Eastman-kodak Company

Rf Printing Technologies LLC

Xerox Corporation

Shanghai Realfast Digital Technology Co., Ltd

Shanghai Realfast Digital Technology, Ltd.

Yonglin Xie

Qing Yang

Joseph Jech, Jr

Carolyn Rae Ellinger

Richard Mu

John Andrew Lebens

Michael Joseph Piatt

Zhanjun Gao

David P Trauernicht

Michael Frank Baumer

Edward P Furlani

Gilbert Allan Hawkins

Gary Alan Kneezel

Hrishikesh Vijaykumar Panchawagh

Cathie J Burke

Kam Chuen Ng

Christopher R Morton

Ali G Lopez

Chang-Fang Hsu

Maria J Lehmann

Roger Stanley Kerr

Christopher Newell Delametter

James Michael Chwalek

Jeremy M Grace

Roger Guy Markham

Michael Alan Marcus

James D Huffman

Thomas W Palone

William G Hawkins

Charles F Faisst

Shan Guan

James Alan Katerberg

Ivan Rezanka

Dale R Ims

Thomas A Tellier

Peter A Torpey

Alan D Raisanen

Michael P O'Horo

Weibin Zhang

Eduardo Mariano Freire

Scott Charles Warner

Steven Jay Bloomberg

Mark D Evans

Scott N Seabridge

A drop ejector array device includes a first plurality and a second plurality of drop ejectors that are alternatingly disposed along an array direction on the substrate surface. A voltage input terminal and a current return terminal are disposed on the substrate surface. A first power bus line connects the first plurality to the voltage input terminal. A second power bus line connects the second plurality to the voltage input terminal. The second power bus line is electrically connected to the first power bus line by a primary power bus connector line. A first current return bus line connects the first plurality to the current return terminal. A second current return bus line connects the second plurality to the current return terminal. The second current return bus line is electrically connected to the first current return bus line by a primary current return bus connector line.

Voltage drop compensation for inkjet printhead

A first swath of first dots is printed, such that each column of first dots is disposed along a first direction and is spaced apart from other columns of first dots along a scan direction. Allowable locations of first dots have an irregular extent along at least a first stitch boundary of the first swath. A second swath of second dots is printed similarly. A first stitch boundary of the second swath is proximate to the first stitch boundary of the first swath to form a first stitched region. Allowable locations of second dots have an irregular extent along at least the first stitch boundary of the second swath that is complementary to the irregular extent along the first stitch boundary of the first swath, where the allowable locations of first dots and the second dots in the first stitched region are substantially not interspersed along the first direction.

Printing stitched swaths having complementary irregular boundaries

An inkjet printing system includes an printhead with a nozzle face having nozzles arranged along an array direction. A pressure source is configured to provide a positive or negative pressure to an ink source. A valve is fluidically connected between the ink source and the inkjet printhead. A cleaning station is configured to confront the nozzle face across a gap. The cleaning station includes a cleaning fluid dispenser for dispensing cleaning fluid onto the nozzle face. The cleaning station includes a waste fluid collector having a vacuum inlet that is displaced from the cleaning fluid dispenser in a first direction for collecting dispensed cleaning fluid. The cleaning station includes a blower that is displaced from the cleaning fluid dispenser in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The blower is configured to direct a gas stream along the nozzle face to move dispensed cleaning fluid toward the vacuum inlet.

Inkjet printing system with non-contact cleaning station

A drop ejection system includes a working fluid source containing a working fluid, an ink source containing an ink that is immiscible with the working fluid, and at least one drop ejector array module. Each drop ejector array module includes a substrate and an array of drop ejectors disposed on the substrate. Each drop ejector includes a nozzle; an ink inlet connected to the ink source; a working fluid inlet connected to the working fluid source; a pressure chamber in fluidic communication with the nozzle, the ink inlet, and the working fluid inlet; and a heating element configured to selectively vaporize a portion of the working fluid to pressurize the pressure chamber for ejecting ink drops through the nozzle.

