrix for integrally embedding the charge and deflection electrodes in closely spaced relation. Methods for fabricating such print heads are also disclosed.

Abstract: A remote print head assembly for a continuous ink jet printing system includes an upper print head portion for generating ink droplet streams and a lower print head portion for selectively charging and catching droplets. A frame surrounds the upper and lower print head portions and has a print droplet egress opening. A closure member is selectively movable to open or close the droplet egress respectively to allow printing or to effect print head start-up operations.

Abstract: An improved system for air skiving the drop charging and drop catching surfaces of a continuous ink jet printer apparatus. The system includes a print head housing for enclosing the drop charger and catcher within a print head chamber having a printing drop egress and an air inlet opening proximate the drop charger. A door element is provided for selectively closing the printing drop egress and a vacuum is provided for creating a negative pressure region within the chamber at a location proximate the catcher. High velocity airflow is induced to flow through the air inlet opening and skive surfaces of said charger and catcher during passage to the negative pressure region.

Abstract: An improved printing method using a print head having a linear array of print elements adapted to be indexed in a direction parallel to the line of the array direction to address successive groups of rows of print media pixels moved therepast in a direction generally perpendicular to the array direction. The method includes the steps of (i) selecting such print head to comprise an even number (A) of print elements located in a linear array and having with a uniform 2 pixel spacing; (ii) alternately indexing the print head, in a direction parallel to the array direction by the amounts of A-1 and A+1 pixels; and (iii) in correspondence with such alternate indexings respectively printing on even or odd rows of the print medium in accord with image information.

Abstract: Printer apparatus of the kind having a housing, a print zone and a serial printing device for printing along line sectors of print media that are successively advanced into and out of the print zone includes an integral subsystem for handling discrete sheets of print media. This subsystem includes (a) transport member having a peripheral surface that is movable around an endless path past a sheet ingress zone, the print zone and a sheet egress zone; (b) a drive for moving the transport member surface around the endless path; (c) a sheet supply station formed within the housing and including a device for positioning the face of a sheet-stack adjacent the path of the transport member at a position upstream of the sheet ingress zone; and (d) engagement device for effecting periodic feeding engagements between the transport means and successive face sheets of a positioned stack.

Abstract: A print media cartridge for use in combination with a portable printer having a housing with a print media ingress in its lower rear wall and a print media egress in its top wall. The cartridge includes a housing having an elongated wall portion of generally U-shape cross section and two end wall portions closing the ends of the elongated portion, a roll of print media supported within the elongated wall portion with roll ends facing respective end wall portions; and a cartridge door of size and shape corresponding to the open side of the elongated U-shaped wall portion. The door is hingedly coupled to one lip of the elongated U-shaped portion and there are means for latching the door to the other lip of the elongated, U-shaped wall portion.

Abstract: A method of adjusting stimulation amplitude in continuous ink jet printers to provide satellite-free printing includes the steps varying the stimulation amplitude between the underdrive and overdrive stimulation conditions, charging the resulting ink jet filaments at their break off points with sawtooth voltage of period equal to the stimulation period, detecting and storing the resultant drop charging events and setting the operating stimulation amplitude based on the inception point inflection in the resulting stimulation amplitude versus detected charge relation.

Abstract: A system for adjusting the stimulation amplitude of a continuous ink jet printer to operate in a satellite-free, drop break off region includes a test charge electrode located downstream from the nominal information charging zone, an electrometer for detecting drop charge imported by the test charge electrode and a control circuit for gradually varying stimulation between the underdrive to overdrive regions. An information storage and processing system stores and computes the stimulation amplitude corresponding to the overdrive inception point during such stimulation ramping and a nominal operating stimulation amplitude is selected based on the computed inception point stimulation.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting and correcting misregistration of color separation planes in a multicolor printing process include the functions of: (i) printing on a test sheet, with a first color printing subsystem, a first array of M parallel lines which are uniformly spaced N adjustment steps apart and (ii) printing on the same test sheet with a second color printing subsystem, a second array of M parallel lines, which are uniformly spaced N+1 adjustment steps apart and which are predeterminedly juxtaposed, with respect to the lines of the first line array, so that when registration is correct, base registration lines of the first and second arrays are aligned.Upon visually inspecting the alignment of marks on said first and second line series, the operator can effect automated position shifting of the second subsystems printout color plane in an amount and direction based on which juxtaposed mark pair of said two arrays are in best alignment.