Abstract: In an apparatus for the electrographic printing or copying of an object wherein a toner is applied to a medium according to the object to be printed or copied and the toner is fixed to the medium by the application of heat, a hot air blower is provided which directs hot air onto the medium and whose inlet is connected to a suction line having an intake end which is arranged remote from the hot air blower in close proximity of the medium being heated.

Abstract: An ink composition for continuous deflected ink jet printing, liquid at ambient temperature is disclosed. One aspect is an ink composition comprising: a solvent including organic solvent compound(s), and optionally water, the solvent representing at least 20% by weight of the total weight of the ink. Furthermore, there is at least one compound imparting conductivity to the ink composition, chosen from among the ionic liquids, the compound representing 0.2% by weight to 4% by weight of the total weight of the ink composition, preferably 0.5 to 3% by weight of the total weight of the ink composition. Lastly, the ink composition includes less than 10% by weight, preferably less than 5% by weight, more preferably less than 1% by weight, and most preferably 0% by weight of water relative to the total weight of the ink composition.

Abstract: A method of operation of the tape drive, including obtaining the circumferences a supply spool, and a take-up spool, each spool being mounted upon a respective rotatable spool support which is mounted in a housing, the method including rotating the take-up spool support and the supply spool support simultaneously, so as to feed tape from the supply spool into a tape path extending between the spools, and to wind tape on to the take-up spool from the tape path, determining a length of tape fed into the tape path during a measurement period using a sensor assembly, monitoring the angle through which each of the spool supports has rotated during the measurement period, regulating the length of the tape in the tape path, such that the length of the tape in the tape path at the start of the measurement period and the length of the tape in the tape path at the end of the measurement period are substantially the same, and using knowledge of the length of tape fed into the tape path during the measurement period and

Abstract: A method for determining the quality of a break-off of an ink jet of a CIJ printing machine is disclosed. In one aspect, this method includes: generating a first line of N1 drops, all charged by the charge means, at the same voltage V1. Also included is: generating at least one drop G1, charged by the charge means, at a second voltage (VG1), followed by at least one drop G2, charged by the charge means, at a third voltage (VG2) lower than V1; generating a second line of N2 drops, all charged by the charge means, at a same voltage V2; and measuring, using an electrostatic sensor, the charge variation of a non-deflected jet of drops including at least the first line of drops and the second line of drops, separated by the drops G1 and G2, during the passage of the jet in front of the sensor.

Abstract: A biodegradable ink composition for ink jet printing, liquid at room temperature, including a binder comprising at least 0.5% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink, of at least one biodegradable polymer having a weight average molecular weight less than 70 kDa, an organic vehicle or solvent including one or more organic solvent compound(s), and optionally water, at least 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink of one or more dye(s) and/or pigment(s), in which the biodegradable polymer is polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesteramides (PEA), poly(glycolic acid)s, poly(lactic acid)s (PLA), polycaprolactones (PCL), the copolymers thereof; and aliphatic copolyesters such as succinates, adipates or terephtalates, and in which the ink composition has a viscosity of 1 to 20 mPa·s.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detection of the directivity of trajectories of charged drops issuing from a jet are disclosed. According to one aspect, an electrostatic sensor is disclosed which includes a flat functional surface. The electrostatic sensor is configured to function in a non-differential manner and has a geometric shape and arrangement that are substantially aligned relative to a nominal trajectory of drops. A trajectory of drops can be followed at the same time in a plane parallel to the flat surface of the sensor and in a plane perpendicular to the flat surface of the sensor. As a result, it can be verified whether a drop is present or remains in a predefined monitoring zone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new control method for controlling the printing of a binary continuous inkjet printer provided with a printhead (20) with a set of deflection electrodes (8a, 8b; 9a, 9b) shared by all of the nozzles of the head, at least one pair of electrodes (8, 9) supplied in phase opposition relative to each other, and actuators (6) to which pulses are sent to form a distance Lbr from the plane of the nozzles (11), from the break of a jet discharged by a nozzle (3) in communication with a stimulation chamber (2) to which said actuator is mechanically coupled, drops not able to be electrically charged or jet segment subjected to the electrostatic influence of the deflection electrodes. According to the invention, the pulses are controlled so as to minimize the total electrical charge taken on by the ink jet segments inside a volume of influence of the electrodes.

Abstract: A continuous ink-jet printer or a print head of such a printer which includes electrical means for compensating for mechanical crosstalk between adjacent stimulation chambers, where these means simultaneously with the transmission, to a stimulated chamber, of a stimulation pulse on a stimulation line send a pulse for compensating for mechanical crosstalk on each of the lines supplying an actuator for the chamber adjacent to the stimulated chamber. Specific ratios between the peak amplitude of pulse for compensating for crosstalk and the peak voltage value of the stimulation pulse are provided as a function of the gaps between consecutive nozzles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detection of the directivity of trajectories of charged drops issuing from a jet are disclosed. According to one aspect, an electrostatic sensor is disclosed which includes a flat functional surface. The electrostatic sensor is configured to function in a non-differential manner and has a geometric shape and arrangement that are substantially aligned relative to a nominal trajectory of drops. A trajectory of drops can be followed at the same time in a plane parallel to the flat surface of the sensor and in a plane perpendicular to the flat surface of the sensor. As a result, it can be verified whether a drop is present or remains in a predefined monitoring zone. According to another aspect, a method of controlling trajectories of drops in a print head having a continuous deflected jet, and a method of monitoring the effective recovery by the gutter of drops not intended for printing are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed that include directing electromagnetic radiation and/or heat to a structure, the structure including a substrate, a first layer, and a marking composition between the substrate and the first layer. At least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation and/or heat is transmitted through the first layer and the structure is marked.

