Abstract: A monitoring system monitors a pressure wave developed in the surrounding ambient environment during inkjet droplet formation. The monitoring system uses either acoustic, ultrasonic, or other pressure wave monitoring mechanisms, such as a laser vibrometer, an ultrasonic transducer, or an accelerometer sensor, for instance, a microphone to detect droplet formation. One sensor is incorporated in the printhead itself, while others may be located externally. The monitoring system generates information used to determine current levels of printhead performance, to which the printer may respond by adjusting print modes, servicing the printhead, adjusting droplet formation, or by providing an early warning before an inkjet cartridge is completely empty. During printhead manufacturing, an array of such sensors may be used in quality assurance to determine printhead performance. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this monitoring system, and a monitoring method is also provided.

Abstract: An inkjet printing device is arranged to employ a first set of multiple nozzle drop generators activated by a first address signal and a second set of multiple nozzle drop generators activated by a second address signal. The multiple nozzles of each drop generator of the first set are arranged in a predetermined geometric pattern, each of which encompasses at least one nozzle of a drop generator of the second set. The ink ejectors of one drop generator of the first drop generator set are arranged in subgroups, one subgroup of which shares a switched power return with one subgroup of ink ejectors of one drop generator of the second drop generator set.

Abstract: A monitoring system monitors a pressure wave developed in the surrounding ambient environment during inkjet droplet formation. The monitoring system uses either acoustic, ultrasonic, or other pressure wave monitoring mechanisms, such as a laser vibrometer, an ultrasonic transducer, or an accelerometer sensor, for instance, a microphone to detect droplet formation. One sensor is incorporated in the printhead itself, while others may be located externally. The monitoring system generates information used to determine current levels of printhead performance, to which the printer may respond by adjusting print modes, servicing the printhead, adjusting droplet formation, or by providing an early warning before an inkjet cartridge is completely empty. During printhead manufacturing, an array of such sensors may be used in quality assurance to determine printhead performance. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this monitoring system, and a monitoring method is also provided.

Abstract: In a computer controlled, drop-by-drop, inkjet printer, either thermal ink-jet or piezoelectric, an apparatus for dampening the vibration caused by expelling the drops of ink. The apparatus includes an inlet and an outlet flow conduit connected to the chamber from which the drops are expelled and means for sweeping the vibration out of the chamber and into one of the flow conduits. In operation, the apparatus first expels a drop of liquid from the chamber and thereby creates a region of vibration in the liquid remaining in the chamber. The flow of liquid through the chamber flushes the region of vibration out of the chamber and into the outlet flow conduit, thereby hydraulically dampening the vibration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving inkjet print quality uses a printhead having an array using a plurality of nozzles in sets in each drop generator mechanism. Where a conventional inkjet pen fires a single droplet of ink at a target pixel per firing cycle, the present invention simultaneously ejects a plurality of droplets at different subdivisions of pixels. Drop generators of a printhead array includes a plurality of nozzles for the drop generators arranged such that the light absorption of the sum of the simultaneously ejected ink droplets is like that of conventionally ejected drops but distributed over an area of the printed medium greater than that of a conventional target pixel.

Abstract: An inkjet printer printhead utilizes a substrate, an orifice layer, and a directionally biased electrostrictive polymer ink actuator disposed between the orifice layer and the substrate to eject ink from the printhead.

Abstract: A printhead having reduced spray includes orifi from which ink is expelled by an ink ejector. The orifi employ an aperture at the outer surface of the orifice plate having two orthogonal dimensions with one dimension having a greater magnitude than the other. The aperture is further defined by two non-intersecting edges spaced apart at one point by a distance of the smaller of the two dimensions and spaced apart at all other points by a distance greater than the smaller dimension such that the orifi are hourglass shaped.

Abstract: A scalable wide-array printhead is formed by mounting multiple thermal inkjet printheads to a carrier substrate. The printheads are mounted to one face and logic ICs and drive ICs are mounted to an opposite face. Interconnects are formed through the carrier substrate to electrically couple the printheads to the logic ICs and drive ICs. The carrier substrate is formed of silicon and etched to define ink refill slots. A solder bump mounting process is used to mount the printheads to the carrier substrate. Such process serves to align each of the printheads. The solder forms a fluidic boundary around a printhead ink slot.

Abstract: The present invention is a printhead for ejecting fluid droplets. The printhead includes a chamber member defining a chamber. The chamber member has a chamber volume associated therewith. The chamber member defines an orifice and a fluid inlet through which fluid flows to the chamber. Also included is a heating member for heating fluid within the chamber. The chamber ejects a fluid droplet having a volume equal to the chamber volume in response to activation of the heating member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving ink-jet print quality uses a print head having an array using a plurality of nozzles in sets in each drop generator mechanism. Where a conventional ink-jet pen fires a single droplet of ink at a pixel per firing cycle, the present invention fires a plurality of droplets at different subdivisions of pixels. The particular array design may vary from ink-to-ink or pen-to-pen. Each drop generator of a print head array includes a plurality of nozzles wherein each of the nozzles has an exit orifice with an areal dimension, and produces an ink droplet that produces a dot on adjacent print media wherein the dot has an areal dimension, less than the areal dimension of a pixel to be printed. Dots are printed in a pattern for each pixel wherein print quality is achieved that approximates a higher resolution print made by conventional ink-jet methodologies.

