Ink jet printing apparatus with adjustable print head
AssigneeMarkem Corporation
InventorsAndrew G. Perra, Jr., James M. Cheever
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink jet printing apparatus comprises a print head, a reservoir, and a rigid articulated support assembly connecting the print head to the reservoir. The support assembly affords two degrees of rotational freedom for allowing adjustment of the print head relative to the reservoir, so that printing can be carried out on surfaces lying in various planes or moving in various directions without tilting the reservoir. The support assembly has an internal channel for conducting ink from the reservoir to the print head, and may be made of a thermally conductive material in order to maintain hot melt inks at the proper operating temperature using heat generated by heating elements in the reservoir and print head.
Claims15
An ink jet printing apparatus comprising:
- an ink jet print head;
- a reservoir for supplying ink to the print head;
- and
- rigid articulated support means carried by said reservoir for supporting said print head, said support means affording two degrees of rotational freedom for allowing adjustment of the print head relative to the reservoir and having an internal channel extending from the reservoir to the print head for conducting ink to the print head.
An ink jet printing apparatus comprising:
- an ink jet print head;
- a reservoir for supplying ink to the print head;
- and
- means including at least one rotatable joint for connecting said print head to said reservoir, said rotatable joint including an internal channel for conducting ink from the reservoir to the print head.
An ink jet printing apparatus comprising:
- an ink jet print head having at least one ink jet orifice;
- a reservoir for supplying ink to the print head;
- and
- means carried by said reservoir for movably supporting the print head relative to the reservoir, said support means including stop means for preventing the print head from being moved to a position relative to the reservoir at which siphoning of the ink would occur.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.