Abstract: A method of printing is provided.

Abstract: A fluid ejecting device and method of forming same are provided. The fluid ejecting device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface located opposite the first surface. A nozzle plate is formed over the first surface of the substrate. The nozzle plate has a nozzle through which fluid is ejected. A drop forming mechanism is situated at the periphery of the nozzle. A fluid chamber is in fluid communication with the nozzle and has a first wall and a second wall with the first wall and the second wall being positioned at an angle relative to each other. A fluid delivery channel is formed in the substrate and extends from the second surface of the substrate to the fluid chamber. The fluid delivery channel is in fluid communication with the fluid chamber. A source of fluid impedance includes a physical structure located between the nozzle and the fluid delivery channel.

Abstract: A method, and apparatus for performing the method, are intended to prevent all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead from being used for printing on a print medium. This can be done by periodically heating the defective nozzle at a frequency that is greater than frequencies other nozzles which are not defective are periodically heated, to cause the defective nozzle to only discharge ink droplets that have a smaller volume than ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective. Then, the smaller volume droplets discharged from the defective nozzle are prevented from reaching a print medium, but the larger volume ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective are allowed to reach the print medium.

Abstract: An emission device for ejecting a liquid drop is provided. The device includes a body. Portions of the body define an ink delivery channel and other portions of the body define a nozzle bore. The nozzle bore is in fluid communication with the ink delivery channel. An obstruction having an imperforate surface is positioned in the ink delivery channel. The emission device can be operated in a continuous mode and/or a drop on demand mode.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a liquid emission device includes a chamber having a nozzle orifice. Separately addressable dual electrodes are positioned on opposite sides of a central electrode. The three electrodes are aligned with the nozzle orifice. A rigid electrically insulating coupler connects the two addressable electrodes. To eject a drop, an electrostatic charge is applied to the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle orifice, which pulls that electrode away from the orifice, drawing liquid into the expanding chamber. The other addressable electrode moves in conjunction, storing potential energy in the system. Subsequently the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle is de-energized and the other addressable electrode is energized, causing the other electrode to be pulled toward the central electrode in conjunction with the release of the stored elastic potential energy.

Abstract: An ink jet print head is formed of a silicon substrate that includes an integrated circuit formed therein for controlling operation of the print head. The silicon substrate has one or more ink channels formed therein along the longitudinal direction of the noble array. An insulating layer or layers overlie the silicon substrate and has a series or an array of nozzle openings or bores formed therein along the length of the substrate and each nozzle opening communicates with an ink channel. The area comprising the nozzle openings forms a generally planar surface to facilitate maintenance of the printhead. A heater element is associated with each nozzle opening or bore for asymmetrically heating ink as ink passes through the nozzle opening or bore.

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: A method an apparatus for maintaining a predetermined ejected ink drop volume in a continuous inkjet printer is provided. An ink parameter, for example, temperature, velocity, flow rate, viscosity, is monitored. A time period between activation control signals provided to an ink drop forming mechanism is varied in response to a change in the ink parameter. The apparatus includes an ink parameter monitoring device which provides an input signal to a controller. The controller varies the time period between activation control signals provided to the ink drop forming mechanism.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing an image is provided. The apparatus includes a droplet forming mechanism adapted to form a succession of droplets having a first volume travelling along a path and a droplet having at least one other volume travelling along the 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 separate from the droplet having the at least one other volume.

Abstract: A continuous stream ink jet printer including a printhead having at least one nozzle or continuously ejecting a stream of ink droplets. A heater disposed adjacent to the nozzle thermally deflects selected ink droplets by asymmetrically heating the ink droplets to effect a printing operation. A cooling unit cools the ink provided to the printhead nozzle to increase the deflection angle of the droplets.

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: An emission device for ejecting a liquid drop is provided. The device includes a body. Portions of the body define an ink delivery channel and other portions of the body define a nozzle bore. The nozzle bore is in fluid communication with the ink delivery channel. An obstruction having an imperforate surface is positioned in the ink delivery channel. The emission device can be operated in a continuous mode and/or a drop on demand mode.

Abstract: A method, and apparatus for performing the method, are intended to prevent all of the ink discharged from a defective one of multiple nozzles in a continuous inkjet printhead from being used for printing on a print medium. This can be done by periodically heating the defective nozzle at a frequency that is greater than frequencies other nozzles which are not defective are periodically heated, to cause the defective nozzle to only discharge ink droplets that have a smaller volume than ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective. Then, the smaller volume droplets discharged from the defective nozzle are prevented from reaching a print medium, but the larger volume ink droplets discharged from the nozzles that are not defective are allowed to reach the print medium.

