US3846800A - Ink jet recording method and apparatus - Google Patents

Ink jet recording method and apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3846800A
US3846800A US00403149A US40314973A US3846800A US 3846800 A US3846800 A US 3846800A US 00403149 A US00403149 A US 00403149A US 40314973 A US40314973 A US 40314973A US 3846800 A US3846800 A US 3846800A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
drops
ink
charged
drop
charging electrode
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00403149A
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English (en)
Inventor
W Chen
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International Business Machines Corp
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International Business Machines Corp
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 International Business Machines Corp filed Critical International Business Machines Corp
Priority to US00403149A priority Critical patent/US3846800A/en
Priority to IT26542/74A priority patent/IT1020142B/it
Priority to FR7430666A priority patent/FR2246395B1/fr
Priority to GB4037574A priority patent/GB1436909A/en
Priority to CA209,549A priority patent/CA1001217A/en
Priority to JP10785074A priority patent/JPS539050B2/ja
Priority to DE2446740A priority patent/DE2446740C2/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3846800A publication Critical patent/US3846800A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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
    • B41J2/21—Ink jet for multi-colour printing
    • B41J2/2121—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter
    • B41J2/2128—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter by means of energy modulation
    • 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
    • B41J2/18—Ink recirculation systems
    • B41J2/185—Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A base voltage of one polarity and signal voltages of the opposite polarity are applied to the charging electrode of an ink jet printer in selected sequences, so
  • the invention relates generally to ink jet printing methods and apparatus, and it has reference in particular to drop size and print density control in ink jet printmg.
  • US. Pat. NO. 3,596,276, which issued on July, 27, 1971 to Lovelady, et al., entitled Ink Jet Printer with Droplet Phase Control Means discloses the application of a negative sawtooth test signal during nonprinting intervals for the purposes of detecting and correcting phase errors between the drop formation and the drop charging in an US. Pat. No. 3,604,846 which issued on Sept. 14, 1971 to D. Behane, et al., discloses gray scale printing by assigning from zero to nine separate drops of ink to a unit area in accordance with the darkness of a surface being copied, in order to vary the density of printing.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective ink jet printer for gray scale printing.
  • Another important object of the invention is to provide for selectively charging alternate drops in a stream of ink drops with opposite polarities so that they merge in predetermined arrangements.
  • Yet another object of the invention is to provide for selectively charging different drops in an ink jet printer as they form in accordance with data signals and a base signal of a different polarity so that they combine in flight according to different predetermined patterns.
  • the two drops of each pair may be made to combine in flight and form larger drops prior to being deflected onto the document for printing.
  • Print density may be controlled in an ink jet printer by selectively charging alternate drops of ink with a base voltage of one polarity and signal voltages of the opposite polarity to cause different numbers of the drops to combine and form larger drops which produce a more dense printout.
  • Yet another object of the invention is to provide for gating character signals and base voltage signals to a differential amplifier supplying the charging voltage to the charging electrode in an ink jet printer so as to cause selective groups of ink drops to merge and control the density of printing.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view in side elevation of an ink jet printer structure showing the general arrangement of the nozzle, transducer, charging electrode, deflection plates and document;
  • FIG. 2 is a partial schematic diagram of a portion of the system of FIG. 1 showing the relations between oppositely charged adjacent drops as they travel from the charging electrode to the deflection electrodes;
  • FIG. 3 is a reproduction of a photograph of the ink jet drop stream showing an enlarged drop formed by merged ink drops;
  • FIG. 4 is a showing of a typical charging electrode waveform for forming merged ink drops from three adjacent drops in the stream.
  • FIG. 5 is a reproduction of print samples made from merged ink drops using a charging electrode waveform as shown in FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an ink jet control system for printing with merged ink drops
  • FIG. 7 is a truth table illustrating the logic conditions for the logic in FIG. 6 for different ink drop charging conditions for producing different ink drop densities
  • FIG. 8 shows typical waveforms for the system of FIG. 6 for different drop charging conditions.
