EP0805036A2 - Générateur de gouttelettes à alimentaion par le haut - Google Patents

Générateur de gouttelettes à alimentaion par le haut Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0805036A2
EP0805036A2 EP97302690A EP97302690A EP0805036A2 EP 0805036 A2 EP0805036 A2 EP 0805036A2 EP 97302690 A EP97302690 A EP 97302690A EP 97302690 A EP97302690 A EP 97302690A EP 0805036 A2 EP0805036 A2 EP 0805036A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fluid
droplet generator
resonator body
generator assembly
nozzle plate
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP97302690A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0805036B1 (fr
EP0805036A3 (fr
Inventor
David J. Stephens
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kodak Versamark Inc
Original Assignee
Kodak Versamark Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kodak Versamark Inc filed Critical Kodak Versamark Inc
Publication of EP0805036A2 publication Critical patent/EP0805036A2/fr
Publication of EP0805036A3 publication Critical patent/EP0805036A3/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0805036B1 publication Critical patent/EP0805036B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/02—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating a continuous ink jet
    • B41J2/03—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating a continuous ink jet by pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to continuous ink jet printers and, more particularly, to a droplet generator for a continuous ink jet printer, the drop generator having an integral fluid cavity.
  • Ink jet printing systems are known in which a print head defines one or more rows of orifices which receive an electrically conductive recording fluid, such as for instance a water base ink, from a pressurized fluid supply manifold and eject the fluid in rows of parallel streams.
  • Printers using such print heads accomplish graphic reproduction by selectively charging and deflecting the drops in each of the streams and depositing at least some of the drops on a print receiving medium, while others of the drops strike a drop catcher device.
  • Droplet generators are one of the major components in a continuous ink jet printhead. Droplet generators often uses a nozzle plate attached to a resonant body to stimulate the jets.
  • Several different methods are currently in practice to supply fluid to the nozzle plate.
  • One known method includes fluid passages originating at the nodal line of the resonant body, with internal cavities leading to the nozzle plate.
  • Another known method teaches that the fluid ingress can be achieved by feeding ink toward the same end of the nozzle plate, thus eliminating the longer internal cavities required with a nodal line feed droplet generator. This latter method is referred to as a bottom front feed droplet generator.
  • a bottom front feed droplet generator As a variation of that concept, it is known that fluid can be fed from the side, as opposed to the front.
  • a second drawback of current methods is that, in some cases, asymmetric modes of vibration may occur very near the desired mode.
  • a shear type mode can exist across the narrow dimension of the body, parallel to the nozzle array. The damaging effect can be that each side of nozzle will experience out of phase excitation, thus destroying the desired uniform oscillations.
  • These asymmetric modes generally will not occur unless the body is unsymmetrical or it is driven unsymmetrically.
  • the front feed design could provide the means to excite the unwanted asymmetric mode.
  • the droplet generator utilizes a resonant body configuration that minimizes space requirements for an ink jet printhead.
  • a droplet generator for use with an ink jet printhead of a continuous ink jet printer.
  • the droplet generator assembly has a nozzle plate with associated nozzles to stimulate jets.
  • the droplet generator assembly has a fluid ingress location and a fluid egress location, on a side of the resonator body opposite the nozzle plate.
  • a fluid trench redirects flow in-line with the nozzles.
  • a fluid passage extends from the fluid ingress location to the fluid trench.
  • the droplet generator assembly provides a variety of advantages.
  • the droplet generator utilizes a resonant body configuration.
  • the droplet generator provides fluid ingress and egress on the side opposite the nozzle plate. This, in turn, provides the advantage of minimizing space requirements for an ink jet printhead.
  • the present invention provides a droplet generator for an ink jet printhead.
  • the droplet generator according to the present invention has an integral fluid cavity wherein fluid ingress and egress to and from the resonator body is on a second side of the resonator body opposite the nozzle plate which is on a first side of the resonator body, i.e., a top feed resonator.
  • a top feed resonator i.e., a top feed resonator.
  • the external tubing is required by prior art systems because fluid tubing is typically routed to a point above the drop generator, as opposed to its sides, for space economy reasons.
  • the top feed resonator has incorporated prior external fluid tubing into the fluid passages internal to the resonator body. This has the desirable effect of minimizing space requirements for an ink jet printhead.
  • a droplet generator 1 comprises fluid ingress and egress on a surface 7 opposite nozzle plate 2.
  • a counterbore 3 feature permits an effective means to secure fittings 6 to the droplet generator 1.
  • a fluid passage 4 allows fluid to travel from an ingress point 8 down to the nozzle plate 2 and fluid trench 5.
  • Narrow fluid trench 5 redirects fluid flow from the fluid passage 4 to an in-line direction with the nozzles associated with nozzle plate 2.
  • the fluid passage 4 is located substantially along a centerline of the resonator body. Since the fluid passage 4 from the ingress point 8 to fluid trench 5 is not directly above fluid trench 5, this avoids fluid resonances directly between the nozzle plate 2 and the fluid passage 4.
  • the fluid passage 4 follows a 'U' shaped path through the resonator, as best illustrated in Fig. 1B.
  • the narrow fluid trench 5 intersects the fluid passage 4 perpendicular to the flow. Fluid flow in passage 4 is in the direction of arrows 10; whereas fluid flow in the trench 5 is in the perpendicular direction, as indicated by arrows 11.
  • trench 5 redirects fluid flow from the fluid passage 4 in the direction of arrows 10, to a direction 11 in-line with the nozzles, as indicated by arrows 12.
  • crossflush mode where fluid enters the resonator at the ingress point 8 follows the entire fluid passage 4, and exits at the egress point 9. In this mode, some fluid may flow into the narrow fluid trench 5 and weep out of the nozzles.
  • the second mode is where a valve external to the resonator and downstream from the egress point may be selectively closed and substantially halt fluid flow from the egress point 9. In this mode, the nozzle plate is the only other passage for fluid to flow and have a much greater resistance to flow than the egress point. Also, greater fluid pressure is established within the resonator and jets are established through the nozzles.
  • the droplet generator assembly according to the present invention is useful in continuous ink jet printers.
  • the droplet generator utilizes a resonant body configuration.
  • the droplet generator provides fluid ingress and egress on the side opposite the nozzle plate. This, in turn, provides the advantage of minimizing space requirements for an ink jet printhead.

