Abstract: An ink jet cartridge includes two adjacent jet plates, each jet plate having an array of equally spaced nozzles. A small gap exists between the first and second jet plates which is devoid of any jet nozzles. The absence of nozzles in the gap is compensated for by the inkjet printer system such that the two jet plates function as a single nozzle array.

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: A liquid drop emitter, such as an ink jet device, for emitting a series of liquid drops at high frequency is disclosed. The drop emitter comprises a liquid-filled chamber having a nozzle, a thermo-mechanical actuator for applying pressure to liquid at the nozzle, means for heating the thermo-mechanical actuator in response to electrical pulses, and a controller for determining the parameters of the electrical pulses. The method of operating comprises determining a nominal electrical pulse having a nominal energy E0, a nominal pulse duration TP0, which causes the emission of at least one drop at a sustained period of repetition TC. The method of operating further determines a steady state electrical pulse having energy E0, a steady state pulse duration TPss, which, when applied to the electroresistive means does not cause the emission or weeping of the liquid from the nozzle.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. The apparatus includes a print head with nozzles of differing diameters. This allows multiple printing drop sizes for multi-level printing, thus achieving higher print quality at the same resolution. Additionally, each nozzle is operable to selectively create a stream of ink droplets having a plurality of volumes. The apparatus also includes a droplet deflector having a gas source. The gas source is positioned at an angle with respect to the stream of ink droplets and is operable to interact with the stream of ink droplets thereby separating ink droplets into printing and non-printing paths.

Abstract: A microwave applicator suitable for drying sheet material is configured as a dual slot antenna, with one portion of the slot coupled to a wave launching cavity, and the other portion of the slot coupled to an impedance matching cavity.

Abstract: A printer ink cartridge includes a jet plate and memory storage element mounted different surfaces thereof. A connector circuit affixes to the jet plate and the memory storage element. The memory storage element stores information about ink expelled from the cartridge.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of operating a liquid drop emitter, such as an ink jet device, for emitting a series of liquid drops using reduced energy, is disclosed. The method is applicable to a drop emitter comprising a liquid-filled chamber having a nozzle and an actuator, such as a thermal actuator, for applying pressure to liquid at the nozzle. The actuator has a movable portion and exhibits damped resonant oscillation having a fundamental period, TR, and a damping time constant, TD. Apparatus adapted to cause rapid displacement of the movable portion of the actuator in response to electrical pulses causes drop ejection and damped resonant oscillation of the thermal actuator. The method of operating comprises applying electrical pulses having a nominal energy if the actuator is quiescent or applying reduced energy pulses to the actuator if it is usefully oscillating due to a previous drop emission.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for guiding recording media through a printer comprises a roller unit which is coupled to the printer and which comprises a plurality of roller wheels.

Abstract: Apparatus for coupling light from one optical fiber into another includes a pair of molded plano-convex lenses. Each lens has an aspheric surface and a flat surface. The aspheric surfaces have a conic constant between −0.6 and −0.3, where the conic constant is chosen so as to give optimal coupling efficiency from a collimated beam input on the aspheric surface into an optical fiber located near the flat surface. The pair of lenses are separated by a distance approximately equal to the sum of the focal lengths of the lenses. Light from an optical fiber placed near the focal plane of one of the pair of lenses is focused into an optical fiber placed near the focal plane of the other of the pair of lenses.

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.

Abstract: A fluid pump, such as a print head, includes an ink channel having a nozzle and at least one wall having a flexible portion. A deforming member made of a viscoelastic material is coupled to the flexible portion and a charge mechanism is coupled to the deforming member to apply a spatially varied charge pattern to the deforming member when activated. Activation of the charge mechanism causes deformation of the deforming member and the flexible portion to reduce the volume of the ink channel and eject a droplet of ink out of the ink channel. The charge mechanism can include a photoelectric material and a radiation source or an electrode coupled to a source of electric power.

Abstract: A microwave ink drying apparatus for an ink jet printer includes a microwave applicator. The applicator may be attached to a movable print carriage. The applicator may further comprise a slot antenna. The slot antenna may be formed as a dual slot, with one portion of the slot coupled to a wave launching cavity, and the other portion of the slot coupled to an impedance matching cavity.

Abstract: An ink reservoir container for an ink jet printer comprises an ink outlet, a first mounting location for the ink outlet, and an alternative second mounting location for the ink outlet. The container is useful in a double plumbed ink jet printer.

Abstract: A printing device comprising a polymer element capable of switching from an initial state to a final state when subjected to an event, the initial state and the final state being selected from an hydrophilic state and an hydrophobic state provided that the initial state differs from the second state, wherein said polymer element is impregnated with a print fluid, and a controller adapted to generate the event producing the switch of the polymer element, provided that the event is an optical, a thermal or a chemical event, wherein the controller is adapted to generate the event producing the switch of the polymer element on a localized zone and on a internal zone delimited by the localized zone, in order to form a fluid drop at the surface of the polymer element.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling ink in an ink jet printer includes an ink delivery channel; a source of pressurized ink communicating with the ink delivery channel; a nozzle bore which opens into the ink delivery channel to establish an ink flow path, the nozzle bore defining a nozzle bore perimeter, inherent surface tension of pressurized ink in the nozzle bore forming an ink meniscus; and a selectively-actuated heater associated with the nozzle bore to cause a reduction in the surface tension of the ink when activated such that ink flows from the nozzle bore in a continuous stream substantially for the duration of activation of the heater only.

Abstract: An ink jet printer for making photographic prints includes at least one paper supply for holding a supply of print paper and a sheet paper transport belt arranged to receive sheets of print paper from the at least one paper supply and transport the sheets through the printer. A back printer is located between the paper supply and the paper transport belt for applying back prints to the print paper. A full print width color ink jet print head is located over a first portion of the transport belt for printing an image on a paper sheet. A paper support located under the ink jet print head is provided with ink overspill collection grooves to collect overspilled ink from the ink jet print head.

Abstract: A droplet generator is provided that is particularly adapted for generating micro droplets of ink on demand in an inkjet print head 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 menisci across the nozzle outlets, but insufficient to cause ink droplets to separate from the outlets.

Abstract: The invention relates to an endless transport belt for receiving ink, not ejected for printing purposes, of an inkjet printer; said transport belt receiving the ink sprayed thereon during printing of printing material in such a manner that smearing on the back side of the paper is prevented. For this purpose, the transport belt comprises a carrier layer and a support layer for supporting and printing printing materials of differing widths and lengths by means of an inkjet print head, the support layer according to the present invention having a knobbed grid structure with a hydrophobic and ink-rejecting coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ink reservoir for ink jet printing. This reservoir includes a solid electrolyte pellet inserted in the wall of the reservoir, which conducts O2− ions when subjected to an electric current. The reservoir allows to control the internal atmosphere of the reservoir above the free surface of the ink that it contains.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for moving fluids. The invention device includes an enclosure, a solid electrolyte which can produce oxygen in the enclosure so as to distort a membrane that acts to move a fluid in an enclosure. This device is useful to produce a head for ink jet printing.