Eastman-kodak Company

Scitex Digital Printing, Inc.

Bruce A Bowling

David A Huliba

Robert J Simon

John N Blum

David F Tunmore

Dexter N Douglass

Richard W Sexton

Charles D Rike

Brian George Morris

Kenneth J West

David J Stephens

Jay D Frazier

Kevin P Egan

Homer D Durst

Bruce W Gamble

Francis T Galbraith

Robert D Donaldson

Douglas J Buma

James E Harrison

Shaun B Kress

A method of manufacturing an inkjet printer component and an inkjet printer component electropolishing device are provided. The method includes positioning an electrode in a fluid passageway of an inkjet printer component, the electrode including a conductive face and a nonconductive face; polishing a side of the fluid passageway by: biasing the nonconductive face of the electrode toward a side of the fluid passageway such that the conductive face of the electrode does not contact any portion of the fluid passageway; providing an electrolytic fluid to the fluid passageway of the inkjet printer component; and applying a voltage between the electrode and the inkjet printer component.

Electropolishing of inkjet printer components

A drop selection assemblage for use in a printhead and method of making includes a drop generator with a jet array for releasing a drop stream along a normal drop path. The drop stream includes print media drops and recycle drops. The assemblage has a charge structure disposed in a spaced apart relationship to the jet array. The charge structure is a substrate with a non-beveled and beveled portion sloped between 3 degrees and 25 degrees relative to the normal drop path. The charge structure has one or more drop charging electrodes on the non-beveled portion to charge recycle drops and one or more short detection electrodes on the beveled portion. A catcher is located adjacent to the charge structure for catching drops that have passed along the charge structure. The print media drops are selected, and the recycle drops are deflected without either contacting the charge structure.

Beveled charge structure

A flexible lamination method is provided for joining primary ink jet components. Essentially, the existing thermosetting construction techniques are replaced with a thermoplastic construction by replacing epoxy with sheet plastic during the lamination process. The flexible lamination joins primary ink jet components. Thermoplastic films have a high viscosity at lamination temperatures. This high viscosity holds bonding material in the area intended by elimination of wicking.

Flexible lamination for use with primary ink jet components

A catcher design is provided wherein vacuum channels are added to both sides of the catcher to remove ink from the face of the catcher and from the eyelid seal. An additional fluid port on the catcher allows the additional vacuum channels to maintain an increased level of vacuum. A restriction on the catcher line balances the fluid flow between the catcher and the additional vacuum channels. A scoop can be machined into the catch pan to remove fluid from below the catcher face. A manifold can be used to maintain a vacuum source for the catcher throat and the additional channels, while pulling the unprinted ink back to the fluid system. Finally, a wider eyelid seal can allow purge fluid used during shutdown to clear the channels.

Anti-wicking catcher arrangement for a solvent ink printhead

A catcher device is provided for a continuous ink jet printer of the kind for generating a row of parallel selectively charged drop streams catches charged ink drops. The catcher device combines the attributes of two different materials, specifically a polymer and a metal, and two different processes, to eliminate high cost, material limitations, and geometry constraints associated with prior art catcher constructions.

Elastomeric polymer catcher for continuous ink jet printers

A technique for sealing a printhead of an ink jet printer system on startup, opening the seal to print, and opening further on an arbitrary path for service, is provided for by the present invention. The ink jet printhead has an ink drop generator, a catcher located adjacent to the ink drop generator, and a catcher pan located below the catcher. An eyelid seals ink within the printhead on startup of the printer system. An actuator mechanism transmits movement to the eyelid along a predetermined path, having multiple positions for the eyelid. The eyelid is moved between open and closed positions by means of a dc motor. The open position is defined by the actuator means contacting a print position stop. Shifting the position of the print position stop allows the eyelid to open to a service position.

Eyelid with mechanically driven service position override

An inkjet printer has a catcher and eyelid seal for sealing against the catcher during startup and shutdown. A wicking means is provided for removing excess ink from a fluid channel of the catcher having an associated catcher plate, in an area of the eyelid seal. The wicking means is positioned in an area at a bottom surface of the fluid channel, without bridging a height of the fluid channel, above the catcher plate, and in close proximity to the eyelid seal, while maintaining a consistent pressure at an entrance to the fluid channel.

Wicking arrangement to eliminate catcher dripping

A laminated structure utilizes differential adhesive to achieve high adhesion to a wicking material and low adhesion where removal is desired. The low profile wicking pad is useful in any technology where it is desirable to control excess moisture with a passive device. The wicking device is particularly useful in the field of continuous ink jet printing systems, where the low profile of the device is desirable and the cost reduction makes disposability of the device a reality. In ink jet printing systems, the wicking device improves ink jet printhead performance via ink mist and ink drip elimination.

Low profile disposable polymer wicking pad

In an ink jet printer having a printhead and a printhead docking station, an improvement is provided in installation and retention of the printhead in the printhead docking station. Straight line travel of the printhead relative to the printhead docking station is ensured using guide posts or other guiding mechanisms. Non-abrupt actuation, such as a screw drive actuator is used to translate the printhead relative to the docking station. The screw drive actuator is oriented at near right angles to the direction of translation of the printhead relative to the printhead docking station. The printhead and the printhead docking station are then aligned so that electrical and fluid connections can be made concurrently. During the installation, a consistent insertion force, such as a spring loaded toggle mechanism, is applied to the printhead, regardless of part tolerances.

Retaining and installing a printhead in a printhead docking station

An alignment apparatus and method is provided for attaching and aligning components of an ink jet printhead of a continuous ink jet printer. First and second bonding surfaces are provided on first and second components, respectively, of the ink jet printhead. The first and second components are then aligned and attached. The attaching can be accomplished by applying an adhesive, which may also incorporate a chemical accelerator, or by distributing an adhesive from a central region of the bonding surfaces to create an adhesive bond between the first and second bonding surfaces.

Alignment apparatus for an ink jet droplet generator

The present invention provides for an improvement in the removal of fluid from an ink jet printhead. A branched structure having multiple groups of branches creates a flow geometry, with each group of branches having a connecting trunk. The fluid flow is then able to be directed from each plurality of branches down the connecting trunk. Pressure drops at the branching nodes are minimized by directing the flow from the combined branches down the connected trunk. Expansion losses at the branching nodes are minimized by funneling down the flow at the branching nodes, with the trunk having a narrower channel than the combination of the joined branches.

Device for balanced uniform flow and simplified construction to remove fluid from an ink jet printer

An apparatus is provided for locking an ink jet resonator assembly into a printhead of a continuous ink jet printer. The locking apparatus comprises a resonator holder for holding the resonator prior to alignment of the resonator assembly; a frame for supporting the resonator holder and the resonator assembly after alignment; and a methyl-cyanoacrylate adhesive applied between the resonator holder and the frame to lock into position the properly aligned resonator assembly.

Instant resonator position lock

A mounting apparatus holds in position a droplet generator assembly to be mounted in a continuous ink jet printing system. The droplet generator assembly comprises a pair of conical slots and a pair of conical apertures, located on opposing sides of the droplet generator. A resonator clamping plate includes a plurality of mating protrusions. A resonator support includes a plurality of spherical protrusions. A holding force, such as a screw, securely holds the assembled structure. The clamp and support interact with the conical slots and apertures to locate and exactly constrain the droplet generator. With the mounting structure of the present invention, the six degrees of freedom of adjustment are controlled.

Low stress droplet generator mount assembly

Connections to a charge plate in an ink jet print head are made using anisotropic conductive material. Reliable, high yield connections approaching 200 connections per inch are achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Beavercreek, OH, United States of America

Bruce A Bowling