Drop Deflection Means Patents (Class 347/77)
  • Patent number: 7517066
    Abstract: A method and printing system are provided. The printing system includes a liquid drop ejector, a fluid passage, and a fluid flow. The liquid drop ejector is operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path. The fluid passage includes a temperature gradient in the passage. The fluid flow source is operable to cause a fluid to flow in a direction through the passage, wherein interaction of the fluid flow and the liquid drops causes liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Zhanjun Gao, Jinquan Xu
  • Patent number: 7513584
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a head having a plurality of ink discharging portions provided in a juxtaposed linear relationship. A discharging direction of an ink droplet to be discharged from each ink discharging portion can be deflected in a plurality of directions. A printing resolution is determined in response to print data from among a plurality of printing resolutions, and the ink discharging portion from which an ink droplet is to be discharged are selected based on the determined printing resolution. Further, the discharging direction of an ink droplet of each selected ink discharging portion is determined, and a discharge execution signal with which the discharging direction is specified is transmitted to the selected ink discharging portion so that printing is executed with the printing resolution determined in response to the print data from among the plurality of printing resolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Kuwahara, Iwao Ushinohama, Yuichiro Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 7503646
    Abstract: The liquid discharge apparatus including a head having liquid dischargers capable of deflecting the trajectories of discharged droplets in a plurality of directions. At least two of the liquid dischargers neighboring each other are capable of discharging droplets in the same pixel area. When there is a shut-off liquid discharge due to droplet discharge failure, this information is stored. According to the stored information, the discharge signal corresponding to the droplets the shut-off discharger were supposed to discharge is transferred to another liquid discharger in the vicinity of the shut-off discharger. This other liquid discharger alternatively discharges droplets so that the droplets land in a position the droplets would have had landed if they were discharged by the shut-off discharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Eguchi, Kazuyasu Takenaka, Yuichiro Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 7497561
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including an active element formation face on which an active element is formed, and a rear face that is on a side opposite to the active element formation face; detection electrodes formed on or above the active element formation face, detecting a remaining amount of ink by being wet in the ink; a penetration electrode penetrating a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate; and a contact electrodes formed on or above the rear face, electrically connected to the detection electrodes via the penetration electrode, and transmitting and receiving information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuaki Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20090033723
    Abstract: A printhead includes a droplet-forming heater operable in a first state to form droplets from a fluid stream having a first volume traveling along a path direction and in a second state to form droplets from the fluid stream having a second volume traveling along the path direction. A droplet deflector system is positioned relative to the droplet-forming heater, which applies a force to the droplets traveling along the path direction, whereby the droplets having the first volume diverge from the path direction by a greater extent than do the droplets having the second volume. A droplet-steering heater is adapted to selectively asymmetrically apply heat to the stream such that the path direction is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Kathleen M. Vaeth, Ali G. Lopez, Edward P. Furlani
  • Publication number: 20090009566
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing and/or deflecting ink drops, in particular in a continuously operating ink-jet printer, in which a continuous, cohesive ink stream is emitted from a nozzle of a pressure chamber, with spaced sonic pulses (140, 150) acting on an ink stream (9, 11, 12) that is at least partially cohesive or in the form of drops in the dispersion direction (100, 100a) of the ink stream; by the effect of each of the spaced sonic pulses (140, 150) on the ink stream (9, 11, 12), an ink drop (11, 13) may be separated from the ink stream (9, 11, 12) and/or deflected, in particular by the same angle, from the original dispersion direction (100, 100a) of the ink stream (9, 11, 12), such that a group of ink drop streams (13), in particular parallel ink drop streams, may be/is produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventor: Klaus PECHTL
  • Patent number: 7461927
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid stream generator, an electrode system, and a stream deflector. The liquid stream generator includes a nozzle and is operable to produce a stream of liquid through the nozzle. The electrode system is operable to produce an electric field including a first region having a first magnitude and a second region having a second magnitude. The stream deflector is operable to selectively cause the stream to move into one of the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Piatt, Michael F. Baumer
