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US 4,887,100 AGranted
Droplet deposition apparatus
AssigneeAM International, Inc.
InventorsA. John Michaelis, Anthony D. Paton, Stephen Temple, W. Scott Bartky
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AssigneeAM International, Inc.
InventorsA. John Michaelis, Anthony D. Paton, Stephen Temple, W. Scott Bartky
Estimating the term…
A pulsed droplet ink jet printer has relatively long thin ink channels extending in parallel between an ink manifold 13, and a nozzle plate 5 providing a nozzle 6 for each channel. Side walls 11 may be formed substantially entirely of piezo-electric material so as to be displaceable transversely into a selected channel on the application of an electric field. This transverse displacement produces an acoustic wave in the channel which results in the ejection of an ink droplet. The side walls may deflect in shear mode to a cross-section of chevron formation. Usefully, it is arranged that both side walls adjoining the selected channel are displaced inwardly of the channel to cooperate in droplet ejection. Under this arrangement, the channels are assigned alternately to first and second groups of channels, only one group of channels being capable of actuation at any one instant. The nozzles associated with the respective groups of channels may be offset so as to compensate for the time delay in actuation of channels in the first and second groups.
A high density multi-channel array, electrically pulsed droplet deposition apparatus, comprising a multiplicity of parallel droplet liquid channels, mutually spaced in an array direction normal to the length of the channels, each of said channels being separated from a like channel by a side wall which is transversely displaceable in opposite senses and which extends in the lengthwise direction of the channels, and in a direction which is both normal to said lengthwise direction and normal to the array direction, respective nozzles opening into said channels for ejection therefrom of droplets of liquid, connection means for connecting said channels to a source of droplet deposition liquid and electrically actuable means located in relation to said channels for effecting in each channel selected for actuation, transverse displacement generally parallel to said array direction of said transversely displaceable side wall of said selected channel to cause change of pressure in said selected channel to effect droplet ejection from the nozzle opening thereinto.
A high density multi-channel array, electrically pulsed droplet deposition apparatus for depositing droplets upon a surface moving relatively to the array, comprising a multiplicity of parallel droplet liquid channels arranged in pairs with the two channels of each pair being assigned respectively to a first and a second group of said channels, nozzles opening respectively into the channels, a longitudinal side wall provided for each pair of channels which is transversely displaceable in opposite senses and serves to divide the channels of the pair;
A high density multi-channel array, electrically pulsed droplet deposition apparatus for depositing droplets upon a surface, comprising a multiplicity of parallel droplet liquid channels with successive channels being assigned alternately to a first and a second group of said channels, nozzles opening respectively into the channels, longitudinal side walls each serving to divide one channel from the next and each transversely displaceable in opposite senses;
A high density multi-channel array, electrically pulsed, droplet deposition apparatus, comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls extending between and normal to said top and bottom walls to define therewith a multiplicity of parallel droplet liquid channels having respective longitudinal axes thereof disposed in a plane, respective nozzles opening into corresponding points of said channels for ejection of droplets of liquid from said channels and connection means for connecting said channels to a liquid source for affording replenishment of droplets ejected from said channels, wherein at least some of said side walls are formed substantially wholly from piezo-electric material and have respective wall parts adjacent said top and bottom walls with electrodes disposed on opposite surfaces of each of said wall parts extending parallel with said channels and normal to said plane to afford an electric field normal to said surfaces thereby to effect shear mode deflection of said wall parts in respective opposite senses transversely to that channel generally parallel to said plane, thereby to effect droplet ejection from that channel.
A multi-channel array, electrically pulsed, droplet deposition apparatus comprising a multiplicity of parallel channels having longitudinal axes disposed in a plane and respective cross-sections extending normal to said plane and of rectangular form, respective nozzles connected with said channels for droplet ejection therefrom, and connection means for connecting said channels with a source of droplet deposition liquid, said channels being further characterised in that respective walls of piezo-electric material form sides of said channels extending normal to said plane of said channel axes and are poled in the direction parallel to said plane and electrodes are disposed on each of said walls of piezo-electric material to provide for an electric field therein normal to said direction of poling to cause deflection of said wall of piezo-electric material transversely to the axis of the channel of which it forms a side to effect droplet ejection therefrom.
