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US 4,288,796 AGranted
Phase detection in an ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasahiko Aiba, Ikuo Umeda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type, an electric current flows through an ink droplet issuance unit to ink liquid when an ink droplet is properly charged by charging means. A detection circuit is connected to the ink droplet issuance unit for detecting the electric current flowing through the ink droplet issuance unit, thereby developing a phase OK signal when a predetermined electric current is detected.
Claims12
In an ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type including an ink droplet issuance unit and a phase detection system associated therewith, an ink liquid supply system being connected to said ink droplet issuance unit for supplying ink liquid thereto, a plurality of ink droplets are formed and emitted from a nozzle of said ink droplet issuance unit, are charged in a charging tunnel of said ink droplet issuance unit, are emitted from said ink droplet issuance unit and travel toward a record receiving medium, said phase detection system comprising:
- metal filter means positioned between said ink droplet issuance unit and said ink liquid supply system, said metal filter means receiving said ink liquid from said ink liquid supply system and being in contact with said ink liquid passing therethrough, an electric current passing through said metal filter means to said ink liquid passing therethrough only when the imposition of a charge on said ink droplets passing through the charging tunnel is synchronized with the formation of said ink droplets at the nozzle;
- and
- detection circuit means connected to said metal filter means for detecting said electric current flowing in said ink liquid passing through said metal filter means and developing an output signal representative thereof;
- said ink jet system printer further including a synchronization system means responsive to said output signal from said detection circuit means for developing an output signal in response thereto,
- said output signal from said synchronization circuit means energizing said charging tunnel of said ink droplet issuance unit thereby synchronizing the imposition of a charge on said ink droplets in said charging tunnel with the formation of said ink droplets from said nozzle of said ink droplet issuance unit.
2 more elements
An ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type, comprising:
- ink liquid supply source means for providing a supply of ink liquid;
- ink droplet issuance unit means receiving said ink liquid from said ink liquid supply source means for emitting a plurality of charged ink droplets therefrom, said ink droplet issuance unit means including,
- nozzle means for emitting a plurality of ink droplets therefrom,
- vibrator means connected to said nozzle means for vibrating said nozzle means and producing said plurality of ink droplets being emitted therefrom;
- and
- charging tunnel means for charging said plurality of ink droplets with a charge in accordance with a print information signal, said plurality of charged ink droplets being emitted from said charging tunnel means;
- deflection plate means for deflecting said plurality of charged ink droplets;
- a print receiving medium for receiving selected ones of said plurality of charged ink droplets passing through said deflection plate means;
- and
- synchronization means for synchronizing the imposition of said charge on said plurality of ink droplets in said charging tunnel with the formation of said ink droplets being emitted from said nozzle means, said synchronization means including,
- metal member means interposed between said ink liquid supply source means and said ink droplet issuance unit means, said metal member means receiving said ink liquid from said ink liquid supply source means and being in contact with said ink liquid passing therethrough, an electric current flowing through said metal member means to said ink liquid passing therethrough only when the imposition of said charge on said ink droplets passing through said charging tunnel is synchronized with the formation of the ink droplets at said nozzle means;
- detection means connected to said metal member means for detecting said electric current flowing through said ink liquid in the metal member means and developing an output signal in accordance therewith;
- and
- print information signal generating means for developing said print information signal when energized by said output signal from said detection means, said print information signal energizing said charging tunnel thereby synchronizing the imposition of said charge with the formation of said ink droplets from said nozzle means.
11 more elements
An ink jet system printer of the charge amplitude controlling type, comprising:
- ink liquid supply source means for providing a supply of ink liquid;
- ink droplet issuance unit means receiving said ink liquid from said ink liquid supply source means for emitting a plurality of charged ink droplets therefrom, said ink droplet issuance unit means including,
- metal nozzle means receiving said ink liquid for emitting a plurality of ink droplets therefrom, said metal nozzle means being in contact with said ink liquid passing therethrough;
- vibrator means connected to said nozzle means for vibrating said nozzle means and producing said plurality of ink droplets being emitted therefrom;
- and
- charging tunnel means for charging said plurality of ink droplets with a charge in accordance with a print information signal,
- an electric current flowing through said metal nozzle means to said ink liquid passing therethrough only when the imposition of said charge on said ink droplets passing through said charging tunnel is synchronized with the formation of said ink droplets at said nozzle means,
- said plurality of charged ink droplets being emitted from said charging tunnel means;
- deflection plate means for deflecting said plurality of charged ink droplets emitted from said charging tunnel means;
- a print receiving medium for receiving selected ones of said plurality of charged ink droplets passing through said deflection plate means;
- and
- synchronization means for synchronizing the imposition of said charge on said plurality of ink droplets in said charging tunnel with the formation of said ink droplets being emitted from said nozzle means, said synchronization means including,
- detection means connected to said metal nozzle means for detecting said electric current flowing through said ink liquid in the metal nozzle means and developing an output signal in accordance therewith, and
- print information signal generating means for developing said print information signal when energized by said output signal from said detection means, said print information signal energizing said charging tunnel thereby synchronizing the imposition of said charge with the formation of said ink droplets from said nozzle means.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.