US3886565A - Injection nozzle for an ink jet printer - Google Patents

Injection nozzle for an ink jet printer Download PDF

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Publication number
US3886565A
US3886565A US468476A US46847674A US3886565A US 3886565 A US3886565 A US 3886565A US 468476 A US468476 A US 468476A US 46847674 A US46847674 A US 46847674A US 3886565 A US3886565 A US 3886565A
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Prior art keywords
injection nozzle
ink
pipe
ink jet
jet printer
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Expired - Lifetime
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US468476A
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Togo Kojima
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Toshiba Corp
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Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Ltd
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G01D15/00—Component parts of recorders for measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable
    • G01D15/16—Recording elements transferring recording material, e.g. ink, to the recording surface
    • G01D15/18—Nozzles emitting recording material

Definitions

  • An injection nozzle for an ink jet printer comprises a fine pipe for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the control of an electric field, the one end of the pipe being faced toward the paper and being obliquely cut away through the axis thereof and having a sharp lead point to concentrate the electric field further cut from the sides of the cutting plane of the oblique cut.
  • This invention relates generally to an ink jet printer and, more particularly, to an improved ink injection nozzle for an ink jet printer.
  • Ink jet printers are usually designated to have various features such as simple construction, quiet operation, and capability of printing on ordinary lower cost paper which offers many applications including facsimile apparatus.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional ink jet facsimile apparatus wherein an ink injection nozzle 4 is inserted in a metal holder 3 secured at the bottom of an ink vessel 1 through an insulated packing ring 2.
  • the metal holder 3 is connected to a conductor 9 which is supplied with a high voltage DC. bias and video signal.
  • the ink vessel 1 is mounted on a base plate 5 which is movable along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical drum 8, positioned along one side thereof, by a driving motor, not shown, at a predetermined mainscanning rate, the cylindrical metal drum 8 being connected to a ground potential and rotated by a driving motor, also not shown, at a predetermined sub-scanning rate.
  • Ordinary lower cost paper 7 is wound on the surface of the drum 8.
  • ink of a relatively high oil concentration is preferably used.
  • the DC. bias and video signal for example, are about 2K. V and 0.7K. V., respectively, and the gap between the pointed end of the ink injection nozzle 4 and the drum 8 is generally between I mm and 4 mm.
  • the nozzle 4 has an appropriate outer diameter of 0.4 mm, and an approximate inner diameter of 0.2 mm and is tapered at one end, but the pointed end thereof is cut to be perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle 4. Therefore, the frequency response of the ink droplet is limited within 2 KHz because of the variations of the ink meniscus formed, as will be described hereinafter.
  • the ink meniscus at the end of the conventional ink injection nozzle 4 is varied as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the ink flows from the vessel 1 to the nozzle 4 through the holder 3 and a meniscus 10 thereof at the pointed end of nozzle 4, as shown in FIG. 2a, is formed by the surface tension effect.
  • an ink meniscus 12 As shown in FIG. 20, is formed. This process of ink meniscus formation is repeated and printing of various patterns on the paper 7 is made in accordance with the video signal.
  • a novel injection nozzle for an ink jet printer which comprises a fine pipe for feeding ink therethrough on a separately positioned paper under the function of an electric field, the pipe being obliquely cut away to the axis thereof to form a leading edge facing the paper, and both sides of this edge being further cut away to form a sharply pointed end for concentrating the electric field.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a conventional ink jet printer, previously described
  • FIG. 2 shows the ink meniscus being formed in the operation of the conventional injection nozzle, as previously described
  • FIG. 3 shows a top view of a preferred embodiment of an ink injection nozzle formed according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 shows a side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 and the ink meniscus being formed therein.
  • an ink injection nozzle generally designated by reference numeral 30 for an ink jet printer is formed from a fine metal pipe 20 having the usual axial channel for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the function or control of an electric field, in the usual manner, as previously discussed.
  • the pipe 20 is tapered near one end and is then further obliquely cut away along one plane toward and through the longitudinal axis 25 thereof to form a leading edge 21.
  • the cutting angle 6 which is formed between the oblique plane 22 and the longitudinal axis 25 is in a range of degrees from 30 to 60.
  • Both of the lateral edges 23 and 24 of the leading edge 21 formed on either side thereof by the oblique plane 22 are further cut away to form a sharply pointed end 26.
  • the pointed end 26, however, may have a radius of curvature of an ink droplet produced by the attraction of the electric field.
  • the nozzle should be formed from a metal pipe preferably having an outer diameter in the range of between 0.4 mm and 0.7 mm and an inner diameter in the range of between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm.
  • the gap between the pointed end of the ink injection nozzle and the drum preferably should be generally between 1 mm and 4 mm.
  • An injection nozzle for an ink jet printer comprising a fine pipe having a longitudinal channel for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the control of an electric field, one end of said pipe being tapered and cut away along an oblique plane toward and through the axis thereof to form a leading edge facing said paper, and both sides of said leading edge being further cut away to form a sharply pointed end for concentrating said electric field.
  • An injection nozzle according to claim I wherein the outer diameter of said pipe is on the order of between 0.4 mm and 0.7 mm, the inner diameter is on the order of between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, and the gap between said pointed end and said paper is approximately between 1.0 and 4.0 mm.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)

