University of Michigan

Ethan John McMillan

Kira Barton

Lai Yu Leo Tse

An electrohydrodynamic printer has a self-cleaning extractor that can cleaning itself during printing. The extractor can be in the form of a metal block or a metal rod along which a layer of cleaning fluid flows from a source of cleaning fluid to a collector. The surface of the extractor along which the cleaning fluid flows can be adjustable between horizontal and any other angle. The self-cleaning extractor eliminates the need to interrupt e-jet printing cycles to clean stray printing fluid from the extractor by continuously keeping the extractor clean during ink extraction and printing.

Electrohydrodynamic printer with self-cleaning extractor

A printer is configured to provide a stream of extraction gas that extracts a printing fluid from a printing nozzle. An electrode produces an electric field that accelerates the extracted printing fluid toward a printing substrate. The printer can be configured to selectively turn the electric field and the stream of extraction gas off and on to enable printing in a gas-extraction mode, an e-assisted gas-extraction mode, or an e-jet mode. The stream of gas can be provided by a second nozzle concentric with the printing nozzle, and the electrode can be part of the second nozzle. A third nozzle can discharge a focusing gas around the extracted printing fluid.

Printer with gas extraction of printing fluid from printing nozzle

A printer includes a nozzle from which a stream of printing fluid is electrostatically extracted and directed toward a printing surface. A diverter can selectively interrupt the stream of printing fluid so that at least some of the extracted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface. Another stream of printing fluid can be extracted from another nozzle in a different direction from the first. Respective diverters can selectively and independently interrupt each stream of printing fluid to control which portions of the extracted fluids are deposited over the printing surface. Diverted printing fluid can be collected and reused. The diverters allow for a more constant or uniform extraction field while permitting selective deposition of ink droplets similar to drop-on-demand printing schemes.

Multi-nozzle electrohydrodynamic printing with diverters

A printer is configured to provide a jet of extraction gas that extracts a printing fluid from a printing nozzle in the presence of an electric field that accelerates the extracted printing fluid toward a printing substrate. The printer is also configured to selectively turn the electric field and the jet of extraction gas off and on to enable printing in gas-extraction mode, an e-assisted gas-extraction mode, or an e-jet mode. The jet of gas can be provided by a second nozzle concentric with the printing nozzle. A third nozzle can discharge a focusing gas around the extracted printing fluid.

An electrohydrodynamic print head includes a plurality of nozzles and a common electrode. Separately controllable electrostatic fields between the common electrode and each nozzle are provided. The common electrode can also shield adjacent electrostatic fields from each other. Each nozzle can be associated with separately controllable gas flow fields and separately back pressures. The print head enables simultaneous e-jet printing of different printing fluids and/or different resolutions. The print head may be part of a printing system with interchangeable cartridges. Each cartridge has multiple nozzles, and printing fluid extraction parameters can be made separately controllable for each nozzle.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Haven, MI, United States of America

Ethan John McMillan