Eastman-kodak Company

Scitex Digital Printing, Inc.

Other

Robert J Simon

Charles D Rike

Randy Dae Vandagriff

David F Tunmore

Bruce A Bowling

Michael S Hanchak

Douglas E Schultz

James Alan Katerberg

Timothy John Young

W Charles Kasiske, Jr

Michael Frank Baumer

Terry Anthony Wozniak

Brian George Morris

John N Blum

John C Loyd

Joseph P Mangan

Dan C Lyman

Mikhail Fishkin

Joseph Edward Lill

Daniel J DeVivo

Seth C Clark

Michael Joseph Piatt

David Louis Jeanmaire

David John Nelson

Todd Russell Griffin

Zhanjun Gao

John Charles Brazas, Jr

Joseph E Yokajty

Thomas Walter Steiner

Randolph Brost

Richard W Sexton

Randy Lee Fagerquist

James E Harrison, Jr

Jinquan Xu

David A Huliba

Chang-Fang Hsu

Bradley A Phillips

Russell L Bartley

David N Pipkorn

Randal L Mullins

Richard Troy Enz

Richard J Ratermann

Kevin P Egan

Gary L Strain

Ornit Hadar

Julia A Gayhart

William H Sommerville, Iii

Kenneth C Harrington

Daniel R Rudolf

Daniel E Woolard

Richard T Enz

A method of fabricating a charging device for an inkjet printing system includes providing a charging device body having at least one conductive trace passing through the interior of the charging device body connecting between a charging face of the charging device body and an interconnection region remote from the charging face. A portion of the at least one conductive trace is exposed on the charging face. A vapor deposition process is used to deposit a conductive base layer through a shadow mask onto the charging face, wherein the deposited conductive base layer contacts the exposed portion of at least one conductive trace. One or more conductive metallic layers are plated onto the deposited conductive base layer to form a charging electrode.

Method for fabricating a charging device

A catcher () for collecting ink from non-printed drops and returning the ink to a fluid reservoir (), the catcher includes a flow channel () having a plurality of branches (); a structure to split a portion of each branch into two parallel sections to permit fluid to pass through either section; and wherein the flow of the two parallel sections () merge into a single flow downstream of the structure.

Catcher for collecting ink from non-printed drops

A printhead having a drop generator for creating print and non-print drops and a drop deflector for causing the trajectories of the print drops and the non-print drops to diverge includes a liquid extraction channel for removing liquid from the gas flow duct; the liquid extraction channel having an entrance which opens off from the gas flow duct; an outlet; a catcher for collecting the non-print drops wherein the catcher has an ink return channel; at least one via connecting the ink return channel to the liquid extraction channel; and wherein a portion of the liquid passing through the ink return channel of the catcher flows through the at least one via into the liquid extraction channel and from the liquid extraction channel out the outlet.

Printhead for generating print and non-print drops

Inkjet droplets having a vaporizable carrier fluid are jetted from a printhead according to image data. A heated condensation shield between the printhead and a target area at which the printhead directs drops protects against condensation of vaporized carrier fluid and creates heat. A heat shield between the printhead and a support structure for the printhead protects the printhead and support structure from heat and condensation. A heated zone exists between the heat shield and the condensation shield. The condensation shield is heated to a temperature above a condensation temperature of vaporized carrier fluid in the second region so that ink droplets that pass through the heated zone are heated in a manner that causes ink droplets having a first concentration to spread when printed onto a paper in the target area as if the ink droplets had a higher concentration of at least one percent.

Inkjet printer with in-flight droplet drying system

Inkjet droplets having a vaporizable carrier fluid are jetted from a printhead according to image data. A heated condensation shield is used between a printhead and a target area at which the printhead directs drops protects against condensation of vaporized carrier fluid and creates heat. A heat shield is used between the printhead and a support structure for the printhead protects the printhead and support structure from heat and condensation. A heated zone exists between the heat shield and the condensation shield. The condensation shield is heated to a temperature above a condensation temperature of vaporized carrier fluid in the second region so that ink droplets that pass through the heated zone are heated in a manner that causes ink droplets having a first concentration to spread when printed onto a paper in the target area as if the ink droplets had a higher concentration of at least one percent.

In-flight ink droplet drying method

A jetting module is provided for installation in a printhead including mounting features, fluid and electrical connections, and at least a portion of a drop deflection mechanism. The jetting module includes a nozzle plate, mounting features, and fluid and electrical connections. The mounting features of the jetting module are configured to engage the mounting features of the printhead. The fluid and electrical connections of the jetting module correspond to the fluid and electrical connections of the printhead. The fluid and electrical connections of the jetting module are located relative to the mounting features of the jetting module such that a force applied to couple the fluid and electrical connections of the jetting module and the fluid and electrical connections of the printhead provides force to maintain contact between the mounting features of the jetting module and the mounting features of the printhead.

