Inkjet printer with universal print head and print frame for both horizontal and vertical printing on non-flat surfaces

An inkjet printer, comprising:

• a horizontal printing configuration;
• a vertical printing configuration;
• and
• a print frame, the print frame comprising:
• a swivel;
• at least one side rail mounted to the swivel;
• a transverse rail mounted to slide along a length of the side rails;
• a print head mounted to slide along a length of the transverse rail;
• the print head further mounted to rotate around the transverse rail;
• the print head comprising:
• a nozzle mounted to a linear actuator;
• a first electrode positioned after the nozzle along an ink droplet path;
• a controller configured to set an initial flight speed of an ink droplet in the ink droplet path;
• a second electrode positioned after the first electrode along the ink droplet path;
• the controller configured to rotate the print frame to change the inkjet printer between the horizontal printing configuration and the vertical printing configuration, wherein the print head is, when the inkjet printer is in the horizontal printing configuration, configured to face a horizontal print surface and to discharge an ink droplet in a vertical direction to a printing medium on the horizontal print surface and the print head is, when the inkjet printer is in the vertical printing configuration, configured to face a vertical print surface and discharge an ink droplet in a horizontal direction to the printing medium;
• the controller further configured to operate the second electrode in response to rotation from the horizontal printing configuration to the vertical printing configuration to apply a vertical correction to an ink droplet in the ink droplet path and to change the initial flight speed of the ink droplet based on a distance of the nozzle from a print surface when in the vertical printing configuration.

A method of operating an inkjet printer, the method comprising:

• operating a swivel to orient a print frame from a horizontal printing position to a vertical printing orientation;
• orienting a print head to the vertical printing orientation by rotating the print head around a transverse rail mounted between two side rails;
• while translating the print head along the transverse rail and translating the transverse rail along the side rails:
• operating a linear actuator on a nozzle of the print head based on signals from a distance sensor;
• setting an initial flight speed of an ink droplet ejected from the nozzle using a first electrode;
• setting a vertical correction to a trajectory of the ink droplet using a second electrode positioned after the first electrode along the trajectory of the ink droplet;
• and
• wherein setting the vertical correction is selectively activated as a result of orienting the print head in the vertical printing orientation.