  • Publication number: 20080284818
    Abstract: An inkjet apparatus and method are provided. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a dual row of ink orifices in an integral inkjet printhead. The method provides ink streams with more nozzles per inch in the widthwise direction on a paper without alignment problems and without the need to utilize very small droplets of ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventor: Constantine N. Anagnostopoulos
  • Publication number: 20080284827
    Abstract: A drop generator is operated to form large-volume and small-volume droplets by providing a droplet generator having a nozzle and an adjustable stimulation device; supplying liquid to the droplet generator such that a stream of diameter D emanates from the nozzle; activating the stimulation device to produce a first set of perturbations on the liquid stream, the perturbations having a period x such as to cause the liquid stream to form into small-volume droplets; selectively adjusting the stimulation device to produce a second set of perturbations on the liquid stream, the second set of perturbations having a period Nx such as to cause a segment of the liquid stream to form into a large-volume droplet, whereby the large-volume droplet is N times the volume of the small-volume droplets; and further adjusting the stimulation device to produce a third set of perturbations on the liquid stream during the period Nx.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Randy L. Fagerquist, Ornit Hadar, Julia A. Gayhart, Robert J. Simon
  • Publication number: 20080278550
    Abstract: A printing system and method of printing are provided. The system includes a liquid drop ejector operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path. A fluid flow source is operable to produce a first fluid flow that interacts with the liquid drops to cause liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path. A fluid flow source is operable to produce a second fluid flow. The second fluid flow including a flow component substantially parallel to the first path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Jinquan Xu, Zhanjun Gao
  • Publication number: 20080278548
    Abstract: A drop generator operable to selectively form a drop having a first size and a drop having a second size from liquid emitted through a nozzle associated with the drop generator. The drop having the first size and the drop having the second size travel along a drop trajectory with the first size being larger than the second size when compared to each other. Each of the drops has a drop velocity. A gas flow deflection system includes a gas flow that is directed at a deflection zone that comprises at least a portion of the drop trajectory. The gas flow in the deflection zone includes a velocity vector having a parallel velocity component and a perpendicular velocity component with the parallel velocity component and the perpendicular velocity component being defined relative to the drop trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Randolph C. Brost, David J. Nelson, Bradley A. Phillips, Joseph E. Yokajty, Todd R. Griffin, Michael F. Baumer, Robert J. Simon, Michael S. Hanchak, James A. Katerberg, Thomas W. Steiner, Zhanjun Gao, Jinquan Xu, John Charles Brazas, JR., David Louis Jeanmaire
  • Publication number: 20080278549
    Abstract: A printing system includes a liquid drop ejector operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path and a passage including a wall. A gas flow source is operable to cause a gas to flow in a direction through the passage. A liquid flow source is operable to cause a liquid to flow in a direction along the wall of the passage with the flow direction of the liquid being in the same direction as that of the gas flow. Interaction of the gas flow and the liquid drops causes liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Jinquan Xu, Zhanjun Gao
  • Publication number: 20080278547
    Abstract: A printing system includes a liquid drop ejector, a fluid flow device, and a fluid flow source. The liquid drop ejector is operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path. The fluid flow device includes a first section comprising a plurality of sub-channels created by a partition and a second section comprising a plurality of sub-channels created by a partition. Each partition has a height as viewed from a wall of the fluid flow device. The height of the partition of the second section is less than the height of the partition of the first section. The fluid flow source is operable to produce a fluid flow through the fluid flow device. The fluid flow interacts with the liquid drops to cause liquids drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Zhanjun Gao, Jinquan Xu
  • Patent number: 7438396
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for inkjet printing by means of a plurality of inkjet nozzles arranged in at least one row and having spaced, parallel nozzle axes for emitting liquid ink drops towards the substrate, and multi-level charging and deflecting plates controlled to deflect individual drops to selected locations on the substrate with respect to the respective nozzle axis according to the pattern to be printed. The multi-level charging and deflecting plates are controlled to cover, for each nozzle, a line section which includes two non-contiguous deposit zones to receive ink drops from the respective nozzle, separated by a non-deposit zone not to receive ink drops from the respective nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Jemtex Ink Jet Printing Ltd.