Abstract: A motor control system includes a motor having an associated rotary position encoder, and a controller for controlling the operation of the motor, wherein the motor is switchable between a position control mode and a torque control mode.

Abstract: A method for forming a mark on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes: (a) heating an edible hot melt ink including a colorant to a temperature sufficient to liquify the ink; and (b) transferring the ink to a substrate to provide a mark on the substrate.

Abstract: An ink composition for inkjet printing by the continuous deflected jet technique, which is liquid at ambient temperature, comprising: a) a binder; b) one or more dyes and/or pigments; and c) a solvent, in which: said solvent comprises at least 10% by weight—relative to the total weight of the ink composition—of at least one noncyclic acetal, and at least 5% by weight of one or more other organic compounds capable of dissociating the ionizable species that are found in the ink.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detection of the directivity of trajectories of charged drops issuing from a jet are disclosed. According to one aspect, an electrostatic sensor is disclosed which includes a flat functional surface. The electrostatic sensor is configured to function in a non-differential manner and has a geometric shape and arrangement that are substantially aligned relative to a nominal trajectory of drops. A trajectory of drops can be followed at the same time in a plane parallel to the flat surface of the sensor and in a plane perpendicular to the flat surface of the sensor. As a result, it can be verified whether a drop is present or remains in a predefined monitoring zone. According to another aspect, a method of controlling trajectories of drops in a print head having a continuous deflected jet, and a method of monitoring the effective recovery by the gutter of drops not intended for printing are disclosed.

Abstract: Nutritional or ingestible ink composition for ink jet printing comprising: a binder comprising at least 0.5% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the ink, of at least one zein; a solvent comprising at least 10% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the ink, of one or more nutritional or ingestible solvent(s); and at least 0.1% by weight, with respect to the total weight of the ink, of one or more nutritional or ingestible dye(s) and/or pigment(s). Dispersion of particles of at least one pigment in at least one polar solvent comprises at least one zein as dispersing agent to facilitate the dispersing of particles and stabilize the dispersion. A process for marking a substrate, in particular a foodstuff, by ink jet printing with the foregoing composition and substrate, for example eggshell, provided with such a marking.

Abstract: For printing, the principle of the continuous deflected jet is used: a device discharges a continuous stream of a liquid, which is deflected by an electric field created by a plurality of deflecting electrodes and directed toward a gutter. The printing of drops is performed by fragmenting the continuous jet into a segment formed opposite a shield electrode upstream of the deflecting electrode, so that the segment is not deflected and can be directed toward a substrate. The deflection electrodes are separated by an insulator and a variable potential is applied to each electrode; the potential for the entire set of electrodes cancels out such that the jet is not charged.

Abstract: The generator according to the invention operates by strong stimulation in the form of pulses (?) so as to generate drops, particularly for ink jet printing purposes. This choice enables breaking the jet (30) close to the ejection (16) and reduces the interference ratio. A generator with piezoelectric stimulation is particularly suitable.

Abstract: Ink composition for continuous deflected jet printing, that is liquid at ambient temperature, comprising a solvent containing less than 0.5% by weight of water and less than 0.5% by weight of alcohols relative to the total weight of the ink composition; one or more dye(s) and/or pigment(s) that is (are) insoluble in water, and in mixtures of water and of at least one alcohol; and a binder, comprising at least 50% by weight, relative to the total weight of the binder, of at least one binder resin capable of being obtained by reaction between at least one alkoxysilane and at least one hydroxyaromatic resin.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the disclosed subject matter, a controller to maintain negative pressure in a print head of a printing system includes: control loop feedback logic to receive a set point and an output of a vacuum sensor associated with the print head; a regulator coupled with an output of the feedback logic; and a driver coupled with the regulator and configured to output a drive signal to a pump, which is associated with the print head, responsive to an output of the regulator. According to another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, a vacuum control assembly for a printing system includes: a body having one or more associated accumulators; a pump coupled with the body; and one or more flexible tubes coupled with the one or more accumulators associated with the body and configured to restrict air flow within the vacuum control assembly.

Abstract: For printing, the principle of the continuous deflected jet is used: a device (1) discharges a continuous stream (2) of a conductive liquid, which is deflected by an electric field created by a deflecting electrode (8) and directed toward a gutter (6). The printing of drops (12) is performed by fragmenting the continuous jet (2) into a segment (10) formed opposite a shield electrode (14) upstream of the deflecting electrode (8), so that the segment (10) is not deflected and can be directed toward a substrate (16).