Printer
AssigneeImperial Chemical Industries PLC
InventorsDavid Owen, Colin G. McLaine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for dispensing a liquid e.g. for graphic work, having a nozzle to which a high potential is applied from a high voltage generator. The nozzle has a porous wick e.g. a felt- or fibre- tip extending therefrom. The liquid reservoir and wick may be a cartridge, e.g. a felt-tip graphic marker. The apparatus may be a self-contained hand-held unit which can be `earthed` via the user's hand. Alternatively the apparatus can be in the form of a printer controlled by a control unit--e.g. a computer graphics plotter.
Claims21
Apparatus for dispensing a liquid comprising
- (i) a nozzle having a porous wick extending therefrom,
- (ii) a liquid supply to said wick,
- (iii) means to support said nozzle, and
- (iv) means to apply to said wick a sufficiently large electrical potential, relative to earth, that, when the tip of said wick positioned at a distance within the range 5 to 20 mm from an earthed surface, sufficient electrical gradient is provided at the tip of said wick to draw a ligament of said liquid away from said wick.
Apparatus for use in the dispensing of a liquid from a cartridge having a casing enclosing a reservoir of the liquid and a nozzle having a porous wick extending therefrom, comprising
- (i) a body, adapted to receive said cartridge with the tip of the wick projecting therefrom, and
- (iii) means to apply a sufficiently large electrical potential, relative to earth, to said cartridge, when said cartridge is fitted to said body that, when the tip of said wick is positioned at a distance within the range 5 to 50 mm from an earthed surface, sufficient electrical gradient is provided at the tip of said wick to draw a ligament of said liquid away from said wick.
An electrostatic graphic art liquid applicator comprising:
- a nozzle having a porous wick extending therefrom, said wick having a cross-sectional area of between about 1.0 square cm and 0.02 square cm and a tip of convex shape;
- means for supplying liquid to said wick;
- and means to apply to said wick a sufficiently large electric potential, relative to earth, that when the tip of said wick is positioned at a distance of 5-20 mm from an earthed surface, sufficient electrical gradient is provided at the tip to draw a ligament of said liquid from said wick toward the earthed surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.