Ink jet nozzle for use in a recording unit

A hollow nozzle for use in a recording unit wherein said hollow nozzle has an open end defining a tip for directing a jet of liquid imaging material from said nozzle and said recording unit comprises means for supplying a liquid imaging material to said nozzle;

• an electrode plate having a through hole and disposed opposite to said nozzle with said through hole being coaxial with said nozzle;
• means for disposing a recording member adjacent said electrode plate on the opposite side from said nozzle;
• a ring having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said nozzle disposed in close proximity to said nozzle tip and in coaxial relationship therewith;
• means for applying a voltage between said nozzle and electrode plate to create a first electric field therebetween having a high intensity, non-uniform component in the vicinity of said nozzle tip to form the liquid imaging material in said nozzle into a jet and to direct said jet through said hole of said electrode plate to said recording member;
• and means for applying a voltage to said ring to generate a second electric field of the same polarity as the high intensity component of said first electric field in the vicinity of said nozzle tip to reduce the level of said high intensity component field and to impart uniformity to said high intensity component field thereby raising the voltage level at which jetting of said liquid imaging material from said nozzle tip occurs to interrupt said jet for recording an image on said recording member, said nozzle comprising:
• a tubular element defining at one end thereof said open end tip of said nozzle and having a flat marginal end face at said one end, of a width less than 0.2 mm, the outer edge portion of said tubular element adjacent said one end and integrally joining said marginal end face being of arcuate shape and having a radius of curvature of less than 0.03 mm.