Abstract

An injection nozzle for an ink jet printer comprises a fine pipe for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the control of an electric field, the one end of the pipe being faced toward the paper and being obliquely cut away through the axis thereof and having a sharp lead point to concentrate the electric field further cut from the sides of the cutting plane of the oblique cut.

Description

United States Patent Kojima 1 May 27, 1975 INJECTION NOZZLE FOR AN INK JET 3.438.059 4/1969 Highley U 346/140 PRINTER 3.466.659 9/1969 AS6011 346/140 Primary Examiner-Joseph W. Hartary Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Oblon. Fisher. Spivak. McClelland & Maier ABSTRACT An injection nozzle for an ink jet printer comprises a fine pipe for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the control of an electric field, the one end of the pipe being faced toward the paper and being obliquely cut away through the axis thereof and having a sharp lead point to concentrate the electric field further cut from the sides of the cutting plane of the oblique cut.
4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented May 27, 1975 3,886,565
(PRIOR ART) (PRIOR ART) INJECTION NOZZLE FOR AN INK JET PRINTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to an ink jet printer and, more particularly, to an improved ink injection nozzle for an ink jet printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Ink jet printers are usually designated to have various features such as simple construction, quiet operation, and capability of printing on ordinary lower cost paper which offers many applications including facsimile apparatus.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional ink jet facsimile apparatus wherein an ink injection nozzle 4 is inserted in a metal holder 3 secured at the bottom of an ink vessel 1 through an insulated packing ring 2. The metal holder 3 is connected to a conductor 9 which is supplied with a high voltage DC. bias and video signal. The ink vessel 1 is mounted on a base plate 5 which is movable along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical drum 8, positioned along one side thereof, by a driving motor, not shown, at a predetermined mainscanning rate, the cylindrical metal drum 8 being connected to a ground potential and rotated by a driving motor, also not shown, at a predetermined sub-scanning rate. Ordinary lower cost paper 7 is wound on the surface of the drum 8.
In this conventional, or prior art, apparatus, ink of a relatively high oil concentration is preferably used. The DC. bias and video signal for example, are about 2K. V and 0.7K. V., respectively, and the gap between the pointed end of the ink injection nozzle 4 and the drum 8 is generally between I mm and 4 mm.
The nozzle 4 has an appropriate outer diameter of 0.4 mm, and an approximate inner diameter of 0.2 mm and is tapered at one end, but the pointed end thereof is cut to be perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle 4. Therefore, the frequency response of the ink droplet is limited within 2 KHz because of the variations of the ink meniscus formed, as will be described hereinafter.
The ink meniscus at the end of the conventional ink injection nozzle 4 is varied as shown in FIG. 2. When the DC. bias and the video signal are not supplied to the conductor 9, or only the DC. bias is supplied thereto, the ink flows from the vessel 1 to the nozzle 4 through the holder 3 and a meniscus 10 thereof at the pointed end of nozzle 4, as shown in FIG. 2a, is formed by the surface tension effect.
But, when the voltage supplied to the conductor 9 is higher than the predetermined level, the ink is attracted by the electric field between the pointed end of nozzle 4 and the drum 8 so that ink droplets II, as shown in FIG. 2b, are shot toward the paper 7 wound on the surface of the drum 8.
After shooting such ink droplets, an ink meniscus 12, as shown in FIG. 20, is formed. This process of ink meniscus formation is repeated and printing of various patterns on the paper 7 is made in accordance with the video signal.
The significant variation of the ink meniscus, as shown in FIG. 2, however, does not only result in limited frequency response thereof, but also brings about an edge effect phenomenon on the printed patterns on account of the ink being initially injected in the form of lumps at each initial shooting time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved unique injection nozzle for an ink jet printer.
