The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 01, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1998
Shinichi Horii, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuji Yakura, Kanagawa, JP;
Tooru Tanikawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Yuichiro Ikemoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroshi Tokunaga, Tokyo, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An ink-jet printer and a drive method for driving a recording head of an ink-jet printer are provided for controlling a size and a velocity of an ejected ink droplet. The ink-jet printer includes a droplet outlet orifice through which an ink droplet is ejected, an ink chamber communicating with the outlet orifice, an ink feed duct for feeding ink to the ink chamber, and a piezoelectric element for expanding and contracting the ink chamber in response to an applied voltage. A process for ink ejection includes a first step in which a meniscus in the outlet orifice is retracted towards the ink chamber by expanding the ink chamber, a second step in which the meniscus is moved towards the orifice by filling the chamber with ink, and a third step in which an ink droplet is ejected by contracting the ink chamber. The size and the velocity of the ink droplet ejected in the third step are controlled by controlling a position and a velocity of periodic travel of the meniscus at a start point of the third step.