Advanced Color Technology, Inc.

Advanced Surface Technology Inc.

Delphax Systems

Ast Gmbh

David M Hudson

Ih-Houng Loh

Robert A Moore

William R Buchan

Wen-Chu Tseng

Peter L Duffield

Richard A Loder

Steven I Zoltan

Wendell J Caley, Jr

Yueh-Ju Lee

Mark A Gilmore

A system is provided for positioning a substrate having a surface required to be characterized with a contact angle measurement. The system includes a stage which supports the substrate and a dispenser assembly having a dispensing tip through which a liquid droplet having a preselected volume is dispensed onto the surface of the substrate. A first actuating mechanism moves the stage in response to first actuation signals and a second actuating mechanism which changes the vertical spacing between the dispensing tip and the surface of the substrate and dispenses the liquid droplet from the dispenser assembly in response to second actuation signals. A controller is connected to the actuating mechanisms and delivers the first and second actuation signals to the first and second actuating mechanisms, respectively, so as to place the liquid droplet at a predetermined location on the surface of the substrate for performing the contact angle measurement.

System for performing contact angle measurements of a substrate

A process of depositing polymeric materials on the surface of a substrate.

Polymerization process

An apparatus adapted for depositing one or more polymeric materials on the surface of a substrate, which apparatus includes a polymerization chamber; an inlet for admitting a glow discharge polymerization precursor into the polymerization chamber; a first conductive member extending into the polymerization chamber; a first conductive support attached to the first conductive member for holding a substrate; a power generator arranged for transmitting electrical energy to the first conductive member; a second conductive member on or within the polymerization chamber, the second conductive member being spaced and insulated from the first conductive member; and a pump arranged for applying a vacuum to the polymerization chamber; whereby a glow discharge zone is established within the polymerization chamber when a vacuum is applied thereto and electrical energy from the first conductive member is received by the second conductive member. Also disclosed are a process of depositing polymeric materials on the surface of a substrate, which can be conveniently practiced using the above-described apparatus, and a product thereof.

Polymerization reactor

A transport member moves in a cyclic path to carry material from a first location to a second location at a different temperature, and a thermal shunt connects portions of the transport member. Counter-moving portions of the member are positioned to exchange heat with each other along an intermediate portion of the path, so that minimum energy is lost to the environment. In one embodiment as a printing apparatus, a belt transports a heat-fusible toner to a heater location where it is transferred and fused, i.e., transfused, as a print image to a sheet. Effective powder pick up and release is obtained in the printing apparatus with a transport member having an elastomeric layer of a softness which conforms to a receiving member of characteristic surface roughness, and a non-tacky outer coating which is harder than the elastomeric layer. The outer coating is thin enough to conform to the surface roughness, but hard enough to prevent entrainment of toner particles. A powdered filler allows a single thin belt to serve as the imaging element, i.e., as the latent and developed image carrier, as well as the element which transfers and fuses toner to a print. A duplex system employs two belt-imaging members which each travel over one of a pair of opposed pressure rollers having identical elastic characteristics.

Powder transport, fusing and imaging apparatus

The method of making a print head of the type that includes a piezoelectric transducer positioned within a metal housing having an annular channel in its inner surface that is sealed by a thin metal diaphragm to form an annular ink chamber. The transducer is in mechanical engagement with the inner surface of the diaphragm. The sudden removal of a voltage applied to the transducer expands the disk to reduce the volume of the ink chamber, rupture the meniscus, and force a droplet of ink from the printing orifice. The housing is formed with an internal taper which permits a groove to be cut readily either by a casting or by a tool entering from the larger end of the central opening in the housing. An aluminum mandrel is tapered to match the taper on the inner surface of the housing and provided with an annular groove that corresponds to the groove in the housing. The mandrel is plated with nickel that will later form the diaphragm. The housing and mandrel are then plated with indium. The mandrel is then forced into the central opening of the housing and subjected to ultrasonic energy, or maintained under pressure at an elevated temperature, to form a cold weld. The mandrel is removed by dissolving it in a caustic solution.

Method of making a printing head for an ink jet printer

The invention is embodied in a pressurized ink supply system for a three color ink jet printer. In order to provide a relatively large ink supply, three stationary primary ink reservoirs, formed as three long tubular sacks of flexible plastic film, contained in a pressurized disposable cartridge, are connected through flexible plastic umbilical tubes, and three solenoid-operated valves, to three secondary ink reservoirs mounted on the movable carriage of the print head. The pressure in the primary reservoirs, under automatic control, forces the ink to the secondary reservoirs and, under manual control, purges the ink passages and orifices by momentarily opening all of the solenoid valves. The waste ink that is discharged by this purging operation is captured and returned to a separate waste-ink storage chamber in the disposable cartridge. This waste-ink storage chamber is maintained under a slight vacuum by the same pump that provides the pressure for the ink reservoirs.

Growing community of inventors

Chelmsford, MA, United States of America

David M Hudson