    Inventors: Meir Weksler, Yehoshua Sheinman, Lior Lifshitz
  • Publication number: 20080218562
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid stream generator, an electrode system, and a stream deflector. The liquid stream generator includes a nozzle and is operable to produce a stream of liquid through the nozzle. The electrode system is operable to produce an electric field including a first region having a first magnitude and a second region having a second magnitude. The stream deflector is operable to selectively cause the stream to move into one of the first region and the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Michael J. Piatt, Michael F. Baumer
  • Patent number: 7413293
    Abstract: Drop deflector apparatus and methods for a continuous drop emission system comprising a plurality of drop nozzles emitting a plurality of continuous streams of a liquid that break up into streams of drops of substantially uniform drop volume having nominal flight paths that are substantially within a nominal flight plane are disclosed. A plurality of path selection elements corresponding to the plurality of continuous streams of drops is provided operable to firstly deflect individual drops from the corresponding continuous stream of drops along a first deflection flight path diverging from the nominal flight path based on pattern data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David L. Jeanmaire
  • Publication number: 20080192093
    Abstract: Disclosed is a jet printing method, which includes firing printing fluid drops and deflecting them. The drops are then deflected again in a second direction, which can allow them to be deposited in a collimated swath. Also disclosed is dynamically adjusting the deflection to achieve a dynamic swath density and/or a dynamic swath width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventors: Adam I. Pinard, Roland Guilmet, Foster M. Fargo
  • Patent number: 7404627
    Abstract: A printing system includes a liquid drop ejector that is operable to eject liquid drops having a plurality of volumes along a first path. A fluid passage includes an energy damping structure. A fluid flow source is operable to cause the fluid to flow through the passage along the energy damping structure. Interaction of the fluid flow and the liquid drops causes liquid drops having one of the plurality of volumes to begin moving along a second path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Zhanjun Gao, Jinquan Xu
  • Patent number: 7393085
    Abstract: A method of operating a continuous ink jet printer apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: applying a first voltage pulse to an electrode in order to modify the direction of an ink stream; applying a second voltage pulse to the electrode for a pre-determined period of time; measuring the charge carried on the ink stream; and modifying the operation of the printer in response to the charge measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Videojet Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Ammar Lecheheb, David Andrew Horsnell
  • Patent number: 7393086
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for changing the trajectory of ink droplets generated by and emitted from a print head which operates in a continuous manner, the ink droplets being electrostatically charged and deflected in a plane out of an original trajectory by at least one electrical field in a first deflecting device, the ink droplets being deflected in the same plane by at least one electrical field in a second deflecting device. The invention further relates to an inkjet printing device for emitting, in particular in a continuous manner, electrostatically charged ink droplets in an original trajectory by means of a first deflecting device for deflecting the charged ink droplets in a plane out of the original trajectory, at least one second deflecting device being provided by which the ink droplets may be deflected in the same plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: KBA - Metronic AG
    Inventors: Frank Otte, Klaus Pechtl, Georg Schmidt, Roland Wernsdorfer
  • Patent number: 7364276
    Abstract: A continuous liquid drop emission apparatus is provided. The liquid drop emission apparatus is comprised of a liquid chamber containing a positively pressurized liquid in flow communication with at least one nozzle for emitting a continuous stream of liquid and a jet stimulation apparatus adapted to transfer pulses of energy to the liquid in flow communication with the at least one nozzle sufficient to cause the break-off of the at least one continuous stream of liquid into a stream of drops of predetermined volumes. The continuous liquid drop emission apparatus further comprises a semiconductor substrate including integrated circuitry formed therein for performing and controlling a plurality of actions on the drops of predetermined volumes. The plurality of actions may include drop charging, drop sensing, drop deflection and drop capturing. Drop action apparatus adapted to perform these functions and integrated circuitry to control the drop action apparatus are formed in the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Piatt, Stephen F. Pond
  • Patent number: 7364277
