Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. In this apparatus, 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. Additionally, the apparatus includes a means for improving drop placement on the receiver media by making small adjustments to the volumes of the printing droplets.

Abstract: A continuous inkjet method and apparatus including a printhead (2) having an orifice (7) for ejecting a continuous stream of ink droplets of a larger size (21) and a smaller size (23), and a droplet filter (41) for generating a liquid curtain (43) that captures and absorbs the smaller droplets (23) but admits the larger droplets (21). The liquid curtain (43) is orthogonally disposed with respect to the stream of ink droplets (21, 23) and the liquid curtain (43) is the same type of ink as the droplets. The droplet filter (41) in one embodiment includes a source of pressurized ink (51), a nozzle (45) connected to the pressurized ink source (51), and an ink recycler (57) for recapturing and recycling ink. The droplet filter nozzle (45) of one embodiment has a slit-type opening and is directed downwardly in the same direction as the force of gravity.

Abstract: A continuous stream ink jet printhead includes an ink droplet forming mechanism operable to selectively create a stream of ink droplets having a plurality of volumes and a droplet deflector having a gas source. The gas source is operable to interact with the stream of ink droplets thereby separating ink droplets having one of the plurality of volumes from ink droplets having another of the plurality of volumes. A sensor senses ambient pressure transients and is coupled to a controller which adjusts the gas flow, through a pressure compensation mechanism, to compensate for pressure transients.

Abstract: A continuous stream ink jet printer is provided having an ink droplet forming mechanism for ejecting a stream of ink droplets having a selected one of at least two different volumes toward a print medium, a droplet deflector for producing a flow of gas that interacts with the ink droplet stream to separate droplets having different volumes, and a gas flow conditioner for preconditioning the gas flow produced by the deflector with a solvent vapor. The provision of a solvent vapor in the gas flow prevents or at least reduces changes in ink viscosity which could otherwise interfere with the recycling and filtering of ink droplets captured by the gutter of the printer.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. The apparatus includes a droplet forming mechanism operable in a first state to form droplets having a first volume travelling along a path and in a second state to form droplets having a plurality of other volumes travelling along the same path. A droplet deflector system applies force to the droplets travelling along the path. The force is applied in a direction such that the droplets having the first volume diverge from the path while the droplets having the plurality of other volumes remain travelling substantially along the path or diverge slightly and begin travelling along a gutter path.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having an array of nozzles from which ink droplets of adjustable volume are emitted further includes a mechanism adapted to individually adjust the volume of the emitted ink droplets. The mechanism has a first state wherein the emitted droplets of selected nozzles are of a predetermined small volume and a second state wherein the emitted droplets of selected nozzles are of a predetermined large volume. A controller selectively switches the mechanism between its first and its second states such that ink droplets of the predetermined large volume are not simultaneously emitted from adjacent ones of the nozzles.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead, that includes a plurality of nozzle bores from which streams of ink droplets having selectable first and second volumes are emitted; a droplet deflector for deflecting the ink droplets having first and second volumes into first and second paths respectively, the droplet deflector producing a corresponding plurality of physically separate streams of gas, each stream of gas directed on a corresponding one of the streams of ink droplets; and an ink gutter positioned to catch the ink droplets moving along one of the first or second paths. In addition to a method for selectively controlling the ink droplets with the aforementioned inkjet printhead.

Abstract: Both an inkjet printer and method are provided for controlling inkjet printing on a receiver. The inkjet printer includes a printhead having at least one nozzle for ejecting a stream of ink droplets, a droplet deflector for generating a flow of gas that impinges on the stream of ejected droplets to deflect the trajectories of the droplets, and a controller for varying the velocity of the gas flow in order to vary the degree of trajectory deflection so the droplets intended to print on a particular pixel in the receiver land on top of one another without elongation despite relative movement between the printhead and the receiver. The printer provides improved image quality and productivity while reducing image artifacts.

Abstract: For an inkjet printhead (10) with integral compensation for misdirection of ink drops (37) ejected through at least one nozzle (24) of the printhead (10), a system and method of modifying the nozzle cavity space (32a) so as to compensate for the effects of defects in the printhead (10) by altering the direction the ejected ink drops (37). The inkjet printhead (10) comprises at least one reservoir (28) integrated within the membrane (30). The inkjet printhead (10) also comprises a channel (38) extending from the reservoir (28) and terminating in the nozzle cavity (32). A hardening substance (40) within the reservoir (28) and channel (38) is a plastic material having a high thermal expansion coefficient. An internal heater (48) within the reservoir (28) and adjacent the hardening substance (40) is adapted to cause the plastic material (40) to flow in order to form a protrusion (44) of plastic material (40) within the nozzle cavity space (32a).

