Abstract: A dryer assembly for drying a liquid ink image formed on a substrate comprising a housing defining a portion of a sheet moving path; a plenum positioned within the housing, the plenum including air flow and outlet means contiguous to the plenum permitting forced air to exit the plenum, the outlet being in the form of a plurality of moving openings adapted to direct flowing air through the openings to the liquid image, the openings moving relative to the image; and a substrate transport device for moving the substrate carrying the liquid ink image on a front side thereof through the housing and under the plurality of moving openings. The dryer assembly has particular use in an ink jet printing system.

Abstract: A dryer assembly for drying a liquid ink image formed on a substrate comprising a housing defining a portion of a sheet moving path; a plenum positioned within the housing, the plenum including air flow and outlet means contiguous to the plenum permitting forced air to exit the plenum, the outlet being in the form of a plurality of moving openings adapted to direct flowing air through the openings to the liquid image, the openings moving relative to the image; and a substrate transport device for moving the substrate carrying the liquid ink image on a front side thereof through the housing and under the plurality of moving openings. An ink jet printing machine for printing a liquid ink image on a sheet of paper moving along a sheet path through a printing zone therein, the ink jet printing machine comprises a frame; a printhead mounted to said frame and containing liquid ink for depositing image-wise onto the sheet of paper to form a liquid ink image.

Abstract: An improved ink jet head wherein an ink reservoir is provided in the ink jet channel. Such a arrangement improves the printhead latency and broadens the range of inks which may be suitably utilized. In one alternative, this ink reservoir is provided between the heater and the face of the printhead and is actually an expansion of the heater pit. In another alternative, this is accomplished by shifting the forward edge of the heater pit as provided in the thick polyimide (or other photopolymer) layer found sandwiched between a heater chip and a ODE channel chip.

Abstract: An improved ink jet head wherein an ink reservoir is provided in the ink jet channel. Such a arrangement improves the printhead latency and broadens the range of inks which may be suitably utilized. In one alternative, this ink reservoir is provided between the heater and the face of the printhead and is actually an expansion of the heater pit. In another alternative, this is accomplished by shifting the forward edge of the heater pit as provided in the thick polyimide (or other photopolymer) layer found sandwiched between a heater chip and a ODE channel chip.

Abstract: A dryer uses a two-phase drying system having a brief water condensation interval, followed by impinging parallel laminar recirculating hot air jets which impinge on wet ink to increase the copy rate of inkjet printing and to increase the quality of the printed image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the volume of ink droplets ejected from printhead nozzles over a larger printhead operating temperature range. Each nucleating electrical pulse applied to the heating elements in the printhead to eject an ink droplet is preceded by a plurality of non-nucleating pre-pulses. Based upon the printhead temperature sensed, a controller selects the pre-pulse width and time width between pre-pulses from a look-up table.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead is disclosed which has a heater plate containing the heating elements and driving circuitry means monolithographically formed on one surface thereof and the ink flow directing channel structure is formed on the heater plate using a layer of patternable polymeric material which, in one embodiment, is exposed using a mask to define the channel pattern then developed and cured. After curing, the patterned channel structure is polished to provide a smooth coplanar surface and a cover plate with an aperture therein is aligned and bonded to the channel structure to complete the printhead. The aperture serves as both ink inlet and a portion of the ink reservoir. The channels are open at one end and serve as the droplet ejecting nozzles, while the other ends are closed and extend beneath the cover plate aperture to provide a baffled portion of the ink reservoir and prevent cross-talk between the ink channels.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet printer including a frame, a printhead mounted to the frame for printing ink images onto a heated and supported substrate, and an efficient substrate heating and supporting assembly mounted to the frame. The efficient substrate heating and supporting assembly includes a heating device, and a substrate supporting member having a front surface including a substrate supporting area for supporting substrates of various sizes one at a time and border areas having a polished finish. The efficient substrate heating and supporting assembly also includes a heat absorbing back surface facing the heating device. The heat absorbing back surface includes an increased heat absorbing area located opposite and centered relative to the substrate supporting area on the front surface.

Abstract: A nozzle plate for ink jet cartridges which are manufactured from a relatively thin film of material, such as, for example, polyimide, polyarylene ether, or composite of a number of materials deposited on a rigid substrate, such as a silicon wafer, and photolithographically processed from the rigid substrate to produce a large quantity of interconnected nozzle plates which may be removed as a sheet of interconnected nozzle plates for ease of handling. The nozzle plates are aligned and bonded to the nozzle bearing front faces of the cartridges.

Abstract: An ejector for a thermal ink-jet printhead includes a heating element defined on a main surface of a silicon heater chip. A cavity is disposed within the heater chip opposite the side of the heating element exposed to liquid ink. In one embodiment, the heating element is disposed on a narrow pillar which is surrounded by two elongated trenches. In another embodiment, the heating element is suspended over a cavity by narrow supports. In each case, the cavity reduces the thermal mass of the structure supporting the heating element and acts as an insulator to prevent excess heat from being dissipated into the body of the heater chip.

