Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Funai Electric Company Ltd.

The Procter Gamble Company

Bruce David Gibson

George Keith Parish

Kent Lee Ubellacker

Curtis Ray Droege

Frank Edward Anderson

James Harold Powers

Sam Norasak

Thomas Jon Eade

John Dennis Zbrozek

Fred Young Brandon

Steven Robert Komplin

Mark Joseph Edwards

Robert Wilson Cornell

Lucas David Barkley

David Golman King

Eric Spencer Hall

Ann Marie Trebolo

Kenneth James Harshbarger

William Michael Toon

Russell Alan Budd

Mikel J Stanich

Michael Anthony Marra, Iii

Stephan Gary Bush

James Daniel Anderson, Jr

Ashok Murthy

Randall David Mayo

Edmund Hulin James, Iii

Jeffery James Buchanan

Judith Ann Hollingshead

Johnnie A Coffey

John Philip Bolash

Bruce Anthony DeBoard

Gina Marie Johns

Stephen Todd Olson

Trevor Daniel Gray

Shirish Padmaker Mulay

David Wayne DeVore

Michael David Lattuca

Adam D Carrithers

Sherwood Kantor

Chisomaga Ugochi Nwachukwu

Nicholas Jon Post

J Glenn Edelen

Wayne A Overby

Adam Neal Chalin

Ramkumar Singh Sankar Singh

Bruce H Ostermeier

Jeanne Marie Singh

Raymond Joseph Fortuna, Ii

Robert W Milgate, Iii

Michael A Marra Iii

Stephen T Olson

A method of atomizing a fluid composition is provided that includes dynamically measuring the minimum-required actuation energy for the fluid composition. The method includes the steps of: connecting a microfluidic cartridge with a housing of a microfluidic device, the microfluidic cartridge comprising a reservoir containing the fluid composition and a microfluidic die in fluid communication with the reservoir; the microfluidic device comprising a controller; measuring the minimum-required actuation energy for the fluid composition at a first time; atomizing the fluid composition in a first atomization period; measuring the minimum-required actuation energy for a fluid composition at a second time that is after the first time; and atomizing the fluid composition in a second atomization period.

Method of atomizing a fluid composition

A priming device for a fluid cartridge, a fluid dispense device configured for priming the fluid cartridge, and a method for priming a fluid cartridge. The priming device includes an impact mechanism for a fluid cartridge, wherein the fluid cartridge is devoid of a backpressure device and has a fluid reservoir and an ejection head chip in fluid flow communication with the fluid reservoir.

Ejection head priming mechanism

A vapor delivery device having a reservoir for containing an amount of fluid. An ejector receives the fluid, and a controller fires the ejector to express a given dosage of the fluid through a number of nozzles in the ejector into an airstream at a firing frequency and for a firing duration. As the amount of the fluid within the reservoir decreases, the controller also at least one of reduces the firing frequency of the ejector, increases the number of nozzles, and increases the firing duration.

Vapor delivery device

A method for determining the pulse width for driving printhead nozzles in a thermal inkjet printer. The printhead is preheated to a desired temperature during a maintenance mode. The printhead nozzle heaters are successively driven in respective heating intervals, where each successive heating interval is characterized by shorter drive pulse width pulses occurring at a higher pulse frequency. The printhead temperature data received during each heating interval is processed to determine a respective temperature slope. The temperature slopes are compared to a desired threshold temperature slope, and when a match is found, the pulse width associated with the matched temperature slope is used to drive the nozzle heaters during subsequent printer operations to print characters on a print medium.

Printhead nucleation detection using thermal response

Heater chips for use with a printing device, such as heater chips that include a first heater array, positioned substantially adjacent a first via, and a second heater array, positioned substantially adjacent a second via. The heater chip can also include a region, positioned between the first heater array and the second heater array, and a temperature sensing element operable to sense the temperature of the region, where the temperature sensing element is substantially centrally disposed with respect to the region. According to one embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensing element comprises a temperature sensing resistor.

Methods and apparatuses for sensing temperature of multi-via heater chips

Some embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printhead within which a removable ink cartridge can be installed. Upon installation, the ink cartridge can be coupled to one or more wicks in the printhead for establishing fluid communication between one or more chambers in the ink cartridge and nozzles through which ink exits the printhead during operation. The wick can extend from a cartridge receptacle to a substantially enclosed ink reservoir in order to transport ink from the removable cartridge to the ink reservoir.

Bridging wick and method for an inkjet printhead

Heater chips for use with a printing device, such as heater chips that include a first heater array, positioned substantially adjacent a first via, and a second heater array, positioned substantially adjacent a second via. The heater chip can also include a region, positioned between the first heater array and the second heater array, and a temperature sensing element operable to sense the temperature of the region, where the temperature sensing element is substantially centrally disposed with respect to the region. Additionally, the first heater array and the second heater array are operable to receive heating responsive to the temperature of the region sensed by the temperature sensing element to regulate the temperature of the region. According to one embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensing element comprises a temperature sensing resistor and the heating may occur via non-nucleating heating.

