Abstract: A method of forming a three-dimensional object in a layerwise manner is disclosed. The object is formed in a manner-that substantially prevents non-uniform distortion to occur during the layerwise build process as the build material forming the object solidifies and shrinks. The formed object comprises an outer surface defined by a shell structure and an internal lattice structure residing within the internal volume of the object. The object may be formed by any selective deposition modeling apparatus from a wide variety of materials.

Abstract: A compliant imaging surface for offset printing comprising a drum having an outer compliant elastomeric layer affixed to the drum, the outer compliant elastomeric layer being sufficiently compliant to contact ink pixels having at least first and second heights so as to fix the ink pixels to the final receiving medium. A second outer rigid layer is affixed to the outer compliant elastomeric layer and acts to keep pressure across a span of one pixel with the outer compliant elastomeric layer acting to allow deformation on the pixel to pixel span.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deskewing a sheet of media traveling through a paper path in a printer is provided. A buckle is formed in the sheet of media by over-driving the sheet into stationary deskew rollers that form a deskew nip downstream. A deskewing bias element includes a plurality of articulated segmented surfaces that contact the buckle and urge the leading edge of the sheet into the deskew nip. The buckle force combined with the biasing force from the deskewing bias element aligns the leading edge of the sheet with the deskew nip across the full width of the sheet, thereby removing any skew.

Abstract: An improved ink stick supply assembly is provided for a solid ink color printer which reliability feeds solid ink sticks from an ink stick loading bin to ink stick melt plates which melt the ink sticks on demand and guide the molten ink into individual color ink reservoirs in the printer print head. Low ink and empty ink level sensors are provided which advise the printer operator when to replenish the ink stick supply. A low friction material and spring loaded pusher blocks facilitate travel of the inks through the ink stick feed chutes to the melt plates.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for applying an intermediate transfer surface, in the form of a liquid layer, on a support surface that may be used in a phase change ink printing system. The apparatus includes an applicator assembly with a leak-free valving system for distributing the liquid layer onto the support surface to produce the intermediate transfer surface and a means for metering the liquid layer uniformly on the support surface. The applicator assembly has a wick contact surface for removing foreign matter from and delivering the liquid onto the support surface. An improved liquid dispensing system is provided to provide the liquid to the wick which becomes saturated and, when brought into contact with the rotatable support surface of a transfer drum, applies the liquid in a layer to the support surface to form a liquid intermediate transfer surface.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for applying an intermediate transfer surface, in the form of a liquid layer, on a support surface as may be used in a phase change ink printing system. The apparatus includes an applicator assembly for distributing the liquid layer onto the support surface to produce the intermediate transfer surface and an apparatus for metering the liquid layer uniformly on the support surface. The applicator assembly has a contact medium for removing foreign matter from and delivering the liquid onto the support surface. Preferably the contact medium is a liquid impregnated web that is periodically incremented to present a clean web surface in contact with the support surface. The metering apparatus is a hydrodynamic blade that uniformly distributes the liquid intermediate transfer layer over the support surface.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing an image transparency entails the application of an intermediate transfer surface of a layer of sacrificial liquid to a supporting surface and the deposition of a phase change ink onto the liquid layer. The inked image is then contact transferred to an optically transmissive final receiving substrate, such as a plastic transparency.

Abstract: An improved solid ink stick melt plate design is provided for a solid ink color printer which reliability melts solid ink sticks on demand fed from an ink stick loading bin to ink stick melt plates. The melt plates guide the molten ink into individual color ink reservoirs in the printer print head. The improved melt plate design employs a positive temperature coefficient resistor to prevent the melt plate temperature from becoming too high when not in contact with an ink stick.

Abstract: A compact ink jet print head has cross-sectionally tapered ink manifolds (16) for supplying ink to ink supply channels (18) leading to the acoustically driven ink pressure chambers (22). An array of closely spaced nozzles (14) which are supplied with ink from the densely packed ink pressure chambers by way of offset channels (71). The tapered manifolds, ink supply channels, pressure chambers, and offset channels are designed to provide uniform operating characteristics among the ink jet nozzles of the array. To enhance the packing density of the pressure chambers, the ink supply channels leading to the pressure chambers and offset channels are positioned in planes between the pressure chambers and nozzles. The tapered ink supply manifolds enhance purging of contaminants or bubbles from the print head by providing uniform ink flow rates (97, 97') along the entire length of the manifolds.

Abstract: An ink stick shape for use in a printer ink stick feed chute is disclosed wherein the opposing sides of the ink stick are tapered or angled from the horizontal so that at least one area intermediate the top and the bottom of the ink stick is a greater distance from the horizontal than the junction of the side walls and the bottom of the ink stick. The ink stick shape or geometry may be keyed to a particular color.

Abstract: A phase-change ink transfer printing process and apparatus (10) applies a thin layer of a liquid forming an intermediate transfer surface (12) to a heated receiving surface, such as a drum (14). Then an ink-jet printhead (11) deposits a molten ink image (26) onto the heated drum where it cools to the drum temperature and solidifies. After the image is deposited, a print medium (21) is heated by a preheater (27) to a predetermined temperature and fed into a nip (22) formed between the heated drum and an elastomeric transfer roller (23) that is biased toward the drum to form a nip pressure that is about twice the yield strength of the ink image. As the drum turns, the heated print medium is pulled through the nip to transfer and fuse the ink image to the print medium. When in the nip, heat from the drum and print medium combine to heat the ink in accordance with a process window (90), making the ink sufficiently soft and tacky to adhere to the print medium but not to the drum.

Abstract: A discrete ink level sensing system according to the present invention includes a level sensing probe (130) with at least first and second level sensing pads (178, 180) that is placed in an ink reservoir (28). The level sensing system uses electrical conductivity of the ink to detect when the upper surface level of the ink is lower than the lowest points of the level sensing pads. The upper and lower level sensing pads are electrically connected by a sense resistor (182). A voltage sensor (174) detects across the sense resistor a voltage that depends on the ink conductivity and the position of an upper surface level of the ink with respect to the lowest points of the first and second level pads. The value of the voltage is sent to a CPU (154) that signals a user that a predetermined amount of ink should be added to the reservoir.

Abstract: A FRU assembly (10) comprises a melt chamber (20) including multiple subchambers (30) in which sticks of phase change ink (38, 40) are inserted and melted. Melted ink flows through apertures (54) to a reservoir (28) comprising multiple compartments (56). Each compartment contains a channel (90) and a siphon plate (114) that allow a siphon action that siphons melted ink in the compartments to an orifice (100) that leads to an ink jet print head (16). Heaters (52, 82, and 142) under the control of a CPU (154) melt the ink and keep the melted ink at a desired temperature during various modes of operation.