Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous jet printer (1) comprising a printing head (2) and a device (3) for cleaning the operating head upon stopping the printing. According to the invention, the cleaning device comprises a scraper in a flexible material (300) with a profile mating a profile delimited by the nozzle plate at least at the ejection nozzle(s), by the block for sorting ejected drops from the nozzle(s) and by the recovery end of the gutter. Displacement means transverse to the direction of the jet(s) as well as a feed and suction of cleaning fluid over the scraper height H or in proximity thereto are also provided, the feed and suction of the cleaning liquid therefore being confined on said scraper height.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is characterised in that a connection part (1) of an umbilical connected to a connection part of a print head of the printer, comprises: first (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20–23, 25) and second means (12, 14, 15, 16, 25) for positioning the umbilical electrical terminations (13, 19) and hydraulic terminations (24) mechanically fixed to the connection part (1) of the umbilical; third (12, 28) positioning means mechanically connected to the umbilical, and fourth positioning means (31, 48) mechanically connected to the connection part (3) of the print head, the third (12, 28) positioning means and the fourth positioning means (31, 48) cooperating to position the connection part (1) of the umbilical with respect to the connection part (3) of the print head. A translation movement alone is necessary to connect the umbilical onto the print head.

Abstract: A twin-nozzle print head for a continuous inkjet deflection printer comprises an ink drop generator assembly having two inkjet ejection nozzles, each of the nozzles having an ejection axis. Charge electrodes, deflection electrodes deflecting charged drops and a single ink drop recovery gutter for both nozzles are also provided. The ejection axes of nozzles converge at a point located on an axis of a single inlet orifice of the single recovery gutter in the vicinity of this orifice or upstream of this gutter. A printer equipped with this head prints swathes of large width with good juncture.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is characterised in that a connection part (1) of an umbilical connected to a connection part of a print head of the printer, comprises: first (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20-23, 25) and second means (12, 14, 15, 16, 25) for positioning the umbilical electrical terminations (13, 19) and hydraulic terminations (24) mechanically fixed to the connection part (1) of the umbilical; third (12, 28) positioning means mechanically connected to the umbilical, and fourth positioning means (31, 48) mechanically connected to the connection part (3) of the print head, the third (12, 28) positioning means and the fourth positioning means (31, 48) cooperating to position the connection part (1) of the umbilical with respect to the connection part (3) of the print head. A translation movement alone is necessary to connect the umbilical onto the print head.

Abstract: Process and device for cleaning the nozzles of ink jet printers, and the print head incorporating such a device. A fixed cleaning jet (22) is installed on the print head, downstream of the ink nozzle to be cleaned (18) and offset to one side of it. When the ink jet stops, a given volume of solvent is sprayed by this cleaning jet, which hits the nozzle (18) at an angle. In this way the front face of the droplet generator is cleaned and scoured, and the ink residues are ejected towards the opposite side of the housing (36). Dry compressed air is then blown through the cleaning jet towards the ink nozzle (18) to dry the front of the nozzle and the ink residues deposited on the side of the housing (36).

Abstract: Process and device for cleaning the nozzles of ink jet printers, and the print head incorporating such a device.

Abstract: A device permitting the emission or discharge of material in the form of a jet by a nozzle, which is able to communicate with a cavity of the device through which the material passes and where it is pressurized in order to permit the formation of the jet under the effect of a controller. A stimulator is located in the vicinity of the nozzle in order to split up the jet into a succession of elements. The device includes a seal for the nozzle when no material jet is being discharged made of a deformable member placed between the stimulator and the nozzle and designed and positioned so as to seal the nozzle when the controller does not allow the emission of a material jet and to free the nozzle when the controller allows the emission of a jet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a modulating device for an ink jet printing head comprising a support (1) supporting a gun (3) equipped with a nozzle or discharging the ink jet, means for introducing pressurized ink (21), means for controlling the ink jet associated with the gun (3), ink filtering means, the gun defining a circuit permitting the circulation of the ink introduced into the assembly up to the nozzle. The filtering means (30) tangential filtering means, draining means (22) being provided for the discharge of the unfiltered ink.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing machine which has adjacent printing modules. In each printing module, the ink-jet generating device, the ink-drop deflecting device and the collector for collecting the undeflected drops are borne by a single-piece element located on one face of a supporting beam. The opposite face of the supporting beam bears an ink feeding device, and a container to collect the unused ink coming from the collector and the generation device. The deflecting device is mounted in a pivoting manner so that it can be interposed between the generating device and the collector during the printing operation, and can be withdrawn during the maintenance operation.

Abstract: In a printing device using m ink jets, a head for the deflection of said jets is made in modular form by the assembling of:a first plurality of elements, each comprising m electrodes,a second plurality of elements for the separation of the elements of the first plurality, that are interposed between certain elements of the first plurality to separate these elements electrically from one another;the elements of the first plurality and of the second plurality being aligned and stacked to form a compact assembly.