Method, apparatus, and system to provide droplets with consistent arrival time on a substrate
AssigneeFUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
InventorChristoph Menzel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein is a method, apparatus, and system for driving a droplet ejection device with multi-pulse waveforms. In one embodiment, a method for driving a droplet ejection device having an actuator includes applying a first subset of a multi-pulse waveform to the actuator to cause the droplet ejection device to eject a first droplet of a fluid in response to the first subset. The method includes applying a second subset of the multi-pulse waveform to the actuator to cause the droplet ejection device to eject a second droplet of the fluid in response to the second subset. The first subset includes a drive pulse that is positioned in time near a beginning of a clock cycle of the first subset. The first droplet has a smaller volume than the second droplet.
Claims18
A method of ejecting droplets of a fluid from a droplet ejection device, comprising:
- applying a first subset of a multi-pulse waveform to an actuator of the droplet ejection device;
- causing the droplet ejection device to eject a first droplet of the fluid in response to the first subset;
- applying a second subset of the multi-pulse waveform to the actuator;
- and
- causing the droplet ejection device to eject a second droplet of the fluid in response to the second subset, wherein the first subset precedes the second subset in the multi-pulse waveform, wherein the first droplet has a smaller volume than the second droplet, wherein the first subset includes a drive pulse that precedes a cancel pulse in the first subset of the multi-pulse waveform.
A method of ejecting droplets of a fluid from a droplet ejection device, comprising:
- applying a first subset of a multi-pulse waveform to an actuator of the droplet ejection device;
- causing the droplet ejection device to eject a first droplet of the fluid in response to the first subset;
- applying a second subset of the multi-pulse waveform to the actuator;
- and
- causing the droplet ejection device to eject a second droplet of the fluid in response to the second subset, wherein the first subset precedes the second subset in the multi-pulse waveform, wherein the first droplet has a smaller volume than the second droplet, wherein a first cancel edge is applied subsequent to a first drive pulse of the second subset of the multi-pulse waveform.
An apparatus for ejecting droplets of a fluid, comprising:
- an actuator to eject droplets of the fluid from a pumping chamber;
- and
- drive electronics coupled to the actuator, wherein during operation the drive electronics to drive the actuator with a first subset of a multi-pulse waveform to eject a first droplet of a fluid and to drive the actuator with a second subset of the multi-pulse waveform to eject a second droplet of the fluid, wherein the first subset precedes the second subset in the multi-pulse waveform, wherein the first droplet has a smaller volume than the second droplet, wherein a first cancel edge is applied subsequent to a first drive pulse of the second subset of the multi-pulse waveform.
A printhead, comprising:
- an ink jet module that comprises,
- a plurality of actuators to eject droplets of a fluid from a corresponding plurality of pumping chambers;
- and
- drive electronics coupled to the plurality of actuators, wherein during operation the drive electronics drive a first actuator with a first subset of a multi-pulse waveform during a clock cycle to eject a first droplet of a fluid and to drive a second actuator with a second subset of the multi-pulse waveform during the clock cycle to eject a second droplet of the fluid, wherein the first subset includes a drive pulse that is positioned in a first or a second predetermined position of the first subset, wherein the first droplet has a smaller volume than the second droplet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.