Ink jet printer and method for depositing a protective layer on a substrate
AssigneeM.G.I. USA, Inc.
InventorEdmond Abergel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A protective layer is applied to a substrate moving relative to an ink jet nozzle array. Each nozzle responds to a piezoelectric actuator. Shapes of ink droplets deposited by the nozzles on the substrate, to form the protective layer, are controlled by shapes of electric waveforms applied to the actuators. Shapes of the waveforms respond to at least one of: droplet viscosity and temperature, temperature of the substrate, desired thickness of the layer, type of substrate surface to which the droplets are applied, and relative speed of the substrate and the ink jet nozzle array.
Claims25
A method of applying a coating of covering ink to a substrate moving relative to an ink jet nozzle arrangement having a piezoelectric actuator for applying droplets of covering ink to the substrate, the method comprising controlling by a computer the shapes of the droplets by controlling the shape of an electric waveform applied to the piezoelectric actuator, in response to at least one of the viscosity and/or the temperature of the ink, detected as the ink flows from the ink container to the nozzle by at least one detector upstream from a heater included in the nozzle arrangement.
Apparatus for applying a coating of covering ink to a substrate, comprising a transport mechanism for causing relative movement between the substrate and an ink jet nozzle arrangement, the ink jet nozzle arrangement having a piezoelectric actuator for applying droplets of covering ink to the substrate;
- a computer controlling a heater included in the nozzle arrangement heating the covering ink and an electric source for applying an electric waveform to the piezoelectric actuator, said waveform controlling the shapes of the droplets, said electric waveform having a shape determined by at least one of the viscosity and/or the temperature of the covering ink, the apparatus further including at least one detector upstream from the heater for detecting the viscosity of the ink and/or a detector for detecting temperature of the ink droplets as the ink flows from the ink container to the nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.