Abstract: A liquid emission device includes a chamber having a nozzle orifice. Separately addressable dual electrodes are positioned on opposite sides of a central electrode. The three electrodes are aligned with the nozzle orifice. A rigid electrically insulating coupler connects the two addressable electrodes. To eject a drop, an electrostatic charge is applied to the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle orifice, which pulls that electrode away from the orifice, drawing liquid into the expanding chamber. The other addressable electrode moves in conjunction, storing potential energy in the system. Subsequently the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle is de-energized and the other addressable electrode is energized, causing the other electrode to be pulled toward the central electrode in conjunction with the release of the stored elastic potential energy. This action pressurizes the liquid in the chamber behind the nozzle orifice, causing a drop to be ejected from the nozzle orifice.

Abstract: A continuous ink jet printhead and method are provided. The printhead includes an ink delivery channel. A plurality of nozzle bores are in fluid communication with the ink delivery channel. An individual obstruction is associated with each nozzle bore. Each individual obstruction is positioned in the ink delivery channel such that each obstruction creates a lateral flow pattern in ink continuously flowing through each of the plurality of nozzle bores as measured from a plane perpendicular to the plurality of nozzle bores.

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 liquid emission device includes a chamber having a nozzle orifice. Separately addressable dual electrodes are positioned on opposite sides of a central electrode. The three electrodes are aligned with the nozzle orifice. A rigid electrically insulating coupler connects the two addressable electrodes. To eject a drop, an electrostatic charge is applied to the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle orifice, which pulls that electrode away from the orifice, drawing liquid into the expanding chamber. The other addressable electrode moves in conjunction, storing potential energy in the system. Subsequently the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle is de-energized and the other addressable electrode is energized, causing the other electrode to be pulled toward the central electrode in conjunction with the release of the stored elastic potential energy. This action pressurizes the liquid in the chamber behind the nozzle orifice, causing a drop to be ejected from the nozzle orifice.

Abstract: A liquid emission device includes a chamber having a nozzle orifice. Separately addressable dual electrodes are positioned on opposite sides of a central electrode. The three electrodes are aligned with the nozzle orifice. A rigid electrically insulating coupler connects the two addressable electrodes. To eject a drop, an electrostatic charge is applied to the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle orifice, which pulls that electrode away from the orifice, drawing liquid into the expanding chamber. The other addressable electrode moves in conjunction, storing potential energy in the system. Subsequently the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle is de-energized and the other addressable electrode is energized, causing the other electrode to be pulled toward the central electrode in conjunction with the release of the stored elastic potential energy. This action pressurizes the liquid in the chamber behind the nozzle orifice, causing a drop to be ejected from the nozzle orifice.

Abstract: Imaging apparatus includes a printhead with one or more nozzles, wherein heaters are positioned proximate to the nozzles. Electrical activation of the heaters creates ink droplets having a plurality of volumes. The use of higher-energy pulses in the portion of the waveform of heater activation associated with the formation of small drops results in more constant relative drop velocities and consequently, improved image quality. The printing apparatus also contains a droplet deflector having a gas source positioned at an angle with respect to the stream of droplets thereby separating ink droplets having one of the plurality of volumes from ink droplets having another of the plurality of volumes. An ink guttering structure is provided for capturing one range of ink-drop volumes, while allowing another volume range to strike an image receiver.

Abstract: A liquid emission device includes a chamber having a nozzle orifice. Separately addressable dual electrodes are positioned on opposite sides of a central electrode. The three electrodes are aligned with the nozzle orifice. A rigid electrically insulating coupler connects the two addressable electrodes. To eject a drop, an electrostatic charge is applied to the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle orifice, which pulls that electrode away from the orifice, drawing liquid into the expanding chamber. The other addressable electrode moves in conjunction, storing potential energy in the system. Subsequently the addressable electrode nearest to the nozzle is de-energized and the other addressable electrode is energized, causing the other electrode to be pulled toward the central electrode in conjunction with the release of the stored elastic potential energy. This action pressurizes the liquid in the chamber behind the nozzle orifice, causing a drop to be ejected from the nozzle orifice.