Methods and apparatuses for regulating the temperature of multi-via heater chips

A printhead for an inkjet printer includes an ink reservoir and a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink from the ink reservoir onto print media, the nozzles being formed in the ink jet printer printhead in a predetermined fashion with bores purposefully shaped and directed to determine the formation and placement of main drops and/or satellite droplets when ink is ejected from the ink reservoir when the printhead is part of an inkjet printer.

Balanced satellite distributions

Some embodiments of the invention provide a printhead having a chip feed extending between an ink reservoir and printhead nozzles, wherein the chip feed has an inlet, and outlet, and one or more projections or recesses in a transition surface of the chip feed. The transition surface and the projection or recess can be inclined with respect to the outlet of the chip feed, and in some cases can be curved to present a concave or convex shape toward the outlet of the chip feed.

Inkjet printhead with bubble handling properties

Some embodiments of the present invention provide an inkjet printhead within which a removable ink cartridge can be installed. Upon installation, the ink cartridge can be coupled to one or more wicks in the printhead for establishing fluid communication between one or more chambers in the ink cartridge and nozzles through which ink exits the printhead during operation. The wick can extend from a cartridge receptacle to a filter in order to transport ink from the removable cartridge to the filter. In some embodiments, the wick is retained in place within the printhead by a cap, which can be coupled to one or more filter towers. The wick can have upstream and downstream interfaces that can be the same or different in shape and/or size.

Wick for an inkjet printhead

Inkjet printhead chips comprise a substrate, a plurality of transducers, a plurality of interconnects and driver circuitry capable of electrically connecting the transducers and the interconnects. The substrate has a surface with opposing first and second edges, with a plurality of transducers arranged along the first edge and a plurality of interconnects arranged along the second edge. The driver circuitry is arranged on the substrate. The printhead chips can also be included in inkjet printhead chip assemblies wherein the printhead chip is arranged on a print surface of a body, and wherein the print surface is capable of being arranged generally parallel to a surface of a print-receiving medium. In this embodiment, an edgefeed is disposed between the first edge and the printhead body, and is in fluid communication with an ink reservoir. At least one chamber is in fluid communication with the edge feed and a plate is provided with a plurality of apertures, each aperture being capable of cooperating with at least one of the at least one chambers to allow ink to be ejected from the at least one of the at least one chambers.

Performance inkjet printhead chip layouts and assemblies

An ink jet printing apparatus is provided comprising a print cartridge including at least one resistive heating element in at least one ink-containing chamber having an orifice. The apparatus further includes a driver circuit, electrically coupled to the print cartridge, for applying to the resistive heating element warming and firing pulses separated by a delay period. The warming pulse causes the resistive heating element to warm a portion of the ink adjacent to the heating element and the firing pulse causes the resistive heating element to produce a vapor bubble in the chamber which causes a droplet of ink to be ejected from the chamber orifice.

Ink jet printer having driver circuit for generating warming and firing pulses for heating elements

A method of printing with an ink jet printer compensates for skewed printing on a print medium An image area is defined on the print medium that has a plurality of rows of pixel locations and a plurality of columns of pixel locations. A printhead includes a plurality of vertically adjacent ink emitting orifices arranged in an array having a height. The printhead is scanned during first and second scans across the print medium in a direction transverse to the advance direction. The ink is jetted onto the print medium from the ink emitting orifices during the first and second scans at selected ink dot placement locations generally corresponding to one of the columns of pixel locations An offset is determined in a transverse direction between a bottom ink dot placement location associated with the first scan and a top ink dot placement location associated with the second scan. The ink dot placement locations associated with each swath is shifted by a predetermined amount to properly align the top dots of that swath with the bottom dots of the previously printed swath.

Alignment system and method of compensating for skewed printing in an ink jet printer

A drive transistor for an ink jet print head includes a semiconductor substrate having a serpentine channel of a first type doping, the channel comprising substantially parallel first and second serpentine channel portions, the first and second serpentine channel portions defining an inner region disposed between the first and second serpentine channel portions and an outer region disposed outside the first and second serpentine channel portions. A drain of a second type doping which is disposed within the inner region. A source of a second type doping which is disposed within the outer region. The transistor has a serpentine gate that overlies the serpentine channel. An elongate drain conductor, which tapers from a wide drain conductor end to a narrow drain conductor end, at least partially overlies a portion of the drain and the serpentine channel. An elongate source conductor has two tapered source conductor portions that at least partially overly the source and the serpentine channel. The folder serpentine geometry of the channel and gate provides for a reduction in device on-resistance of about 40% compared to a conventional ink jet drive transistor.

Drive transistor with fold gate

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Bruce David Gibson