Abstract: An on-demand inkjet printhead includes an ink chamber provided with a plurality of nozzles and a single piezoelectric actuator for increasing pressure of ink within the chamber. Each nozzle is equipped with a heater element. Ink is ejected from selected nozzles of the printhead by energizing the heater elements of the selected nozzles to reduce surface tension and viscosity of ink at the selected nozzles, and applying an actuation voltage to the piezoelectric actuator to generate a pressure pulse in the ink within the ink chamber that ejects ink droplets from the selected nozzles but not from the non-selected nozzles. The ink chamber can also be provided with a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, each of which can be actuated independently.

Abstract: An on-demand inkjet printhead includes an ink chamber provided with a plurality of nozzles and a single piezoelectric actuator for increasing pressure of ink within the chamber. Each nozzle is equipped with a heater element. Ink is ejected from selected nozzles of the printhead by energizing the heater elements of the selected nozzles to reduce surface tension and viscosity of ink at the selected nozzles, and applying an actuation voltage to the piezoelectric actuator to generate a pressure pulse in the ink within the ink chamber that ejects ink droplets from the selected nozzles but not from the non-selected nozzles. The ink chamber can also be provided with a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, each of which can be actuated independently.

Abstract: A printer and transport assembly includes a transport conveyor for receiving individual blanks and continuously conveying the blanks in a downstream direction. A digital high speed printer is positioned directly above the transport conveyor downstream from where the blanks are received on the transport conveyor for printing high quality indicia on the individual blanks as they are continuously conveyed downstream. A blank drying arrangement receives printed blanks from the transport conveyor and moves the blanks in spaced relationship over a course of travel of sufficient length so as to sufficiently dry the printed indicia on the blanks. Ultimately, the dried printed blanks may be collected in a stack. Packaging, greeting cards, stickers, labels and coupons, for example, may be printed with the printer and transport assembly.

Abstract: A printhead includes a common ink chamber or reservoir bounded on one side by a membrane having nozzle apertures. The membrane forms a print face of the printhead. Piezoelectric elements (piezos) are located on the membrane near the nozzles. The piezos flex segments of the membrane surrounding the nozzles to eject ink droplets from the nozzle apertures. Ribs are also provided on the membrane and define boundaries of the membrane segments corresponding to the nozzles. The ribs can isolate each nozzle from the other nozzles, in two ways. First, the ribs act as stiffeners so that when piezos attached to one membrane segment flex that membrane segment, the other membrane segments are not significantly flexed. Second, when the ribs are provided on an interior surface of the membrane, they deflect the pressure pulse in the ink fluid from a flexing membrane segment, upwards, away from adjacent membrane segments/nozzles.

Abstract: An on-demand inkjet printhead includes an ink chamber provided with a plurality of nozzles and a single piezoelectric actuator for increasing pressure of ink within the chamber. Each nozzle is equipped with a heater element. Ink is ejected from selected nozzles of the printhead by energizing the heater elements of the selected nozzles to reduce surface tension and viscosity of ink at the selected nozzles, and applying an actuation voltage to the piezoelectric actuator to generate a pressure pulse in the ink within the ink chamber that ejects ink droplets from the selected nozzles but not from the non-selected nozzles. The ink chamber can also be provided with a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, each of which can be actuated independently.

Abstract: A printer and transport assembly comprises a transport conveyor for receiving individual blanks and continuously conveying the blanks in a downstream direction. A digital high speed printer is positioned directly above the transport conveyor downstream from where the blanks are received on the transport conveyor for printing high quality indicia on the individual blanks as they are continuously conveyed downstream. A blank drying arrangement receives printed blanks from the transport conveyor and moves the blanks in spaced relationship over a course of travel of sufficient length so as to sufficiently dry the printed indicia on the blanks. Ultimately, the dried printed blanks may be collected in a stack. Packaging, greeting cards, stickers, labels and coupons, for example, may be printed with the printer and transport assembly.

Abstract: Images such as product images are identified as substantially similar to one or more reference images by finding pixels which have substantially the same value or values in all or substantially all of the reference images. Image erosion and/or dilation may be used in processing the reference image data to help identify pixels which can always be expected to have the same value in all acceptable images. The values associated with the corresponding pixels in a product image are combined and compared to an expected value. The values associated with pixels which correspond to regions not similar in substantially all of the reference images are combined to produce a discriminant function. The product image is identified as substantially similar to the reference image or images only if the combined values from the product image compare favorably with the expected value, and the dot product between the product image and the discriminant function is equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: The acceptability of images is determined by comparing each image to a template image which may be an average of several images which are known to be acceptable. The amount by which the image deviates from the template image is used as a measure of the acceptability of the image. Portions of the image at or near edges in the images may be automatically excluded from this test. Another test which includes the edge portions excluded from the first test may be performed to ensure that all portions of the image are inspected. For example, this other test may include ensuring that the correct number of edge pixels are present in the image as a whole.

Abstract: Images such as product images are identified as substantially similar to one or more reference images by finding pixels which have substantially the same value or values in all or substantially all of the reference images. Image erosion and/or dilation may be used in processing the reference image data to help identify pixels which can always be expected to have the same value in all acceptable images. The values associated with the corresponding pixels in a product image are combined and compared to an expected value, and the dot product between the product image and the discriminant function is equal to a predetermined value. The values associated with pixels which correspond to regions not similar in substantially all of the reference images are combined to produce a discriminant function.

Abstract: The appearance of a product is determined to be acceptable or unacceptable by computing a discriminant function or image from a plurality of two-dimensional images of products of the kind to be inspected. A two-dimensional image of the product is then formed and processed using the discriminant image to produce an output value which can be compared to a predetermined value used in computing the discriminant image. If the output value deviates from the predetermined value by more than a predetermined amount, the product has been found to have an unacceptable appearance.

Abstract: The acceptability of the appearance of objects such as consumer products is determined by forming an initial discriminant function as a composite of a relatively small number of images which are known to be acceptable. This initial discriminant function is then used to gather statistical information about how a first relatively large number of images compares to the initial discriminant function. Thereafter, this statistical information is used to select or aid in the selection of acceptable images from a second relatively large number of images, and the images selected as acceptable are used to refine the discriminant function. The refined discriminant function is then used (e.g., during actual product inspection) to determine which objects have an acceptable appearance and which do not.