Ink jet printing
AssigneeFUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
InventorsPaul A. Hoisington, Deane A. Gardner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method of driving an inkjet module having a plurality of ink jets. The method includes applying a voltage waveform to the inkjet module, the voltage waveform including a first pulse and a second pulse, activating one or more of the ink jets contemporaneously to applying the first pulse, wherein each activated ink jet ejects a fluid droplet in response to the first pulse, and activating all of the ink jets contemporaneously to applying the second pulse without ejecting a droplet.
Claims20
A method of driving an inkjet module having a plurality of ink jets, the method comprising:
- applying a voltage waveform to the inkjet module in a jetting cycle, the voltage waveform comprising a first pulse that occurs at a first time during the jetting cycle and a second pulse that occurs at a second, different time during the jetting cycle, wherein within the jetting cycle the method comprises:
- using a first signal to activate a selected ink jet among the plurality of ink jets so that the selected ink jet:
- (1) accepts the first pulse of the voltage waveform at the first time;
- and (2) ejects a fluid droplet in response to accepting the first pulse;
- and
- using a second signal to activate all of the ink jets in the inkjet module to:
- (1) accept the second pulse of the voltage waveform at the second, different time;
- and (2) cause motion of a fluid meniscus without ejecting a droplet,
- wherein:
- for the selected ink jet, the jetting cycle includes only one first pulse;
- and
- for all of the ink jets in the ink jet module, the jetting cycle includes only one second pulse.
A method of driving an inkjet module having a plurality of ink jets, the method comprising:
- a) applying a voltage waveform to the inkjet module in a cycle, the voltage waveform comprising a first pulse that occurs at a first time during the cycle and a second pulse that occurs at a second, different time during the cycle, wherein within the cycle the method comprises:
- i) using a first signal to activate a selected ink jet among the plurality of ink jets so that the selected ink jet:
- (1) accepts the first pulse of the voltage waveform at the first time;
- and (2) ejects a fluid droplet in response to accepting the first pulse;
- and
- ii) using a second signal to activate all of the ink jets in the inkjet module to:
- (1) accept the second pulse of the voltage waveform at the second, different time;
- and (2) cause motion of a fluid meniscus without ejecting a droplet;
- and
- b) repeating a), and wherein
- for the selected ink jet, the cycle includes only one first pulse;
- and
- for all of the ink jets in the ink jet module, the cycle includes only one second pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.