Continuous ink jet method and apparatus

Abstract

A continuous inkjet method and apparatus including a printhead (2) having an orifice (7) for ejecting a continuous stream of ink droplets of a larger size (21) and a smaller size (23), and a droplet filter (41) for generating a liquid curtain (43) that captures and absorbs the smaller droplets (23) but admits the larger droplets (21). The liquid curtain (43) is orthogonally disposed with respect to the stream of ink droplets (21, 23) and the liquid curtain (43) is the same type of ink as the droplets. The droplet filter (41) in one embodiment includes a source of pressurized ink (51), a nozzle (45) connected to the pressurized ink source (51), and an ink recycler (57) for recapturing and recycling ink. The droplet filter nozzle (45) of one embodiment has a slit-type opening and is directed downwardly in the same direction as the force of gravity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.