It is another object of this invention to provide an im' proved injection nozzle for an ink jet printer which is capable of making the frequency response of the ink droplets more quick.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved injection nozzle for an ink jet printer which will produce printed patterns of b tter quality.
In summary, according to the present invention, the foregoing objects and others are achieved by a novel injection nozzle for an ink jet printer which comprises a fine pipe for feeding ink therethrough on a separately positioned paper under the function of an electric field, the pipe being obliquely cut away to the axis thereof to form a leading edge facing the paper, and both sides of this edge being further cut away to form a sharply pointed end for concentrating the electric field.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description of the present invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a conventional ink jet printer, previously described;
FIG. 2 shows the ink meniscus being formed in the operation of the conventional injection nozzle, as previously described;
FIG. 3 shows a top view of a preferred embodiment of an ink injection nozzle formed according to the present invention; and
FIG. 4 shows a side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 and the ink meniscus being formed therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, an ink injection nozzle generally designated by reference numeral 30 for an ink jet printer is formed from a fine metal pipe 20 having the usual axial channel for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the function or control of an electric field, in the usual manner, as previously discussed.
The pipe 20 is tapered near one end and is then further obliquely cut away along one plane toward and through the longitudinal axis 25 thereof to form a leading edge 21. The cutting angle 6 which is formed between the oblique plane 22 and the longitudinal axis 25 is in a range of degrees from 30 to 60. Both of the lateral edges 23 and 24 of the leading edge 21 formed on either side thereof by the oblique plane 22 are further cut away to form a sharply pointed end 26. The pointed end 26, however, may have a radius of curvature of an ink droplet produced by the attraction of the electric field.
When the injection nozzle 30 is adapted for conventional facsimile apparatus, as shown in FIG. I, under the same conditions described above, the frequency response of ink droplets results in 4 KHz or more and printed patterns of better quality are thus obtained. It
may be due to the fact that the wide variations in ink meniscus because of the surface tension effect are not easily produced. whether shooting ink droplets or not, that the edge effect phenomenon of printed patterns is significantly reduced.
According to the present invention, the nozzle should be formed from a metal pipe preferably having an outer diameter in the range of between 0.4 mm and 0.7 mm and an inner diameter in the range of between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm. The gap between the pointed end of the ink injection nozzle and the drum preferably should be generally between 1 mm and 4 mm.
Tests with a nozzle formed from a metal pipe having an outer diameter of 0.4 mm and an inner diameter of 0.2 mm provided highly satisfactory results.
In the case of another embodiment using the same injection nozzle, except utilizing a metal pipe having an outer diameter 0.55 mm, and an inner diameter of 0.3 mm, substantially the same result was achieved.
Obviously, numerous additional modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:
1. An injection nozzle for an ink jet printer. comprising a fine pipe having a longitudinal channel for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the control of an electric field, one end of said pipe being tapered and cut away along an oblique plane toward and through the axis thereof to form a leading edge facing said paper, and both sides of said leading edge being further cut away to form a sharply pointed end for concentrating said electric field.
2. An injection nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said pipe is made of metal and said ink has an oily character.
3. An injection nozzle according to claim I, wherein the outer diameter of said pipe is on the order of between 0.4 mm and 0.7 mm, the inner diameter is on the order of between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, and the gap between said pointed end and said paper is approximately between 1.0 and 4.0 mm.
4. An injection nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the cutting angle of said pipe to the axis thereof when obliquely cut is in the range of from 30 to 60.

