Data Products Corporation

Exxon Printing Systems, Inc.

Arthur Mikalsen

Robert L Rogers

Jeffrey G Cartin

Thomas W DeYoung

Theodore M Cooke

Michael Cridland

Arthur J Pulos

Paul B Sweeney, Jr

Aldo Scudo

R Hugh Van Brimer

Ernest O Belmont

A dense array of ink jets is achieved by a fanning-in of chambers to a linear array of orifices. The ends of the chambers remote from the orifices have actuation locations which are coupled to elongated transducers having axes of elongation which are parallel to the axes of ejection of droplets from the orifices.

Apparatus for printing with ink jet chambers utilizing a plurality of orifices

Apparatus for printing with ink jet chambers utilizing a plurality of

Apparatus for printing with ink chambers utilizing a plurality of

An improved cartridge for containing a pellet of hot melt or phase change ink in an ink jet apparatus having at least one ink jet, a reservoir for containing and melting the hot melt or phase change ink from its solid state to a liquid state, and a receiver adapted to receive the cartridge, wherein the receiver includes an outlet at the base thereof for flowing liquified ink into the reservoir, and wherein the pellet is comprised of a size and shape so as to substantially fill the receiving means. The improvement consists of a hollow member of a predetermined geometry corresponding substantially to the geometry of the receiver, open at one end and deformable so as to permit the discharge of the pellet contained within the member through its open end, a retainer for the pellet, and a seal at the open end to protect against contamination of the ink.

Cartridge and method of using a cartridge for phase change ink in an ink

Hot melt ink is maintained in a solid state. When ink is called for in the reservoir of a scanning imaging head, the head is moved to a position coupled to the solid state ink whereupon the ink is melted coupled into the reservoir of the imaging head.

Ink jet apparatus and method employing phase change ink

A cartridge for hot melt or phase change ink is tubular, having a cover at one end and an opening at the other end. Upon engagement and cooperation between the cartridge and a reservoir, solid ink is dropped under the influence of gravity through the opening in the cartridge. Solid ink is retained in the cartridge until such cooperation, which includes keying the cartridge to the reservoir and forming a seal of the inlet to the reservoir between the cartridge and the reservoir.

Ink jet apparatus utilizing hot melt ink, having a reservoir system which contains the ink and maintains it in its melted phase when the apparatus is in use, and a tilt valve positioned above the reservoir, the valve having respective normally opened and closed positions, and providing both an air vent to the reservoir and a fill port for draining melted ink into the reservoir when in its normally opened position. Tilt valve may be placed into its closed position either by tilting the reservoir beyond a predetermined angle, or by automatic tilting of the valve actuator when the ink jet priming system is activated.

Ink jet apparatus with reservoir having a tilt valve serving as fill

A series of solid state ink members extends in an elongated array above a heated ink reservoir for a phase change ink jet apparatus. The members then advance along a path extending through the elongated array to a discharge location at one end of the path whereupon the members are dropped into the reservoir for melting. By threadedly engaging the members in pellet form with a rotatable drive, or threadedly engaging a drive member by the threaded drive shaft, the members may be suitably pushed along the path. In the alternative, the hot melt ink may take a granular form and be advanced by a rotatable, auger-like surface.

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Carmel, NY, United States of America

Arthur Mikalsen