Drop ejection using immiscible working fluid and ink

A hierarchically aligned inkjet printhead includes a plurality of printhead units and a base holding the printhead units. Each printhead unit includes a plurality of drop ejector array devices, each of which includes at least one drop ejector array; a first butting edge having a first mechanical alignment feature; and a second butting edge having a second mechanical alignment feature. Each printhead unit includes an ink manifold that is fluidically connected to each of the plurality of drop ejector array devices in the printhead unit; and a mounting member to which the drop ejector array devices are affixed. A pair of opposing alignment edges of each printhead unit are substantially parallel to the butting edges of the drop ejector array devices. A first of the opposing alignment edges includes an outwardly-extending projection, and a second of the opposing alignment edges includes a niche that is substantially complementary to the projection.

Inkjet printhead with hierarchically aligned printhead units

An inkjet printhead includes a two-dimensional array of drop ejectors arranged as a plurality of columns, each column including a plurality of banks, and each bank including a plurality of groups that each include a plurality of drop ejectors. The drop ejectors in each group are substantially aligned along a first direction. The groups in each bank are spaced from each other along the first direction and are offset from each other along a second direction. The banks in each column are spaced from each other along the first direction and are offset from each other along the second direction. The columns are offset from each other along the second direction. The two-dimensional array has a width W along the first direction and a length L greater than W along the second direction. Each drop ejector includes a nozzle, an ink inlet, a pressure chamber and an actuator.

Inkjet printhead with multiple aligned drop ejectors

An inkjet printing system includes a drop ejector array module having a temperature sensor and a logic circuit for sequentially selecting one or more drop ejectors in the array. The system also includes an image data source for providing an image data signal, a memory for storing a temperature correction factor, and a memory for storing at least one drop ejector correction factor. The system includes a fire pulse generator configured to receive signals corresponding to the temperature sensor, the temperature correction factor and the at least one drop ejector correction factor and to output a fire pulse waveform. Also included is a heating pulse generator configured to receive signals corresponding to the temperature sensor and the temperature correction factor and to output a heating pulse waveform. A waveform selector is provided for selecting either a fire pulse waveform or a heating pulse waveform based on the image data signal.

Inkjet printing apparatus with firing or heating waveform selector

An inkjet printing system includes at least one drop ejector array module having an array of drop ejectors disposed on a substrate. A primary temperature sensor is located near a first set of drop ejectors. At least one secondary temperature sensor is located near a second set of drop ejectors. Temperature comparison circuitry on the substrate is configured to compare signals from the primary temperature sensor and the at least one secondary temperature sensor. Pulse modification circuitry on the substrate is electrically connected to the temperature comparison circuitry and is configured to modify an input pulse waveform. The inkjet printing system also includes a controller that is electrically connected to the primary temperature sensor via a temperature output pad and to the pulse modification circuitry via a pulse waveform input pad.

Inkjet printhead temperature sensing at multiple locations

A method of printing an image with a printhead having spatially offset groups of drop ejectors, each group having a plurality of drop ejectors that are aligned substantially along a scan direction, includes enabling simultaneous firing of drop ejectors that are corresponding members of a first set of groups. Drop ejectors within each group of the first set are sequentially fired until each member of each group has had opportunity to fire. Corresponding drop ejectors of a second set of groups are simultaneously fired, and drop ejectors within each group of the second set are sequentially fired. Any additional groups of drop ejectors are likewise fired until all drop ejectors have had opportunity to fire during a first stroke. Drop ejectors are fired in subsequent strokes similar to the first stroke as the recording medium is moved relative to the printhead along the scan direction until printing is completed.

Printing method with multiple aligned drop ejectors

A printhead includes a jetting module that forms liquid drops travelling along a first path. A deflection mechanism causes selected liquid drops formed by the jetting module to deviate from the first path and begin travelling along a second path. A catcher includes a stationary porous surface. A liquid film flows over the stationary porous surface of the catcher. The catcher is positioned relative to the first path such that the liquid drops travelling along one of the first path and the second path contact the liquid film.

Liquid film moving over porous catcher surface

A printhead includes a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of liquid chambers. Each liquid chamber is in fluid communication with a respective one of the plurality of nozzles. An acoustic dampening structure includes a plurality of sets of air pockets and liquid flow restrictors. Each liquid chamber is in fluid communication with one of the sets of air pockets and liquid flow restrictors. A common liquid supply manifold is in fluid communication with each liquid chamber through the liquid flow restrictor associated with the liquid chamber.

Printhead including acoustic dampening structure

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

Yonglin Xie