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. The apparatus includes an ink droplet forming mechanism operable to selectively create a stream of ink droplets having a plurality of volumes traveling along a first path. A droplet deflector is positioned at an angle with respect to the stream of ink droplets. The droplet deflector includes a gas flow operable to interact with the stream of ink droplets such that ink droplets having one of the plurality of volumes begin traveling along a second path and ink droplets having another of the plurality of volumes begin traveling along a third path. At least a portion of a catcher including a porous material is at least partially positioned in one of the first, second, and third paths.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. The apparatus includes an ink droplet forming mechanism operable to selectively create a stream of ink droplets having a plurality of volumes and 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 having one of the plurality of volumes from ink droplets having another of the plurality of volumes. The ink droplet producing mechanism has a nozzle and includes a heater positioned proximate to the nozzle. The heater may be selectively actuated at a plurality of frequencies to create the stream of ink droplets having the plurality of volumes. The heater may include an electrical resistance heating element. The gas source may be a positive pressure air source positioned substantially perpendicular to the stream of ink droplets.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling errant ink drops in an inkjet printer having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink drops along a droplet trajectory and printing the ejected ink drops onto a receiver, including: at least one airflow channel arranged to provide a non-uniform airflow pattern located along a portion of the droplet trajectory, wherein the apparatus is in close proximity to the plurality of nozzles and prior to the receiver, such that the non-uniform airflow pattern provides compensation for errors in the printing of the ejected ink drops on the receiver and means for moving air in the airflow channel.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. In this apparatus, each nozzle is operable to selectively create a stream of ink droplets having a plurality of velocities. 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 continuous inkjet printing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a printhead having a two dimensional nozzle array. The two dimensional nozzle array includes a first nozzle row being disposed in a first direction and a second nozzle row being disposed displaced and offset relative to the first nozzle row. A drop forming mechanism is positioned relative to the nozzle rows and is operable in a first state to form drops having a first volume travelling along a path and in a second state to form drops having a second volume travelling along the same path. A system applies force to the drops travelling along the path with the force being applied in a direction such that the drops having the first volume diverge from the path.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image is provided. The apparatus includes a source of ink. A droplet forming mechanism is operable in a first state to form droplets from the source having a first volume traveling along a first desired path and in a second state to form droplets from the source having a second volume traveling along the first desired path. The droplet forming mechanism is positioned proximate the source. A first system selectively applies a first force to the source such that selected droplets formed from the source by the droplet forming mechanism travel along a second desired path. The first system is positioned proximate the source. A second system applies a second force to the droplets traveling along at least one of the first desired path and the second desired path. The second force is applied in a direction such that the droplets having the first volume diverge from the droplets having the second volume.

Abstract: Both an inkjet printer and method are provided for contone inkjet printing on a receiver. The inkjet printer includes a printhead having at least one nozzle for ejecting a stream of ink droplets, a droplet deflector for generating a flow of gas that impinges on the stream of ejected droplets to deflect the trajectories of the droplets, and a controller for varying the velocity of the gas flow in order to vary the degree of trajectory deflection so the droplets intended to print on a particular pixel in the receiver land on top of one another without elongation despite relative movement between the printhead and the receiver. The printer provides improved image quality and productivity while reducing image artifacts.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus having a cleaning station that is structurally integrated with a droplet deflector is provided. The apparatus includes an ink droplet forming mechanism formed from a printhead having at least one nozzle for ejecting a stream of ink droplets of different volumes, a pneumatic droplet deflector for producing a flow of gas that transversely impinges the droplet stream of the printhead in order to separate ink droplets of different volumes from one another. The droplet deflector includes a pressurized gas source, which may be an air blower, and a plenum for conducting the gas flow generated by the gas source. The cleaning station is formed at least in part from the plenum of the droplet deflector, and provides a flow of both a liquid cleaning fluid and a flow of gas to periodically clean the printhead of the ink droplet forming mechanism.

Abstract: A continuous stream ink jet printer is provided having an ink droplet forming mechanism for ejecting a stream of ink droplets having a selected one of at least two different volumes toward a print medium, a droplet deflector for producing a flow of gas that interacts with the ink droplet stream to separate droplets having different volumes, and a gas flow conditioner for preconditioning the gas flow produced by the deflector with a solvent vapor. The provision of a solvent vapor in the gas flow prevents or at least reduces changes in ink viscosity which could otherwise interfere with the recycling and filtering of ink droplets captured by the gutter of the printer.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a print head having a nozzle from which a stream of ink droplets is emitted. A mechanism is adapted to adjust a characteristic of the emitted ink droplets such that selected pairs of droplets emitted from the nozzle coalesce to form larger droplets while other ones of droplets emitted from the nozzle do not coalesce. A droplet deflector imposes a force on the droplets at an angle greater than zero with respect to the stream of ink droplets. The droplet deflector is adapted to interact with the stream of ink droplets to thereby separate non-coalesced ink droplets from coalesced ink droplets.

Abstract: For an inkjet printhead (10) having at least one nozzle (24) and a nozzle opening (26) in the nozzle (24), a disk (28) having an off-center aperture (38) about the disk axis (X, Y) positioned over the nozzle opening (26), a system and method of compensating for the effects of defects in the inkjet printhead (10) to alter the direction of ink drops (37) ejected from the nozzle (24). Initially, the printhead (10) is tested to determine the amount of compensation desired in the direction of ink (34) ejected from the nozzle opening (26). The method comprises the step of applying heat to at least one finger-like actuator (42), causing the thermal actuator (42) to deform semi-permanently. The method further comprises the step of sliding the disk (28) over the nozzle (24) so that the off-center aperture (38) traverses the nozzle opening (26) and causes the ink (34) ejected from the nozzle opening (26) to be deflected with regard to the desired amount of compensation.