    Abstract: A printhead has a fluid chamber having an orifice, an associated fluid drop forming mechanism, and an associated fluid drop steering device. The fluid drop forming mechanism is operable to apply to fluid present in the fluid chamber energy sufficient to cause a fluid drop to be ejected from the orifice. The fluid drop steering device is operable to optionally apply to fluid present in the fluid chamber energy insufficient to cause drop formation prior to the fluid being ejected from the orifice. The fluid drop steering device is distinct from the fluid drop forming mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James M. Chwalek, Gilbert A. Hawkins
  • Patent number: 7364278
    Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus comprises: a recording head including a plurality of nozzles which eject a plurality of ink droplets two-dimensionally in a sub-scanning direction that is a direction of relative conveyance of a recording medium and the recording head, and in a main scanning direction that is orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction, wherein the nozzles are arranged in such a manner that, taking Pmin to be a minimum pitch of the nozzles in the sub-scanning direction, and taking Pts to be a pitch in the sub-scanning direction between the nozzles that eject ink droplets deposited adjacently in an overlapping fashion in the main scanning direction on the recording medium, a relationship Pts>Pmin is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kachi, Tetsuzo Kadomatsu
  • Patent number: 7334882
    Abstract: The ink concentration detecting method and apparatus detect ink concentration of ink containing charged colorant particles. The method and apparatus detect ejection state of ink droplets ejected by causing predetermined electrostatic force to act on the ink, and detect the ink concentration in correspondence to the detected ejection state of the ink droplets. The apparatus includes an ejection detecting device for detecting the ejection state and a concentration detecting device for detecting the ink concentration. The electrostatic ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink ejecting device for ejecting the ink droplets at predetermined frequency corresponding to the ink concentration and the ink concentration detecting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7334871
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate to fluid-ejection devices and methods of forming same. One exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of fluid drop generators and associated electrically conductive paths, and at least one electron beam generation assembly configured to selectively direct at least one electron beam at individual electrically conductive paths sufficiently to cause fluid to be ejected from an associated fluid drop generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: George Z. Radominski, Steven D. Leith, Timothy R. Emery, Thomas H. Ottenheimer
  • Patent number: 7331658
    Abstract: A printing system includes a catcher having a length with portions of the catcher defining a fluid drop contact region and an opening for passage of the fluid away from the fluid contact region with the opening having two ends. A fluid drop generator is operable to form fluid drops at least some of which contact the fluid drop contact region of the catcher. An eyelid is operatively associated with the catcher. A pair of walls are positionable at locations outside of the ends of the opening such that the pair of walls and the eyelid are operable to form a fluid seal at least partially around the opening of the catcher. A first portion of the each of the pair of walls extends in a first direction toward the fluid drop generator, and a second portion of each of the pair of walls extends in a second direction at least partially toward each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Paul K. Hengesbach, David F. Tunmore
  • Patent number: 7331657
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deflection electrode assembly is provided for use in a continuous ink jet printer of the type which projects a stream of ink drops toward a substrate and controls placement of the ink drops on the substrate by selectively charging the individual ink drops and passing the charged ink drops through a deflection field created by the deflection electrode assembly. The deflection electrode assembly includes a high voltage electrode, a low voltage electrode, and an insulating housing which positions the high and low voltage electrodes in a predetermined spaced relationship along the ink drop stream. The insulating housing also has an internal resistor in electrical connection to the high voltage electrode and an external circuit. The insulating housing also contains an insulating member which supports the high voltage electrode as well as minimizes the possibility for arcing between the two electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Videojet Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dilip Shrivastava, Mick Rybicki
  • Patent number: 7306309