A multi-channel array, electrically pulsed, droplet deposition apparatus, comprising a multiplicity of parallel channels formed by parallel side walls and pairs of strips of piezo-electric material extending the length of said side walls, each pair of strips being sandwiched between successive of said side walls and spaced apart to form therewith a channel of rectangular cross-section, said multiplicity of channels so formed having their longitudinal axes disposed in a plane, respective nozzles communicating with said channels at corresponding ends thereof and respective connection means for connecting said channels to a source of droplet deposition liquid, each of said strips being poled in the same sense and in a direction parallel with said plane, there being provided electrodes at faces of said strips which are opposed to said side walls to provide in each of said strips an electric field in the poling direction thereof and electrode energising means which in a first mode of operation effect displacement of strips of some at least of said pairs of strips of a first series of channels to effect transverse movement in opposite directions of the side walls engaging the displaced strips and so cause droplet ejection from the channels of the side walls so moved, and, in a second mode of operation to effect displacement of the strips of some at least of said pairs of strips of a second series of channels of which the channels alternate with the channels of the first series to effect transverse movement in opposite directions of the side walls engaging the displaced strips and so cause droplet ejection from the channels of the side walls so moved, the electrode energising means being adapted in each of said modes of operation to effect displacement of each of the side walls of each channel from which a droplet is ejected by the same amount and in the same direction as the side walls forming with the side walls of each channel from which a droplet is ejected the channels next to and on opposite sides of said channel from which droplet ejection takes place.
A multi-channel array, droplet deposition apparatus, comprising a multiplicity of parallel channels formed by bi-morph side walls and pairs of strips of inactive material each of which pairs is sandwiched between successive of said side walls to form therewith a channel of rectangular section, said multiplicity of channels so formed having their longitudinal axes disposed in a plane, and each of said bi-morph walls comprising at least one layer of piezo-electric material extending transversely to and poled in a direction parallel with said plane and provided with an electrode, respective nozzles communicating at corresponding locations with said channels and respective connection means for connecting said channels to a source of droplet deposition liquid, there being provided electrode energising means which in a first mode of operation effect transverse flexural displacement in respective opposite directions of some at least of opposite side walls of channels of a first series of channels to cause droplet ejection from the channels of the side walls so moved, and, in a second mode of operation effect transverse flexural displacement in respective opposite directions of some at least of opposite side walls of channels of a second series of channels of which the channels alternate with the channels of the first series to cause droplet ejection from the channels of the side walls so moved.
A multi-channel array, electrically pulsed droplet deposition apparatus comprising a multiplicity of channels formed by parallel flexible side walls and spaced top and bottom planar walls with which said side walls engage at opposite ends thereof, said top and bottom walls being provided by respective layers of piezo-electric material poled in opposite senses normal thereto and formed by wall segments of rectangular cross-section of thicknesses in the direction between segments corresponding with the side wall thickness and channel width between successive of said side walls, said top and bottom walls being disposed with said segments thereof in line with opposite ends of said side walls and said channels, respective nozzles communicating with said channels at corresponding ends thereof and respective connection means for connecting said channels to a source of droplet deposition liquid, electrodes provided respectively between facing sides of said segments and electrode energising means which in a first mode of operation through shear mode deflection of segments of said top and bottom walls effects flexure in mutually opposite directions of opposed side walls of channels in a first series of channels to cause droplet ejection from the channels of the side walls so flexed, and, in a second mode of operation through shear mode deflection of segments of said top and bottom walls effects flexure in mutually opposite direction of opposed side walls of channels of a second series of channels of which the channels alternate with the channels of said first series to cause droplet ejection from the channels of the side walls so flexed.
A high density multi-channel array, electrically pulsed droplet deposition apparatus, comprising a multiplicity of parallel droplet liquid channels organized in groups and with corresponding channels of repeated sequences of said multiplicity of channels assigned respectively to said groups, nozzles opening respectively into said channels, longitudinal side walls each serving to divide one channel from the next and each transversely displaceable at least in one sense, electrically actuable means adapted in respective operating modes equal in number to the number of groups, upon selection of any channel in one of said groups to effect transverse displacement in said at least one sense of one of the longitudinal walls of said selected channel so as to cause a change of pressure therein thereby to effect droplet ejection from the nozzle opening into said selected channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.