Continuous inkjet printer with heat actuated microvalves for controlling the direction of delivered ink

Apparatus for controlling ink in a continuous inkjet printer in which a continuous stream of ink is emitted from a nozzle bore;

• the apparatus comprising:
• a reservoir containing pressurized ink;
• a rigid nozzle element defining an ink staging chamber and defining a nozzle bore in communication with the ink staging chamber arranged so as to establish a continuous flow of ink in a ink stream;
• ink delivery means intermediate the reservoir and the ink staging chamber for communicating ink between the reservoir and defining first and second spaced ink delivery channels;
• a first actuable flow delivery valve spaced from the nozzle bore and positioned in operative relationship with the first ink delivery channel and a second actuable flow delivery valve spaced from the nozzle bore positioned in operative relationship with the second ink delivery channel;
• the first and second actuable flow delivery valves each including a flexible heat responsive element which when heated moves to a position that restricts flow in its corresponding ink delivery channel;
• and
• means for selectively heating the first and second actuable flow delivery valves so that when both first and second actuable flow delivery valves are unheated ink is delivered through the nozzle along a first path and when the first actuable flow delivery valve is heated and the second actuable flow delivery valve is unheated, ink is delivered through the nozzle along a second path and when the second actuable flow delivery valve is heated and the first actuable flow delivery valve is unheated, ink is delivered through the nozzle along a third path wherein the first, second and third paths are spaced from each other.