  • the reference numeral 30 denotes generally a schematic representation of an ink jet printer in which a nozzle 31 is connected to a source of ink under pressure for producing a stream of ink 32.
  • a transducer 33 is connected to the nozzle 31 and energized from a suitable periodic source of electrical energy for causing the stream play to break into drops of ink 34.
  • the drops 34 are suitably charged by means of a charging electrode 35 and then passed between deflection plates 36 and 37 which are raised to a suitable potential to provide a fixed field therebetween for deflecting charge drops onto a document 38 for printing or into a gutter 40 for return to the ink source.
  • the drops 34 are so charged that adjacent drops attract each other and merge into larger drops 42 during flight. These merged drops then pass between the deflection plates 36 and 37 and are deflected corresponding to the amount of charges they carry to predetermined positions on the document 38. Uncharged drops 34 are not deflected when they pass between the deflection plates 36 and 37, and are collected by the gutter 40.
  • a unique way of charging and combining droplets 34 into larger droplets 42 for printing is based on a phewhere Distance between drop formation point and deflection plates.
  • a typical charging voltage-pattern is composed of a base voltage and signal voltages. They are opposite in sign and are pulsed alternatively as shown in FIG. 4 where drops 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, etc. are charged by a base voltage V and drops 2,5, 8, 11, etc. are charged by signal voltages V V V V etc.
  • the signal voltages V V V determine the amount of deflection of the associated drops.
  • FIG. 5 which is a reproduction of an actual print sample, each of the dots comprising three merged ink drops.
  • FIG. 5 Another print sample is shown in FIG. 5 which is a condensed 7 X 9 matrix block; Note that each dot on thepaper is made of 3 droplets issued by the nozzle 31.
  • the referenced numeral 50 designates generally a logic control system for an ink jet printer embodying the features of the invention.
  • the transducer 33 is energized from a clock or oscillator 52 which provides the desired varicosity effects for separating the ink stream 32 into droplets 34 which are charged by means of a charging electrode 35.
  • a data source 54 provides data signal voltages to a digital to analog converter 56. Instead of connecting the digital to analog converter 56 directly to the charging electrode 35, it is connected to the charging electrode through a differential amplifier 58 and an analog gate 60.
  • a logic circuit 62 is provided which is connected to the differential amplifier 58 through an analog gate 64.
  • the logic circuit 62 provides gating signals to the analog gates 60 and 62 for gating output signals'from the digital to analog converter 56 to one terminal 66 of the differential amplifier 55, and to the analog gate 64 for gating a base voltage signal V to the other input terminal 68 of the differential amplifier.
  • Resistors R1 and R2 determine the ratio of the effects of the inputs at the terminals 66 and 68 on the output voltage V, at the ternected to the charging electrode 35.
  • the logic circuit 62 is designed to operate in accordance with the truth table shownin FIG. 7. Clock signals are provided by the oscillator 52 to the logic circuit 62 as well as to the data source 54.
  • the data source also provides tone or gray scale controlsignals A and B to the logic for determining the output voltage at V in accordance with the input signals at the terminals 66 and 68.
  • the clock 52 provides clock pulse signals as shown at a.
  • the digital to analog converter 56 provides a step or staircase waveform V as shown at b.
  • the A and B signals are shown at c and d respectively while the output signals of the logic circuit 62, D and G, are shown at e and f, respectively.
  • the output voltages V, and V of the gates 60 and 64 are shown at g and h, respectively. Combinations of these signals result in an output voltage V as shown by the curve j at the bottom of the page.
  • ink drops may be caused to merge to provide single drops of one, two, three or more times ing a stream of ink drops,
  • a charging electrode positioned in predetermined spaced relation with said nozzle for charging selected ones of said ink drops
  • deflection means providing a field beyond said charging electrode to deflect said charged ink drops
  • circuit means connected between said charging electrode and said source of data signals and said clock means for selectively charging selected spaced ink drops with predetermined data signals of one polarity and intervening drops with a uniform base voltage of the opposite polarity to cause selected ones of said data signal charged ink drops and said base voltage charged ink drops and said base voltage charged ink drops to combine in flightbefore being deflected by said deflecting field.
  • circuit means including logic means and a differential amplifier connected between the charging electrode and the data source and said clock means operable to selectively gate inputs to said differential amplifier from said data source and said clock means.
  • circuit means including gating means connecting said data source and a source of base voltage to said differential amplifier.

