Fax machine with concurrent drop selection and drop separation ink jet printing

A facsimile machine having a print head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles and forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles, said drop selection apparatus being capable of producing said difference in meniscus position in the absence of said drop separation apparatus.

A facsimile machine having a print head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles and forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle, said ink exhibiting a surface tension decrease of at least 10 mN/m over a 30.degree. C. temperature range;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A periodical information providing system wherein information is transmitted from a data processing system via telephone or ISDN systems to a facsimile machine having a print head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles;
• (c) a pressurizing device adapted to subject ink in said body of ink to a pressure of at least 2% above ambient pressure, at least during drop selection and separation to form a meniscus with an air/ink interface;
• (d) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (e) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A periodical information providing system wherein information is transmitted from a data processing system via telephone or ISDN systems to a facsimile machine having a print head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles and forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles, said drop selection apparatus being capable of producing said difference in meniscus position in the absence of said drop separation apparatus.

A periodical information providing system wherein information is transmitted from a data processing system via telephone or ISDN systems to a facsimile machine having a print head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles and forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle, said ink exhibiting a surface tension decrease of at least 10 mN/m over a 30.degree. C. temperature range;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.