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus having heads with liquid dischargers including nozzles aligned in parallel in a row. Each liquid discharger has a main controlling unit for discharging ink droplets from the nozzles of the liquid discharger, a secondary controlling unit for controlling the discharge of a droplet so that the droplet is discharged along at least one trajectory different from the trajectories of the droplets discharged from a liquid discharger controlled by the main controlling unit, and a secondary-control executing unit for individually setting whether or not the secondary controlling unit for each liquid discharger is operated. The liquid dischargers controlled by the secondary controlling unit discharge ink droplets along different trajectories compared to the ink droplets discharged by other liquid dischargers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Kuwahara, Kazuyasu Takenaka, Iwao Ushinohama, Yuichiro Ikemoto
  • Publication number: 20070279469
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing an image-wise ink pattern on a receiver. A primary imaging member includes a series of substantially equal-sized cells located over the substrate surface thereof. The primary imaging member has an electrically conductive layer. An ink jet printhead selectively ejects drops of ink into the primary imaging member cells in a desired image-wise ink pattern. The image-wise ink on the primary imaging member is fractionated to separate the liquid in the ink. A receiver is transported into operative association with the primary imaging member, and a transfer mechanism applies a pressure between the receiver and the primary imaging member, and establishes an electrostatic field to transfer the image-wise ink pattern to the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Michael T. Regan, Donald S. Rimai, Robert E. Zeman, Maria Cristina Barbosa DeJesus, David Daniel Putnam, Thomas N. Tombs
  • Patent number: 7288469
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for depositing a material on a surface. In accordance with the method a stream of a component material is formed having formed printing and non-printing droplets and satellite droplets of the material. The stream is directed at the surface. A deflecting energy is applied to separate printing droplets from non-printing droplets in the stream, so that only printing droplets travel to the surface. The deflecting energy is adapted to direct non-printing droplets for non-printing drop collection, and to direct at least a portion of the satellite droplets to be controlled in a manner adapted to prevent the material in the satellite droplets from reaching the surface, so that less than all of the material in the satellite droplets reaches the surface. Articles are also provided having limited satellite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Ravi Sharma, Ronald M. Wexler, Jason A. Payne, Gilbert A. Hawkins
  • Patent number: 7281784
    Abstract: The liquid discharge apparatus includes a head having liquid dischargers capable of deflecting the trajectories of discharged droplets in a plurality of directions. At least two of the liquid dischargers neighboring each other are capable of discharging droplets in the same pixel area. When there is a shut-off liquid discharge due to droplet discharge failure, this information is stored. According to the stored information, the discharge signal corresponding to the droplets the shut-off discharger were supposed to discharge is transferred to another liquid discharger in the vicinity of the shut-off discharger. This other liquid discharger alternatively discharges droplets so that the droplets land in a position the droplets would have had landed if they were discharged by the shut-off discharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Eguchi, Kazuyasu Takenaka, Yuichiro Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 7258429
    Abstract: A print position adjusting method capable of executing dot adjust value calculation processing in ways that can meet diversified user needs of recent years, and a printing system that can realize the print position adjusting method are provided. Multiple kinds of dot adjust value calculation processing capable of acquiring an adjust value for aligning print positions are prepared, so that the user can select a desired one. With this arrangement, the user can execute the desired dot adjust value calculation processing as necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiichiro Takahashi, Minoru Teshigawara, Satoshi Seki
  • Patent number: 7246890
    Abstract: When an refresh ink droplet ejected from a nozzle and deflected by an inclined electric field impinges on a orifice electrode/ink receiving member, electric charge is discharged from the refresh ink droplet, thereby an electric current is generated. A current-voltage converter/amplifier detects the electric current and outputs a detection signal. A defective-condition determining circuit determines an ejection condition of a nozzle element based on voltage value of the detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Shinya Kobayashi, Hitoshi Kida, Kunio Satou
  • Patent number: 7240998