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  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Fax Reproducing Arrangements (AREA)
US00403149A 1973-10-03 1973-10-03 Ink jet recording method and apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3846800A (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00403149A US3846800A (en) 1973-10-03 1973-10-03 Ink jet recording method and apparatus
IT26542/74A IT1020142B (it) 1973-10-03 1974-08-23 Apparecchiatura e sistema per la stampa a getto di inchiostro
FR7430666A FR2246395B1 (sv) 1973-10-03 1974-09-02
GB4037574A GB1436909A (en) 1973-10-03 1974-09-17 Ink jet printing method and apparatus
CA209,549A CA1001217A (en) 1973-10-03 1974-09-19 Density control by drop merging in ink jet printing
JP10785074A JPS539050B2 (sv) 1973-10-03 1974-09-20
DE2446740A DE2446740C2 (de) 1973-10-03 1974-10-01 Tintenstrahl-Matrixdrucker

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00403149A US3846800A (en) 1973-10-03 1973-10-03 Ink jet recording method and apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3846800A true US3846800A (en) 1974-11-05

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ID=23594641

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00403149A Expired - Lifetime US3846800A (en) 1973-10-03 1973-10-03 Ink jet recording method and apparatus

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3846800A (sv)
JP (1) JPS539050B2 (sv)
CA (1) CA1001217A (sv)
DE (1) DE2446740C2 (sv)
FR (1) FR2246395B1 (sv)
GB (1) GB1436909A (sv)
IT (1) IT1020142B (sv)

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3947851A (en) * 1974-06-27 1976-03-30 International Business Machines Corporation Drop charging method for liquid drop recording
US4068241A (en) * 1975-12-08 1978-01-10 Hitachi, Ltd. Ink-jet recording device with alternate small and large drops
US4086601A (en) * 1976-03-30 1978-04-25 International Business Machines Corporation Sequential ink jet printing system with variable number of guard drops
US4087825A (en) * 1976-05-27 1978-05-02 International Business Machines Corporation Ink jet printing intensity modulation
US4217595A (en) * 1978-04-27 1980-08-12 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Charging phase control device for ink jet recording device
US4364058A (en) * 1979-10-29 1982-12-14 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Ink drop charging device
US4403223A (en) * 1979-02-14 1983-09-06 Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. Ink-on-demand type ink-jet printer
US4513299A (en) * 1983-12-16 1985-04-23 International Business Machines Corporation Spot size modulation using multiple pulse resonance drop ejection
US5124716A (en) * 1990-01-08 1992-06-23 Tektronix, Inc. Method and apparatus for printing with ink drops of varying sizes using a drop-on-demand ink jet print head
US5202659A (en) * 1984-04-16 1993-04-13 Dataproducts, Corporation Method and apparatus for selective multi-resonant operation of an ink jet controlling dot size
US5285215A (en) * 1982-12-27 1994-02-08 Exxon Research And Engineering Company Ink jet apparatus and method of operation
US5617123A (en) * 1987-05-20 1997-04-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image processing method utilizing multiple binarizing and recording agent depositing steps
US6106092A (en) * 1998-07-02 2000-08-22 Kabushiki Kaisha Tec Driving method of an ink-jet head
US6193343B1 (en) 1998-07-02 2001-02-27 Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha Driving method of an ink-jet head
EP1277582A1 (en) * 2001-07-20 2003-01-22 Eastman Kodak Company A continuous ink jet printhead with improved drop formation and apparatus using same
EP1277581A3 (en) * 2001-07-17 2003-03-12 Eastman Kodak Company Synchronizing printed droplets in continuous inkjet printing
EP1314766A1 (en) 2001-11-23 2003-05-28 Sicpa Holding S.A. Pigmented ink composition
US20080074477A1 (en) * 2006-09-21 2008-03-27 Kba-Metronic Ag System for controlling droplet volume in continuous ink-jet printer
WO2012162082A1 (en) * 2011-05-25 2012-11-29 Eastman Kodak Company Liquid ejection system including drop velocity modulation
US8657419B2 (en) 2011-05-25 2014-02-25 Eastman Kodak Company Liquid ejection system including drop velocity modulation
US8696094B2 (en) * 2012-07-09 2014-04-15 Eastman Kodak Company Printing with merged drops using electrostatic deflection

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5535367U (sv) * 1978-08-29 1980-03-06
JPS58164146U (ja) * 1982-04-27 1983-11-01 沖電気工業株式会社 スイツチ駆動カバ−
DE3416449A1 (de) * 1983-08-01 1985-02-14 Veb Kombinat Robotron, Ddr 8012 Dresden Verfahren zum aufzeichnen von informationen oder bildern mittels tintenstrahlschreiber

