Correcting stimulation nonuniformity at the fluid cavity trench end boundary
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorMichael F. Baumer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a drop generator for use in an ink jet printer, stimulation transducers are bonded near the ends of the jet array on the droplet generator body. The transducers are electrically controlled with an oscillating voltage signal which can be modified in amplitude and phase with respect to the main driving signal. By altering the drive signal of the end transducers in amplitude and/or phase, the end sections being aligned with the solid end sections of the droplet generator, it is possible to match the vibration of the end sections with the central portion of the droplet generator. The result is more uniform stimulation down the length of the droplet generator.
Claims11
A method for correcting stimulation nonuniformity at end area regions of an orifice plate of a droplet generator body, the orifice plate having an array of jets, the droplet generator body having end regions and a central portion, and further having at least one central portion stimulation transducer bonded to the central portion of the droplet generator adjacent to a fluid cavity trench, the method comprising the steps of:
- bonding at least one end region stimulation transducer in each end region of the droplet generator beyond ends of the fluid cavity trench;
- using the at least one end region stimulation transducer to drive the end regions of the droplet generator at an amplitude and/or phase different from the amplitude and phase provided by the at least one central portion stimulation transducer;
- and
- fabricating at least one acoustic cut in the droplet generator body.
In a droplet generator body having first and second end sections with a fluid cavity to which an orifice plate with an orifice plate face is bonded, the orifice plate having an array of jets, a method for modifying motion of the droplet generator body in a region near the first and second end sections, the method comprising the steps of:
- bonding at least one end section stimulation transducer at each of the first and second end sections of the droplet generator body;
- electrically controlling the at least one end section stimulation transducer with an oscillating voltage signal which can be modified in amplitude and phase with respect to a main driving signal;
- and
- fabricating at least one acoustic cut in the droplet generator body.
A drop generator for use in an ink jet printer, the drop generator having first and second end sections and a fluid cavity to which an orifice plate is bonded, the orifice plate having an array of jets, the drop generator comprising:
- a plurality of central portion transducers driven at a given amplitude and phase;
- at least one end region stimulation transducer bonded to a region of each of the first and second end sections of the droplet generator body;
- means for electrically controlling the at least one end region stimulation transducer with an oscillating voltage signal which can be modified in amplitude and phase with respect to the plurality of driving transducers;
- and
- at least one acoustic cut fabricated in the droplet generator body.
A drop generator for use in an ink jet printer, the drop generator having a central portion bounded by first and second end sections and a fluid cavity to which an orifice plate is bonded, the orifice plate having an array of jets, the drop generator comprising:
- at least one central portion transducer to induce vibration in the central portion of the drop generator;
- at least one end region transducer for inducing vibration in the first and second end sections of the drop generator;
- and
- means for altering the drive efficiency of the least one end region transducer relative to the at least one central portion transducer, by locating the at least one end region transducer at a location that is shifted perpendicular to a long axis of the drop generator relative to a location of the at least one central portion transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.