Tektronix, Inc.

Jon C Mutton

Hue Phuoc Le

Ronald F Burr

Ronald L Adams

Peter J Unger

Donald R Titterington

C Wayne Jaeger

Loc V Bui

Thomas R Shrout

James D Rise

Qiming Zhang

L Eric Cross

David A Tence

A J Rogers

James D Padgett

Wayne Jaeger

Qiyue Chia Jiang

A ferroelectric relaxor ceramic actuator material, such as lead magnesium niobate ('PMN'), has high electromechanical conversion efficiency, exhibits wide operating and manufacturing temperature ranges, does not require permanent polarization, and provides useful mechanical activity with reduced electrical drive voltages. A PMN actuator (66) may be bonded to an actuator diaphragm (64) with a high temperature soldering or brazing process. PMN material also has a diffuse Curie point range in which the dielectric constant (40), 'd' coefficient (32), and dielectric loss (42) characteristics all rise to a peak and then fall as the temperature increases. A phase-change ink-jet print head (50) employs a PMN actuator that is compounded with lead titanate ('PT') to increase the temperature (T.sub.M) at which the peak dielectric constant occurs. The print head is operated at a temperature beyond the peak where the PMN:PT actuator 'd' coefficient decreases as the temperature increases such that an increase in ink-jet drop ejection velocity caused by reduced ink viscosity is compensated for by a corresponding reduction in mechanical activity. The PMN:PT actuator thereby relaxes the temperature regulation and heat spreading requirements of the phase-change ink-jet print head.

Ferroelectric relaxor actuator for an ink-jet print head

Gray scale ink jet printing method and apparatus produce a high quality image having varying color intensities. This is achieved by mixing a colored phase change ink with varying amounts of a clear phase change ink base, thereby producing multiple gray scale levels of each color. The mixing either can be performed prior to placement of the phase change ink in the printer, or can be performed within the printer to produce different levels of color intensity during the printing process.

Method and apparatus for producing ink intensity modulated ink jet

An ink jet (10) apparatus and method provides high-resolution gray scale printing by providing multiple PZT drive waveforms (100, 110, 120), each having a spectral energy distribution that excites a different modal resonance of ink in an ink jet print head orifice (14). By selecting the particular drive waveform that concentrates spectral energy at frequencies associated with a desired oscillation mode and that suppresses energy at the other oscillation modes, an ink drop (170, 180, 190) is ejected that has a diameter proportional to a center excursion size of the selected meniscus surface oscillation mode. The center excursion size of high order oscillation modes is substantially smaller than the orifice diameter, thereby causing ejection of ink drops smaller than the orifice diameter. Conventional orifice manufacturing techniques may be used because a specific orifice diameter is not required. Jetting reliability and contaminant susceptibility are, thereby, improved by eliminating the need for an unconventionally small orifice. Changing a selected PZT drive waveform amplitude changes drop ejection velocity without changing drop volume. This invention, therefore, provides for selection of ejected ink drop volumes having substantially the same ejection velocity over a wide range of ejection repetition rates.

Method and apparatus for producing dot size modulated ink jet printing

A method and the apparatus for employing the method are disclosed whereby an intermediate transfer surface of a layer of sacrificial liquid is applied to a supporting surface and a phase change ink is deposited on the liquid layer. The inked image is then contact transferred to a final receiving substrate.

Imaging process

A relay for wideband signals is provided having a rotor which includes a permanent magnet structure, an armature, and a microstrip pattern for selectively engaging microstrip patterns on a substrate and having a stator which includes an electromagnet. To minimize wear, while maintaining high frequency performance, the rotor is raised, rotated, and lowered by a stator or electromagnet onto the new position relative to the substrate microstrip pattern. In a first stable state the electromagnet is inactive and the rotor engages the substrate microstrip pattern in a first position. To place the relay in a second stable state, the electromagnet is energized which simultaneously attracts the armature, raising the rotor, as well as repulsing the permanent magnet structure. The rotor then rotates to the desired second position and the electromagnet is inactivated. The rotor then lowers and engages the substrate microstrip pattern in a second position.

Relay for wideband signals

A control panel supports and positions interchangeable subunit electronic devices and provides a neat and uniform outwardly facing surface. When subunit electronic devices are disconnected from the control panel, cover plates extend and conform to the uniform outwardly facing surface. Hinged support members 'lock' in an over center position to rigidly support each cover plate. Electrical connectors protruding from each subunit electronic device 'unlock' the hinged support members from the over center position when the subunit electronic device is urged toward the cover plate.

Control panel for electronic instruments

A device and method for producing a digital signal representative of the position of a moveable control stick relative to one or more reference planes. The device includes means for detecting the location of a shadow cast by a portion of the control stick extending between one or more light-emitting elements and one or more light-sensitive elements, and means for generating a digital signal representative of the detected location. With the light-emitting or light-sensitive elements oriented in a planar array, the signal thus generated is representative of the position of the control stick relative to the plane of the array.

Photoelectric joystick

Electrographic paper is fed over a segmented platen where its dielectric surface receives image defining electrostatic charges deposited by styli bearing directly and successively upon it. The styli are integral to an endless belt moving laterally to the surface. Voltage pulses corresponding to the input information are applied to the segmented platen to produce the electrostatic charges. The latent image charged surface is progressively fed to an image toning and fixing cycle to produce a hard copy.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Jon C Mutton