Abstract: The configuration of an ink inlet through which flows ink into a chamber for expulsion from the chamber by a thermal process is such that a vapor bubble generated by the thermal process to eject ink from the chamber expands to simultaneously occlude the inlet, thereby to separate the ink within the chamber from ink within a channel that is in fluid communication with the inlet. The separation eliminates a liquid path between the chamber and the channel so that substantially no ink is blown back into the channel as the bubble expands, thereby improving the thermal efficiency of the process.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having a substrate with an upper surface, and an ink supply conduit passing through the substrate. An array of independently addressable ink energizing elements are attached to the upper surface of the substrate. An orifice layer has a lower surface conformally connected to the upper surface of the substrate, and has an exterior surface facing away from the substrate. The orifice layer defines a plurality of firing chambers providing communication to the ink energizing elements, and each of the orifices is positioned in registration with a respective single ink energizing element. The exterior surface defines a plurality of nozzle apertures, each providing the upper terminus of a single firing chamber. Each of the firing chambers is laterally separated from all other firing chambers by a septum portion of the orifice layer.

Abstract: An orifice membrane is provided an articulation parallel to the rows of orifices and between the area of the orifice membrane secured to the cartridge body and the area of the orifice membrane secured to the barrier layer of the heater resistor substrate. The reduced stress at the orifices reduces the distortion of the bore axis of the orifices.

Abstract: A monitoring system monitors a pressure wave developed in the surrounding ambient environment during inkjet droplet formation. The monitoring system uses either acoustic, ultrasonic, or other pressure wave monitoring mechanisms, such as a laser vibrometer, an ultrasonic transducer, or an accelerometer sensor, for instance, a microphone to detect droplet formation. One sensor is incorporated in the printhead itself, while others may be located externally. The monitoring system generates information used to determine current levels of printhead performance, to which the printer may respond by adjusting print modes, servicing the printhead, adjusting droplet formation, or by providing an early warning before an inkjet cartridge is completely empty. During printhead manufacturing, an array of such sensors may be used in quality assurance to determine printhead performance. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this monitoring system and a monitoring method is also provided.

Abstract: The channels through which ink flows to the firing chambers of an ink-jet printhead are provided with selectively controlled valves for restricting flow at specified times for reducing blowback from the firing chamber while decreasing the turn on energy of the printhead.

Abstract: A variable optical density print system and method for continuous variation of the optical density among successive droplets expelled from the same nozzle, the print system comprising a fluid channel connected to a basis fluid supply and a fluid channel connected to a colorant concentrate fluid supply. Each fluid channel is in fluid communication with a single ink firing chamber. Appropriate amounts of basis fluid and colorant concentrate fluid are delivered to the firing chamber by briefly opening a microvalve positioned within each fluid channel. The fluids mix in the firing chamber and are then ejected as a single ink droplet which possesses a desired optical density.

Abstract: The channels through which ink flows to the firing chambers of an ink-jet printhead are provided with selectively controlled valves for restricting flow at specified times for reducing blowback from the firing chamber while decreasing the turn on energy of the printhead.

Abstract: In order to reduce particle clogging of ink firing chambers in an inkjet printer printhead, the barrier layer is configured to have a plurality of inner barrier islands, each associated with a respective one of the heater resistors, disposed between an ink firing chamber and the ink plenum, to form two ink feed channels. The two ink feed channels are designed to have a right angle turn to prevent particles from entering the ink firing chamber. A plurality of outer barrier islands, having a number equal to twice the number of inner barrier islands, are disposed between the inner barrier islands and the ink plenum, and are configured in lines parallel to the lines of heater resistors to prevent particles from reaching the ink feed channels.

Abstract: An inkjet printer printhead is coupled to an ink source and has a plurality of ink firing chambers dimensionally defined by a barrier layer disposed between a substrate and an orifice plate. Two ink feed channels are coupled to one ink firing chamber and are dimensionally defined, in part, by the barrier layer. One of these ink feed channels has a smoothly converging wide dimension inlet at the ink source and a narrow dimension outlet at the ink firing chamber. The other ink feed channel also has a converging wide dimension inlet at the ink source and a narrow dimension outlet at the ink firing chamber but has an "S" shaped wall contour to make it asymmetrical to the first ink feed channel. An island of the barrier layer separates one ink feed channel from the other ink feed channel serving the ink firing chamber. This island has an essentially flat wall surface disposed toward the ink firing chamber.