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3562761A (en) * 1968-12-23 1971-02-09 Dick Co Ab Drop phasing in ink drop writing apparatus
US3786517A (en) * 1972-09-05 1974-01-15 Ibm Ink jet printer with ink system filter means

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3596275A (en) * 1964-03-25 1971-07-27 Richard G Sweet Fluid droplet recorder
US3465351A (en) * 1968-03-13 1969-09-02 Dick Co Ab Ink drop writing apparatus
US3604846A (en) * 1969-03-03 1971-09-14 Mead Corp Method and system for reconstruction of half-tone images
US3631511A (en) * 1970-05-08 1971-12-28 Dick Co Ab Drop charge compensated ink drop video printer

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3562761A (en) * 1968-12-23 1971-02-09 Dick Co Ab Drop phasing in ink drop writing apparatus
US3786517A (en) * 1972-09-05 1974-01-15 Ibm Ink jet printer with ink system filter means

Cited By (23)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3947851A (en) * 1974-06-27 1976-03-30 International Business Machines Corporation Drop charging method for liquid drop recording
US4068241A (en) * 1975-12-08 1978-01-10 Hitachi, Ltd. Ink-jet recording device with alternate small and large drops
US4086601A (en) * 1976-03-30 1978-04-25 International Business Machines Corporation Sequential ink jet printing system with variable number of guard drops
US4087825A (en) * 1976-05-27 1978-05-02 International Business Machines Corporation Ink jet printing intensity modulation
US4217595A (en) * 1978-04-27 1980-08-12 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Charging phase control device for ink jet recording device
US4403223A (en) * 1979-02-14 1983-09-06 Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. Ink-on-demand type ink-jet printer
US4364058A (en) * 1979-10-29 1982-12-14 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Ink drop charging device
US5285215A (en) * 1982-12-27 1994-02-08 Exxon Research And Engineering Company Ink jet apparatus and method of operation
US4513299A (en) * 1983-12-16 1985-04-23 International Business Machines Corporation Spot size modulation using multiple pulse resonance drop ejection
US5202659A (en) * 1984-04-16 1993-04-13 Dataproducts, Corporation Method and apparatus for selective multi-resonant operation of an ink jet controlling dot size
US5617123A (en) * 1987-05-20 1997-04-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image processing method utilizing multiple binarizing and recording agent depositing steps
US5124716A (en) * 1990-01-08 1992-06-23 Tektronix, Inc. Method and apparatus for printing with ink drops of varying sizes using a drop-on-demand ink jet print head
US6106092A (en) * 1998-07-02 2000-08-22 Kabushiki Kaisha Tec Driving method of an ink-jet head
US6193343B1 (en) 1998-07-02 2001-02-27 Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha Driving method of an ink-jet head
US6572222B2 (en) 2001-07-17 2003-06-03 Eastman Kodak, Company Synchronizing printed droplets in continuous inkjet printing
EP1277581A3 (en) * 2001-07-17 2003-03-12 Eastman Kodak Company Synchronizing printed droplets in continuous inkjet printing
EP1277582A1 (en) * 2001-07-20 2003-01-22 Eastman Kodak Company A continuous ink jet printhead with improved drop formation and apparatus using same
EP1314766A1 (en) 2001-11-23 2003-05-28 Sicpa Holding S.A. Pigmented ink composition
US20080074477A1 (en) * 2006-09-21 2008-03-27 Kba-Metronic Ag System for controlling droplet volume in continuous ink-jet printer
US7837307B2 (en) * 2006-09-21 2010-11-23 Kba-Metronic Ag System for controlling droplet volume in continuous ink-jet printer
WO2012162082A1 (en) * 2011-05-25 2012-11-29 Eastman Kodak Company Liquid ejection system including drop velocity modulation
US8657419B2 (en) 2011-05-25 2014-02-25 Eastman Kodak Company Liquid ejection system including drop velocity modulation
US8696094B2 (en) * 2012-07-09 2014-04-15 Eastman Kodak Company Printing with merged drops using electrostatic deflection

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1020142B (it) 1977-12-20
JPS539050B2 (sv) 1978-04-03
GB1436909A (en) 1976-05-26
FR2246395A1 (sv) 1975-05-02
DE2446740C2 (de) 1983-09-22
JPS5062532A (sv) 1975-05-28
FR2246395B1 (sv) 1981-02-06
CA1001217A (en) 1976-12-07
DE2446740A1 (de) 1975-04-10

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