Landscapes

  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
EP19970302690 1996-04-30 1997-04-21 Générateur de gouttelettes à alimentaion par le haut Expired - Lifetime EP0805036B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US64018096A 1996-04-30 1996-04-30
US640180 1996-04-30

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0805036A2 true EP0805036A2 (fr) 1997-11-05
EP0805036A3 EP0805036A3 (fr) 1998-05-06
EP0805036B1 EP0805036B1 (fr) 2001-09-19

Family

ID=24567172

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19970302690 Expired - Lifetime EP0805036B1 (fr) 1996-04-30 1997-04-21 Générateur de gouttelettes à alimentaion par le haut

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0805036B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH1034936A (fr)
AU (1) AU714251B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2203951A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69706751T2 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6382782B1 (en) * 2000-12-29 2002-05-07 Eastman Kodak Company CMOS/MEMS integrated ink jet print head with oxide based lateral flow nozzle architecture and method of forming same
US6497510B1 (en) * 1999-12-22 2002-12-24 Eastman Kodak Company Deflection enhancement for continuous ink jet printers
US6502925B2 (en) 2001-02-22 2003-01-07 Eastman Kodak Company CMOS/MEMS integrated ink jet print head and method of operating same
US6986566B2 (en) 1999-12-22 2006-01-17 Eastman Kodak Company Liquid emission device
EP2236298A1 (fr) * 2005-09-07 2010-10-06 Eastman Kodak Company Éjecteur de fluides doté de chambres de fluide gravées de façon anisotrope

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4284993A (en) * 1979-02-23 1981-08-18 Ricoh Co., Ltd. Multi-nozzle head for ink jet printer with ink supply pipe in ink chamber
US4746929A (en) * 1987-01-16 1988-05-24 Xerox Corporation Traveling wave droplet generator for an ink jet printer
US4780728A (en) * 1986-09-15 1988-10-25 Domino Printing Sciences Plc Fluid jet marking apparatus
US4827287A (en) * 1988-08-08 1989-05-02 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous ink jet printer having improved stimulation waveguide construction
US4937589A (en) * 1989-08-23 1990-06-26 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous ink jet print heads
EP0624469A1 (fr) * 1993-05-12 1994-11-17 SCITEX DIGITAL PRINTING, Inc. Générateur amélioré de gouttellettes avec amortissement pour la suppression de vibration

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4999647A (en) * 1989-12-28 1991-03-12 Eastman Kodak Company Synchronous stimulation for long array continuous ink jet printer

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4284993A (en) * 1979-02-23 1981-08-18 Ricoh Co., Ltd. Multi-nozzle head for ink jet printer with ink supply pipe in ink chamber
US4780728A (en) * 1986-09-15 1988-10-25 Domino Printing Sciences Plc Fluid jet marking apparatus
US4746929A (en) * 1987-01-16 1988-05-24 Xerox Corporation Traveling wave droplet generator for an ink jet printer
US4827287A (en) * 1988-08-08 1989-05-02 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous ink jet printer having improved stimulation waveguide construction
US4937589A (en) * 1989-08-23 1990-06-26 Eastman Kodak Company Continuous ink jet print heads
EP0624469A1 (fr) * 1993-05-12 1994-11-17 SCITEX DIGITAL PRINTING, Inc. Générateur amélioré de gouttellettes avec amortissement pour la suppression de vibration

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6497510B1 (en) * 1999-12-22 2002-12-24 Eastman Kodak Company Deflection enhancement for continuous ink jet printers
US6761437B2 (en) 1999-12-22 2004-07-13 Eastman Kodak Company Apparatus and method of enhancing fluid deflection in a continuous ink jet printhead
US6986566B2 (en) 1999-12-22 2006-01-17 Eastman Kodak Company Liquid emission device
US6382782B1 (en) * 2000-12-29 2002-05-07 Eastman Kodak Company CMOS/MEMS integrated ink jet print head with oxide based lateral flow nozzle architecture and method of forming same
US6780339B2 (en) 2000-12-29 2004-08-24 Eastman Kodak Company CMOS/MEMS integrated ink jet print head with oxide based lateral flow nozzle architecture and method of forming same
US6502925B2 (en) 2001-02-22 2003-01-07 Eastman Kodak Company CMOS/MEMS integrated ink jet print head and method of operating same
EP2236298A1 (fr) * 2005-09-07 2010-10-06 Eastman Kodak Company Éjecteur de fluides doté de chambres de fluide gravées de façon anisotrope

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU714251B2 (en) 1999-12-23
DE69706751D1 (de) 2001-10-25
EP0805036B1 (fr) 2001-09-19
EP0805036A3 (fr) 1998-05-06
JPH1034936A (ja) 1998-02-10
CA2203951A1 (fr) 1997-10-30
DE69706751T2 (de) 2002-07-04
AU1993597A (en) 1997-11-06

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