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid jetting device which includes: a liquid chamber for containing a liquid to be jetted out; an energy generation element for imparting energy to the liquid in the liquid chamber; and a nozzle for jetting out the liquid in the liquid chamber as a droplet by the energy generation element. In the liquid jetting device, a plurality of the nozzles are arrayed to constitute a head, and a plurality of the heads are arrayed in a direction orthogonal to the array direction of the nozzles to constitute a head array. In addition, the droplet jetted out from each of the nozzle in the head array is deposited on a recording medium to form a dot. Further, the jetting direction of the droplet jetted out from the nozzle can be deflected by controlling the manner in which the energy is imparted to the liquid by the energy generation element. Furthermore, an error in the deposition position of the dot due to an error in the position of the head in the head array is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Murakami, Yuji Yakura
  • Patent number: 7207651
    Abstract: An acoustic inkjet printing apparatus focusing acoustic waves generated by transducers and ejecting droplets of a printing liquid from a surface thereof by means of a sound pressure of the acoustic wave, the acoustic inkjet printing apparatus comprising: a printing liquid containing chamber containing the printing liquid; a piezoelectric element including a main transducer and at least one sub transducer located on at least one side of the main transducer, and generating the acoustic wave by receiving a signal; and an acoustic focusing member focusing the acoustic wave generated by the piezoelectric element near the surface of the printing liquid, thereby ejecting the droplets of the printing liquid, the acoustic inkjet printing apparatus being capable of switching between a first ejection mode in which the droplets are ejected in a first direction perpendicular to a liquid surface in the printing liquid containing chamber and a second ejection mode in which the droplets are ejected at an angle to the first d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Isao Amemiya
  • Patent number: 7198344
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device can print a high quality image having an increased number of gradations without having a complex head structure, and is suitable for use in a line head. The liquid ejecting device includes a head in which liquid ejecting portions including nozzles are arranged in parallel. A droplet can be deflected at the moment of ejection from the nozzle of each of liquid ejecting portion. By controlling at least two different liquid ejecting portions in adjacent positions to eject droplets, a pixel column or a pixel is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Eguchi, Iwao Ushinohama
  • Patent number: 7185973
    Abstract: An assembly for depositing material onto a substrate includes a reservoir containing the material. The reservoir also includes a nozzle through which the material is jetted and formed into droplets. The droplets travel through flight paths prior to deposition onto the substrate. The assembly includes a charging ring for inducing an electrical charge to one or more of the droplets and a plurality of deflection plates for controlling the flight paths of the droplets. In addition, the assembly also includes a droplet manipulating device configured to manipulate the droplets at least one of during the flight paths and after deposition of the droplets onto the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gary A. Gibson, Krzysztof Nauka, Chung Ching Yang
  • Patent number: 7175247
    Abstract: Since the pulse currents supplied to a pair of heating resistors can be controlled at once based on a color signal from a color tone detector, the discharge angle of ink droplets can be easily adjusted to an angle that provides a predetermined color tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyasu Takenaka, Iwao Ushinohama, Yuichiro Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 7175263
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: IMAJE SA
    Inventors: Thierry Colombat, Paul Bajeux
  • Patent number: 7159752
    Abstract: A solder jet apparatus is disclosed. The solder jet apparatus is a continuous mode solder jet that includes a blanking system and raster scan system. The use of the raster scan and blanking systems allows for a continuous stream of solder to be placed anywhere on the surface in any desired X-Y plane. This allows for greater accuracy as well as greater product throughput. Additionally, with the raster scan system, repairs to existing soldered surfaces can be quickly and easily performed using a map of the defects for directing the solder to the defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Warren M. Farnworth
  • Patent number: 7085002
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus (2000) is disclosed, which comprises forming elements (2002) for forming an image, a memory (2006) indicating relative desirability of utilising the forming elements (2002) for forming the image, and processing means (2008) for computing image recording signals using input image signals (2012) and the stored data. The use of a particular forming element is thereby biased dependent upon the relative desirability data of other forming elements, the corresponding input signal for the particular forming element, and a term for the particular forming element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Peter William Mitchell Ilbery, Noribumi Koitabashi, Shoji Kanemura, James Robert Metcalfe
  • Patent number: 7054034