Field replaceable jetting module

A printing system using multiple printheads maintains color consistency between the printheads by printing a first color patch () with a first color with a plurality of printheads () at a first pressure and with a first pixel fill coverage. A second color patch () is printed with the first color with the plurality of printheads at a second pressure with the first pixel fill coverage. The print density of the first patch and the second patch is measured for each of the plurality of printheads and the print density for each of the plurality of printheads is compared. A pressure for each of the plurality of printheads is adjusted to compensate for differences in density between the first patch and the second patch for each of the printheads.

Color consistency for a multi-printhead system

A drop generator is operated to form large-volume and small-volume droplets by providing a droplet generator having a nozzle and an adjustable stimulation device; supplying liquid to the droplet generator such that a stream of diameter D emanates from the nozzle; activating the stimulation device to produce a first set of perturbations on the liquid stream, the perturbations having a period x such as to cause the liquid stream to form into small-volume droplets; selectively adjusting the stimulation device to produce a second set of perturbations on the liquid stream, the second set of perturbations having a period Nx such as to cause a segment of the liquid stream to form into a large-volume droplet, whereby the large-volume droplet is N times the volume of the small-volume droplets; and further adjusting the stimulation device to produce a third set of perturbations on the liquid stream during the period Nx.

Continuous ink jet printer with modified actuator activation waveform

A mechanism for aligning the jetting module in a continuous inkjet printhead and for making fluid and electrical connections to the jetting module without compromising the alignment is disclosed. A mechanism to aid in installing the jetting module is also disclosed.

Jetting module installation and alignment apparatus

A drop generator operable to selectively form a drop having a first size and a drop having a second size from liquid emitted through a nozzle associated with the drop generator. The drop having the first size and the drop having the second size travel along a drop trajectory with the first size being larger than the second size when compared to each other. Each of the drops has a drop velocity. A gas flow deflection system includes a gas flow that is directed at a deflection zone that comprises at least a portion of the drop trajectory. The gas flow in the deflection zone includes a velocity vector having a parallel velocity component and a perpendicular velocity component with the parallel velocity component and the perpendicular velocity component being defined relative to the drop trajectory.

Printer having improved gas flow drop deflection

An inkjet printer having an array of nozzles from which ink drops are emitted further includes a mechanism adapted to detect fluid levels in an ink supply tank to the inkjet printer while the printer is in idle mode, and shut down the printer when ink usage exceeds a predetermined volume.

Inkjet printer with spill detection

An orifice array plate and a charge plate for a continuous ink jet printer print head are integrally fabricated by providing an electrically non-conductive substrate; forming, on one side of the substrate, an orifice plate with an array of orifices; forming, on the other side of the substrate, a charge plate comprising a plurality of charge leads aligned with respective ones of the orifices; and removing at least that portion of the substrate that is between the orifices and the charge leads. The final produce includes an electrically non-conductive substrate; an orifice plate, including an array of orifices, on one side of the substrate; a charge plate, including a plurality of charge leads, on the other side of the substrate such that the charge leads are aligned with respective ones of the orifices; and a plurality of passages through the substrate, said passages extending between the orifices and the charge leads.

Method of fabricating a self-aligned print head

The turbulence of the air moved through an inkjet print head enclosure is reduced before reaching the printing region between the print head and a print medium by positioning a HEPA filtration system between an air inlet opening in the enclosure and the print head. Turbulence is removed from air moved through the air path by HEPA filtration of the air being drawn into the print head enclosure before reaching the printing region.

Reduction of turbulence within printing region of inkjet printer heads

The method for shutting down an ink jet printhead and an ink jet printing station, wherein the method includes maintaining a constant positive pressure at the drop generator by closing the cross flush valve or ensuring that the cross flush valve is closed, thereby closing off the fluid return line to create a constant positive pressure through the drop generator and the orifice into the fluid line. The shutdown continues by stopping the flow of fluid from the fluid supply line and circulating cleaning fluid through at least one filter, into the drop generator, out through the orifice structure, into the fluid line, and into a reservoir. The shutdown ends by flowing pressurized air, which is preferably clean of particulates, through the filter, drop generator, orifice structure, and fluid line to displace substantially all the cleaning fluid from the filter, drop generator, and orifice structure.

Method of shutting down a continuous ink jet printer for maintaining positive pressure at the printhead

Growing community of inventors

Bellbrook, OH, United States of America

Robert J Simon