Abstract:
A system, method and structures for dissipating heat away from a thermal fluid ejector modules through a thermally-conductive carriage molded from a polymer to the ambient air surrounding the structure upon which the thermally-conductive fluid ejector carriage translates. The heat is transferred via conduction and convection from the thermally-conductive fluid ejector carriage across a thin volume of air trapped between a thermally-conductive carriage rod guide, enclosed on each end by thermally-conductive carriage rod guide bearings, and the thermal contact of the thermally-conductive carriage rod guide bearings with the surface of at least one thermally-conductive carriage guide rod which the thermally-conductive fluid ejector carriage translates.
Abstract:
In a printhead assembly for a thermal ink jet printer there are a plurality of printheads mounted on a common heat sink, together with a heater and temperature controller for maintaining temperature of the printheads at an appropriate operating level. To prevent overheating of a printhead during periods of heavy use, the ink supply paths carrying ink to the printheads pass through, and receive heat from, the heat sink. The ink in each supply path then passes to the respective printhead via a tank, the position of which relative to the printhead establishes the ink pressure at the printhead discharge orifices. The tank is vented so that any air separating out from the ink can be removed. Capping means is provided to cap the ink discharge orifices when the printhead is idle and to prime/clean the printhead when required.
Abstract:
A rotary cleaning device for an ink jet type printer including a cylindrical supporting member having a flexible wiping blade thereon which is rotated in the motion path of printhead nozzles to facilitate cleaning ink and contaminants from the nozzle-containing face of the printhead is disclosed. The wiping blade runs along a helical path of the cylindrical supporting member to wipe the nozzles at an angle dependent upon the pitch of the helical path. The device may further include a sponge washing blade which runs in advance of the first wiping blade to wash the nozzle-containing face prior to wiping. Further, a cleaning device may be included to clean the blade(s) of any contaminants prior to the next rotation of the device to prevent removed ink or contaminants from further contact with the nozzle-containing face.
Abstract:
A continuous liquid drop generator and a printing system employing it are disclosed. The generator includes a thin cavity which contains liquid under pressure. The liquid is emitted through a nozzle as a liquid column from which drops are formed. The liquid in the cavity is acoustically stimulated by a thin, flexible piezoelectric exciter. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF.sub.2) is one piezoelectric material disclosed. The thin body generator includes a transmission plate or block between a backing plate and a nozzle plate. The transmission plate chemically protects the exciter and provides space for an infeed conduit that couples a liquid to the thin cavity. The generator design is especially suited for multiple-nozzle drop generators. One printing system disclosed employs a multiple nozzle generator with each nozzle addressing drops to multiple pixels within a segment of a scan line. Collectively, the drop streams emitted from the multiple nozzles are able to compose a full scan line on a target. The target moves relative to the drop generator.
Abstract:
A thin-film multi-layer micro-wire structure includes a substrate and a layer located on the substrate or forming a part of the substrate. One or more micro-channels are located in the layer. Each micro-channel has a width less than or equal to 20 microns. A cured electrically conductive micro-wire is located only within each micro-channel. The micro-wire has a thickness less than or equal to 20 microns, including silver nano-particles, and having a percent ratio of silver that is greater than or equal to 40% by weight. An electrolessly plated layer is located at least partially within each micro-channel between the micro-wire and the layer surface and in electrical contact with the micro-wire. The plated layer has a thickness less than a thickness of the micro-wire so that the micro-wire and plated layer form the thin-film multi-layer micro-wire.
Abstract:
A capacitive touch-screen device with force detection of a deformable touch element includes drive and sense electrode arrays and a touch-detection circuit connected to the electrodes for detecting capacitance at a touch location. The touch-detection circuit senses no-touch capacitance, light-touch capacitance, and heavy-touch capacitance at the touch location in response to forcible deformation of the deformable touch element proximate to the touch. The touch-detection circuit reports a force signal.
Abstract:
12 Methods of forming features in polymeric materials by laser ablation techniques alone, or by the combined use of laser ablation techniques and photolithography, are disclosed. The methods can be used to pattern non-photosensitized materials, as well as photosensitized materials. The patterned features can have different shapes, dimensions and aspect ratios in the same polymer layer. Structures including the patterned features can include multiple layers formed of photosensitized and/or non-photosensitized polymer materials.
Abstract:
A color spatial filter for ink jet color printers, especially four color CYMK printers. The printer includes an enhanced print mode and associated logic circuitry which examines and corrects black pixel coloring to increase black picture quality and reduce intercolor bleeding. This is accomplished by examining a surrounding neighborhood of pixels around each pixel as they flow to a color swath print buffer and selecting a method of correcting the representation of each pixel, based on a set of predetermined rules, to produce black by choosing either K, a slow-drying high density ink, or CYM, a fast-drying ink having low intercolor bleeding to thereby control bleeding characteristics that provide the best copy quality images. A lookup table may be used for greater gradations of black representation. Alternatively, printing may be performed using a color printer having two black inks, each with different drying rates and picture qualities. In this case, the filter examines the color space pixel planes and enhances the image by updating the color space pixel planes with CYMK.sub.1 K.sub.2 based on each pixel and its associated neighborhood of values.
Abstract:
An ink jet recorder of the type where ink from a plurality of nozzles is directed to a record medium for encoding of information onto said medium. The recorder includes scanning electrodes which deflect ink columns formed through the nozzles from side to side so each nozzle throws ink to a selected portion of the medium. At the point of ink droplet formation, charging electrodes induce either a positive or negative charge on each ink droplet. A quadrapole field generating electrode located intermediate the charging electrode and the record member deflects the charged droplets according to a scheme whereby the side to side scanning of positively charged droplets is amplified and negatively charged droplets are guttered and recirculated for reuse by the recorder.
Abstract:
A thin film of polyvinylidene fluoride is operated in the piezoelectric thickness mode to stimulate fluid drop formation for ink jet printing systems. The film is placed against a rigid wall of either rectangular, cylindrical or spherical chambers having at least one nozzle for emitting a continuous stream of fluid from which the drops are formed. The frequency of the drop generation is related to the frequency of an AC voltage applied across the piezoelectric film.