Claims (4)

1. An injection nozzle for an ink jet printer, comprising a fine pipe having a longitudinal channel for feeding ink therethrough onto a separately positioned paper under the control of an electric field, one end of said pipe being tapered and cut away along an oblique plane toward and through the axis thereof to form a leading edge facing said paper, and both sides of said leading edge being further cut away to form a sharply pointed end for concentrating said electric field.
2. An injection nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said pipe is made of metal and said ink has an oily character.
3. An injection nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of said pipe is on the order of between 0.4 mm and 0.7 mm, the inner diameter is on the order of between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, and the gap between said pointed end and said paper is approximately between 1.0 and 4.0 mm.
4. An injection nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the cutting angle of said pipe to the axis thereof when obliquely cut is in the range of from 30* to 60*.
US468476A 1974-05-09 1974-05-09 Injection nozzle for an ink jet printer Expired - Lifetime US3886565A (en)

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Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4204641A (en) * 1978-02-15 1980-05-27 American Can Company Dispensing nozzle for sealing plastics
US4336544A (en) * 1980-08-18 1982-06-22 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for drop-on-demand ink jet printing
US4349830A (en) * 1980-11-12 1982-09-14 Burroughs Corporation Conical nozzle for an electrostatic ink jet printer
WO1983002318A1 (en) * 1981-12-28 1983-07-07 Burroughs Corp An electrostatic ink jet system
US5801730A (en) * 1995-12-14 1998-09-01 Nec Corporation Ink jet print head having a projecting ejection electrode
US6092889A (en) * 1995-09-13 2000-07-25 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Ink-jet head and ink-jet recording device each having a protruded-type electrode
US6311899B1 (en) * 1998-05-17 2001-11-06 Kabushiki Kaisha Santuuru Nozzle device and a gun unit in an apparatus for applying adhesive by spraying in a spiral form
US20030218655A1 (en) * 2002-03-28 2003-11-27 Tsutomu Yokouchi Inkjet recording head and inkjet printer
US6860588B1 (en) 2000-10-11 2005-03-01 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Inkjet nozzle structure to reduce drop placement error
US20050092782A1 (en) * 2003-10-23 2005-05-05 Hideki Takahashi Dispenser nozzle, dispenser incorporating the dispenser nozzle, method for dispensing a viscous substance
US20060043212A1 (en) * 2002-09-24 2006-03-02 Yasuo Nishi Liquid jetting device
US20060049272A1 (en) * 2002-09-24 2006-03-09 Yasuo Nishi Liquid jetting device
US20070295841A1 (en) * 2006-06-23 2007-12-27 Jennifer Swenson Nozzle assembly and methods related thereto

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3296624A (en) * 1963-12-17 1967-01-03 Paillard Sa Arrangement for feeding ink into the output nozzle of a writing instrument
US3438059A (en) * 1967-10-18 1969-04-08 Leeds & Northrup Co Non-clogging penpoint for recording systems
US3466659A (en) * 1965-09-29 1969-09-09 Paillard Sa Tubular needle,chiefly for writing with a jet of ink

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3296624A (en) * 1963-12-17 1967-01-03 Paillard Sa Arrangement for feeding ink into the output nozzle of a writing instrument
US3466659A (en) * 1965-09-29 1969-09-09 Paillard Sa Tubular needle,chiefly for writing with a jet of ink
US3438059A (en) * 1967-10-18 1969-04-08 Leeds & Northrup Co Non-clogging penpoint for recording systems

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4204641A (en) * 1978-02-15 1980-05-27 American Can Company Dispensing nozzle for sealing plastics
US4336544A (en) * 1980-08-18 1982-06-22 Hewlett-Packard Company Method and apparatus for drop-on-demand ink jet printing
US4349830A (en) * 1980-11-12 1982-09-14 Burroughs Corporation Conical nozzle for an electrostatic ink jet printer
WO1983002318A1 (en) * 1981-12-28 1983-07-07 Burroughs Corp An electrostatic ink jet system
US4404573A (en) * 1981-12-28 1983-09-13 Burroughs Corporation Electrostatic ink jet system
US6092889A (en) * 1995-09-13 2000-07-25 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Ink-jet head and ink-jet recording device each having a protruded-type electrode
US5801730A (en) * 1995-12-14 1998-09-01 Nec Corporation Ink jet print head having a projecting ejection electrode
US6311899B1 (en) * 1998-05-17 2001-11-06 Kabushiki Kaisha Santuuru Nozzle device and a gun unit in an apparatus for applying adhesive by spraying in a spiral form
US6860588B1 (en) 2000-10-11 2005-03-01 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Inkjet nozzle structure to reduce drop placement error
US20030218655A1 (en) * 2002-03-28 2003-11-27 Tsutomu Yokouchi Inkjet recording head and inkjet printer
US6955417B2 (en) * 2002-03-28 2005-10-18 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Inkjet recording head and inkjet printer
US20060043212A1 (en) * 2002-09-24 2006-03-02 Yasuo Nishi Liquid jetting device
US20060049272A1 (en) * 2002-09-24 2006-03-09 Yasuo Nishi Liquid jetting device
US7314185B2 (en) * 2002-09-24 2008-01-01 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. Liquid jetting device
US7337987B2 (en) * 2002-09-24 2008-03-04 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. Liquid jetting device
US20050092782A1 (en) * 2003-10-23 2005-05-05 Hideki Takahashi Dispenser nozzle, dispenser incorporating the dispenser nozzle, method for dispensing a viscous substance
US20070295841A1 (en) * 2006-06-23 2007-12-27 Jennifer Swenson Nozzle assembly and methods related thereto
US8763936B2 (en) * 2006-06-23 2014-07-01 Terronics Development Company Nozzle assembly and methods related thereto

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