Ink jet device with individual shut-off

#The present invention relates generally to ink jet devices.

#U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,867 discloses an ink jet print head with a plurality of ink jet modules mounted on a manifold sandwich including an orifice plate. Ink received through an inlet opening in a frame passes through openings in a filter layer and is distributed to ink inlet openings in the ink jet modules. U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,867 is hereby incorporated by reference herein, as is U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,148 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0034658.

#An object of the present invention is provide for individual ink shut-off to each module in an ink jet print head containing a plurality of ink jet module.

#FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention with individual cut-off valves;

#FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the ink flow;

#FIG. 3 shows the ink delivery system in more detail;

#FIG. 1 shows an ink jet print head 2 having plurality of ink jet modules 54, 154 which may be similar for example to ink jet modules described in incorporated-by-reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,867 and each of which may have an ink inlet at a bottom section thereof. The ink jet modules 54, 154 may be connected to a registration plate 80 having openings for the ink jet nozzles and connections for the ink jet modules 54, 154. The registration plate 80 also may have an ink passage for each ink module, each ink passage having an outlet connecting to a respective ink inlet of an ink jet module 54, 154. An electronics board 10 may control delivery of ink through the nozzles of the ink jet modules 54, 154 so that ink is delivered through the nozzle to print a substrate.

#The ink jet print head 2 can print for example a sheet of material 8, which has been printed earlier for example using offset lithographic printing units, shown schematically in FIG. 1 with a blanket cylinder 4 and plate cylinder 6. For example, four different color offset lithographic printing units may be provided.

#Four or more ink jet modules 154 may be connected to the left edge of the electronics board 10 and be interleaved with four or more ink jet modules 54 connected to the right edge of electronic board 10. The individual ink inlets for modules 154 may be on the left in FIG. 1, and the individual ink inlets for the modules 54 on the right in FIG. 1