WO1993008026A1 - Structure anticontamination pour tetes d'impression a jet d'encre continu - Google Patents

Structure anticontamination pour tetes d'impression a jet d'encre continu Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1993008026A1
WO1993008026A1 PCT/US1992/008677 US9208677W WO9308026A1 WO 1993008026 A1 WO1993008026 A1 WO 1993008026A1 US 9208677 W US9208677 W US 9208677W WO 9308026 A1 WO9308026 A1 WO 9308026A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
print head
bottom wall
slot
catcher
layer
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1992/008677
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
David Allen Huliba
Jeffrey Michael Elmore
Original Assignee
Eastman Kodak Company
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 Eastman Kodak Company filed Critical Eastman Kodak Company
Publication of WO1993008026A1 publication Critical patent/WO1993008026A1/fr

Links

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
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/20—Ink jet characterised by ink handling for preventing or detecting contamination of compounds
    • 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
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2/1433—Structure of nozzle plates
    • 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
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
    • B41J2/1606—Coating the nozzle area or the ink chamber

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to continuous 5 ink jet printers and, more specifically, to improved constructions that extend the length of the time periods between maintenance, e.g. cleaning, of the print head assemblies of such printers.
  • continuous ink jet printing apparatus have an ink cavity to which ink is supplied under pressure so as to issue in streams from an orifice plate that is in liquid communication with the cavity.
  • Periodic perturbations are imposed on the 5 liquid streams, e.g. vibrations piezoelectrical crystals, to cause the streams to break up into uniformly sized and shaped droplets.
  • a charge plate is located proximate the streams break-off point to induce an electrical charge to selected droplets' in accord 0 with a print information signal and charged droplets are deflected from their nominal trajectory.
  • charged droplets are deflected into a catcher assembly and non-charged droplets proceed to the print medium.
  • U.S. Patent 4,928,115 describes a print head which is designed for remote printing (e.g. along a bindery line coupled to the fluid supply and power and control system by an umbilical) .
  • the print head of the ⁇ 115 patent has a housing with an ink stream egress in its bottom wall that is closable for start-up operations.
  • the above described approaches are useful to reduce contamination of critical print head components.
  • the build-up of ink splatter and paper dust at the print drop egress often causes interference with the print droplet streams.
  • one significant purpose of the present invention is to provide further contamination-reduction improvements for prior art print head assemblies such as described above, to enable printing operation to continue longer without stopping for print head cleaning.
  • the present invention constitutes an improved print head construction for a continuous ink jet printing apparatus of the kind having an orifice plate and charge electrodes which operate so that droplet streams are directed past the drop charge electrodes and a catcher to a print media.
  • the improved print head construction includes: walls that enclose the orifice plate, charge electrodes and catcher, including a bottom wall portion defining an egress slot for passage of printing drops to the print media; and a layer of porous material surrounding the slot and extending over the exterior surface of the bottom wall portion.
  • FIG. 1 is a side view of the exterior of one embodiment of the print head and housing assembly constructed in accord with the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a side view showing the interior of the FIG. 1 assembly and schematically illustrating operative components of the print head;
  • FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the FIG. 1 assembly
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the bottom wall shown in FIG. 3, illustrating one preferred construction according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a cross section of a portion of the bottom of the assembly taken along line V-V of FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 1 shows the external configuration of a preferred embodiment of print head and housing assembly 10 in an operative position over a media transport path P.
  • the assembly includes an external housing comprising a top wall 9 side walls 11 and a removable bottom wall 12.
  • the bottom wall includes a slot 13 providing an egress for print drops to pass to the closely spaced print medium M, moving along path P beneath the bottom wall 12.
  • a porous layer 14 is mounted on bottom wall 12. The construction and function of layer 14 will be described subsequently, following a brief description of exemplary internal constructions of the print head.
  • print head 5 includes an upper print head portion including a print head body
  • the body 21 has an ink inlet passage 23 leading to ink manifold region 24 and an outlet passage (not shown) , conducting excess ink flow from region 24 to an ink recirculation system.
  • the upper print head portion also includes an orifice plate 25 and suitable piezoelectric crystal means (not shown) for imparting mechanical vibration to the body 21.
  • Such orifice plate and crystals can take various forms known in the art for issuing ink filaments from orifices and stimulating break-up of the ink filaments into streams of uniformly spaced ink droplets.
  • the lower portion of print head 5 includes a charge plate 26, constructed to selectively impart charge to ink droplets at the point of filament break-up, and a drop catcher 27 comprising a drop impact surface 27a and a drop discharge plate 27b, constructed and located to catch and recirculate non ⁇ printing droplets (in this arrangement charged droplets) .
  • the non-printing droplets, which impact the catcher, are recirculated back to the ink print head, while uncharged droplets pass through slot 13 to the print medium M.
  • the components of the print head 5, described above are all enclosed within the walls 9, 11 and 12 of the external housing 10, which includes means (not shown) for defining an air inlet into its upper interior the region.
  • the drop egress slot 13 of housing 10 is configured in bottom wall 12 to provide an egress passage for printing ink streams.
  • the removable bottom wall 12 has a protruding edge 15 which fits into the end side wall 11 and is held captive by a screw 16.
  • the ink containment member 14 is attached to the bottom wall 12 e.g. with double sided tape.
  • the member 14 includes a slot region 14a which is sized and located to align precisely below slot 13 of the bottom wall.
  • the ink containment member 14 is formed, in accord with the present invention, of a layer of porous material that absorbs, and preferably wicks away from slot region 14a, any ink that splatters from the drop impacts on the print medium and any condensation that occurs on its surface.
  • One particularly preferred material for use as the member 14 is a layer of porous plastic material, viz., sold by Porex Technologies of Fairburn, GA and designated X4900 polyethylene.
  • other materials having a porous or cellular structure that will retain ink by capillary mechanisms are useful, e.g. foam and porous metal layers can be used.
  • the member 14 is constructed so that capillary flow of absorbed moisture will occur away from slot 14a.
  • the provision of the absorbent member 14 significantly extends the period of printing that can occur before a blockage of slot 14a requires cleaning. Further, the member 14 preferably can be readily removed from wall 12, and rinsed of ink and then re-inserted quickly to recommence operation. The resulting construction enables much easier cleaning than previous assemblies where the interior of the print head drop path becomes contaminated.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)

