Continuous ink jet printer with asymmetric heating drop deflection

A process for controlling ink in a continuous ink jet printer in which a continuous stream of ink is emitted from a nozzle;

• said process comprising:
• establishing the continuous stream of ink flow from a nozzle bore, said stream breaking up into a plurality of ink droplets at a position spaced from the nozzle bore;
• and
• asymmetrically applying heat to the stream before the position whereat the stream breaks up into droplets such that the plurality of ink droplets travel along either a print direction or a non-print direction.

A process for controlling ink in a continuous ink jet printer in which a continuous stream of ink is emitted from a nozzle;

• said process comprising:
• establishing a continuous flow of ink in a stream;
• causing the stream to break up into a plurality of droplets at a position spaced from the nozzle;
• and
• asymmetrically applying heat to the stream before the position whereat the stream breaks up into droplets to thereby control the direction of the stream between a print direction and a non-print direction.

Apparatus for controlling ink in a continuous ink jet printer in which a continuous stream of ink is emitted from a nozzle;

• said apparatus comprising:
• a substrate having an upper surface;
• an ink delivery channel within said substrate;
• a source of pressurized ink communicating with the ink delivery channel;
• a nozzle bore in said substrate, said nozzle bore opening into the ink delivery channel to establish a continuous flow of ink in a stream, the nozzle bore defining a nozzle bore perimeter;
• and
• a heater which causes the stream to break up into a plurality of droplets at a position spaced from the nozzle bore, said heater having a selectively-actuated section associated with only a portion of the nozzle bore perimeter such that actuation of the selectively-actuated section of the heater produces an asymmetric application of heat to the stream to control the direction of the stream between a print direction and a non-print direction, said heater being positioned on top of the upper surface of the substrate thereby to form an edge at which ink may pin spaced from the nozzle bore.