    Abstract: In a printing system, a hue shift compensation method includes the steps of: printing in a first direction a first color having a first color composition; printing in a second direction a plurality of second colors having varying color compositions; measuring with a color sensor the first and second colors; selecting one of the second colors approximating the first color and having a second color composition; and storing data corresponding to the second color composition as direction dependent color map data for use in printing in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: John A. Underwood, Pau Soler
  • Patent number: 7004571
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Gregory J. Garbacz, James M. Chwalek
  • Patent number: 6866370
    Abstract: A method of enhancing print quality of a continuous ink jet printing device and such a printing device in which selected droplets in a stream of droplets are selectively deflected to impinge on a print medium, the method including the steps of providing a plurality of ink droplets, each printing ink-droplet being substantially same size, providing a gas flow that deflects the plurality of ink droplets, monitoring uniformity of the gas flow, and adjusting a flow characteristic of the gas flow based on the monitored uniformity. The step of adjusting flow characteristic of the gas flow is attained by changing flow rate of the gas flow or flow area of the outlet. In one embodiment, the step of monitoring uniformity of gas flow includes monitoring trajectory paths of the deflected plurality of ink droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David L. Jeanmaire
  • Patent number: 6863385
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David L. Jeanmarie, James M. Chwalek, Christopher N. Delametter
  • Patent number: 6848774
    Abstract: According to certain aspects of an embodiment of the present invention, a deflection electrode assembly is provided for use in a continuous ink jet printer of the type which projects a stream of ink drops toward a substrate and controls placement of the ink drops on the substrate by selectively charging the individual ink drops and passing the charged ink drops through an electric (deflection) field created by the deflection electrode assembly. The deflection electrode assembly includes a high voltage deflection electrode and a low voltage deflection electrode positioned on opposite sides of the ink drop stream. A dielectric insulating member is mounted on at least one of the deflection electrodes. The insulating member include a longitudinal opening which exposes the deflection electrode along the path of the ink jet stream, thereby virtually eliminating the tendency for accumulated ink to decrease the strength of the deflection field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Videojet Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dilip K. Shrivastava, Frank Eremity, George Arway
  • Patent number: 6837574
    Abstract: A recording head 200 has a plurality of nozzle orifices aligned in a row extending in a first direction. The recording head 200 is arranged with the nozzle orifices in confrontation with a recording medium P. The recording medium P is moved in a second direction B with respect to the recording head 200. Also, ink droplets ejected from the nozzle orifices are charged to a charged amount that corresponds to deflection amount of the ink droplets. The charged ink droplets are deflected in a direction perpendicular to a main scanning line. The plurality of ink droplets ejected from the plurality of nozzle orifices impinge on the same pixel position or at a nearby position so that it is possible to impinge multiple droplets at the same pixel position or a nearby position. As a result, it is possible to back up broken nozzles and to reduce recording distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi Printing Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Shinya Kobayashi, Hitoshi Kida, Kunio Satou, Toshitaka Ogawa, Yoshikane Matsumoto, Katsunori Kawasumi, Kazuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6830320
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Gilbert A. Hawkins, James M. Chwalek, David P. Trauernicht, Christopher N. Delametter
  • Patent number: 6827429
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David L. Jeanmaire, David P. Trauernicht, James M. Chwalek
  • Patent number: 6796641
    Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer in which a continuous ink stream is deflected at the printhead nozzle bore without the need for charged deflection plates or tunnels. The printhead includes a primary ink delivery channel which delivers a primary flow of pressurized ink through an ink staging chamber to the nozzle bore to create an undeflected ink stream from the printhead. A secondary ink delivery channel adjacent to the primary channel is controlled by a thermally actuated valve to selectively create a lateral flow of pressurized ink into the primary flow thereby causing the emitted ink stream to deflect in a direction opposite to the direction from which the secondary ink stream impinges the primary ink stream in the ink staging chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John A. Lebens, Christopher N. Delametter, David P. Trauernicht