Abstract

Une structure de têtes d'impression améliorées destinée à un appareil d'impression à jet d'encre continu comprend: des parois (9, 11, 12) renfermant la plaque ajourée (25), des électrodes de charge (26) ainsi qu'un dispositif collecteur (27). Une paroi inférieure amovible (12) définit une fente de sortie (13) permettant le passage de gouttelettes d'impression sur le support d'impression (M), et une couche (14) en matériau poreux entoure la fente (13) et recouvre la surface extérieure de la paroi inférieure (12).
PCT/US1992/008677 1991-10-15 1992-10-13 Structure anticontamination pour tetes d'impression a jet d'encre continu WO1993008026A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US77539891A 1991-10-15 1991-10-15
US775,398 1991-10-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1993008026A1 true WO1993008026A1 (fr) 1993-04-29

Family

ID=25104285

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1992/008677 WO1993008026A1 (fr) 1991-10-15 1992-10-13 Structure anticontamination pour tetes d'impression a jet d'encre continu

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO1993008026A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0741040A2 (fr) * 1995-05-04 1996-11-06 SCITEX DIGITAL PRINTING, Inc. Collecteur de brouillard d'encre avec un fond poreux
EP1279504A2 (fr) * 2001-07-27 2003-01-29 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Coussin jetable en materiau polymère à effet de mèche à profil bas

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4460903A (en) * 1982-07-19 1984-07-17 Bell & Howell Company Ink jet catcher
US4628331A (en) * 1980-11-18 1986-12-09 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Ink mist collection apparatus for ink jet printer
US4800398A (en) * 1986-11-14 1989-01-24 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Ink-jet printer with an encased printer head unit

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4628331A (en) * 1980-11-18 1986-12-09 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Ink mist collection apparatus for ink jet printer
US4460903A (en) * 1982-07-19 1984-07-17 Bell & Howell Company Ink jet catcher
US4800398A (en) * 1986-11-14 1989-01-24 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Ink-jet printer with an encased printer head unit

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0741040A2 (fr) * 1995-05-04 1996-11-06 SCITEX DIGITAL PRINTING, Inc. Collecteur de brouillard d'encre avec un fond poreux
EP0741040A3 (fr) * 1995-05-04 1998-02-04 SCITEX DIGITAL PRINTING, Inc. Collecteur de brouillard d'encre avec un fond poreux
EP1279504A2 (fr) * 2001-07-27 2003-01-29 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Coussin jetable en materiau polymère à effet de mèche à profil bas
US6527363B1 (en) * 2001-07-27 2003-03-04 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Low profile disposable polymer wicking pad
EP1279504A3 (fr) * 2001-07-27 2003-09-10 Scitex Digital Printing, Inc. Coussin jetable en materiau polymère à effet de mèche à profil bas

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