Abstract: A thermal ink-jet ejector having a fluid flow channel extending between an ink inlet and a nozzle for the ejection of liquid ink therefrom, includes a rear channel diffuser disposed between the heating element and the inlet, and/or a front channel diffuser disposed between the heating element and the nozzle. Each diffuser includes an arrangement of tapers which decrease the flow impedance of liquid ink flowing toward the nozzle, and increase the flow impedance of liquid ink flowing toward the inlet. The arrangement increases the kinetic energy of droplets being ejected, and also increases the speed of re-fill of the channel with liquid ink following ejection.

Abstract: A liquid ink printing apparatus printing images includes a printhead having a plurality of nozzles wherein a single power pulse causes two or more nozzles to eject ink simultaneously. The printhead includes an ink directing element having a plurality of ink conduits coupled to an array of spaced nozzles and a transducer element aligned with and mated to the ink directing element. The transducers are spaced a distance apart and each transducer is substantially aligned with at least two or more of the nozzles. The printhead is stepped in a direction transverse to the array of spaced nozzles a stepping distance approximately equal to or less than the distance between transducers. The ink directing element includes a silicon wafer having etched ink conduits or channels holding ink for ejection through the nozzles connected thereto.

Abstract: The present invention is a multispot laser light source assembled from at least two individual laser diodes in accordance with a design model. The multispot laser includes at least two semiconductor laser diodes, both of which are permanently affixed to a chip carrier. The chip carrier rigidly supports the diodes and conducts heat away from the the diodes to be dissipated by a heat sink. The present invention is further characterized by a predefined relationship between the chip carrier material, the relative dimensions of the chip carrier, and the separation distance of the diodes from the heatsink, which results in significant reduction in the thermal droop and crosstalk between the diodes.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an aperture plate for a roofshooter thermal ink jet printhead wherein a two step orientation dependent etch is conducted on a silicon wafer. The two step etch forms a trough in one face of the silicon wafer and a plurality of apertures in either the same or opposite face as the trough.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet printhead is disclosed having an ink channel geometry that controls the location of the bubble collapse on the heating elements. The ink channels provide the flow path between the printhead ink reservoir and the printhead nozzles. In one embodiment, the heating elements are located in a pit a predetermined distance upstream from the nozzle. The channel portion upstream from the heating element has a length and a cross-sectional flow area that is adjusted relative to the channel portion downstream from the heating element, so that the upstream and downstream portions of channel have substantially equal ink flow impedances. This results in controlling the location of the bubble collapse on the heating element to a location substantially in the center of the heating elements.

Abstract: An improved thermal ink jet printhead has a plurality of heating elements in ink channels selectively addressable by electrical signals to eject ink droplets from nozzles located at one end of the ink channels on demand. The heating elements each have a passivated layer of resistive material that has non-uniform sheet resistance in a direction transverse to the direction of ink in the channels. The non-uniform sheet resistance provides a substantially uniform temperature across the width of the resistive layer, so that the power required to eject a droplet is reduced and the droplet size dependence on electrical signal energy is eliminated.

Abstract: An improved ink jet printhead comprising upper and lower substrates that are mated and bonded together with a thick film insulative layer sandwiched therebetween. One surface of the upper substrate has etched therein one or more grooves and a recess which when mated with the lower substrate will serve as capillary filled ink channels and ink supply manifold, respectively. The grooves are open at one end and closed at the other. The open ends serve as nozzles. The manifold recess is adjacent the grooved closed ends. Each channel has a heating element located upstream of the nozzle. The heating elements are selectively addressable by input signals representing digitized data signals to produce ink vapor bubbles. The growth and collapse of the bubbles expel ink droplets from the nozzles and propel them to a recording medium.

Abstract: A bubble jet printing device is optimized for extended operation by preventing heat buildup within the printhead and ink supply. Several configurations provides for the addition of heat sinks of appropriate dimensions either directly to the printhead or to an electrode board bonded to the printhead. Plated holes through the electrode board increase heat flow away from the printhead. According to another aspect of the invention, the ink supply cartridge has thermally conductive particles dispersed therethrough to effectively increase its capacity to radiate heat away from the printhead.

Abstract: A storage buffer for a moving web comprises a collection bin having an opening through which the web can be randomly dumped under the influence of gravity; means for floating randomly dumped web within the collection bin upon a cushion of gas without mechanical support of said web; a web exit within a wall of said collection bin; and means for guiding pressurized gas over web passing through the web exit.

Abstract: A storage buffer for a moving web comprises a collection bin having a bottom triangular cavity, a top opening through which the web can be randomly dumped under the influence of gravity and a bottom opening through which the web is withdrawn from the collection bin on a first-in, first-out basis. The sloping bottom walls of the collection bin are provided with ridges to assure the maintenance of a gas bearing beneath the bottom-most layer of exiting web. Nozzles for directing pressurized gas into the collection bin are located on both sides of the web at the collection bin exit.