Continuous ink jet printing with improved drop formation
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsDavid L. Jeanmaire, James M. Chwalek, David P. Trauernicht
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AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsDavid L. Jeanmaire, James M. Chwalek, David P. Trauernicht
Estimating the term…
Imaging apparatus includes a printhead with one or more nozzles, wherein heaters are positioned proximate to the nozzles. Electrical activation of the heaters creates ink droplets having a plurality of volumes. The use of higher-energy pulses in the portion of the waveform of heater activation associated with the formation of small drops results in more constant relative drop velocities and consequently, improved image quality. The printing apparatus also contains a droplet deflector having a gas source positioned at an angle with respect to the stream of droplets thereby separating ink droplets having one of the plurality of volumes from ink droplets having another of the plurality of volumes. An ink guttering structure is provided for capturing one range of ink-drop volumes, while allowing another volume range to strike an image receiver.
An apparatus for producing a stream of fluid droplets of at least two types, the droplets of one of the types being of greater fluid volume than the droplets of the other type;
An apparatus for printing an image, said apparatus comprising:
An apparatus for producing a stream of fluid droplets within two groups, the droplets of one of the groups being of greater fluid volume than the droplets of the other of the groups;
A method for producing a stream of fluid droplets from a droplet forming mechanism actuatable by a series of energy pulses to create a series of one or more droplets;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.