Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
Droplet formation apparatus (10) comprising: at least one electro-acoustic transducer means (15, 19) for generating tone bursts (42) of focused acoustic energy; tubular means (16a, 16b) supporting said electro-acoustic transducer means (15); and regulating means (28, 32, 38, 40) for supplying, across said tubular means (16a, 16b), a film of fluid having a generally constant velocity and thickness.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 1, in which said tubular means (16a, 16b) is substantially circular in cross-section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 1, in which said tubular means (16a, 16b) is substantially ellipitical in cross-section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus (10) as claimed in Claim 1, in which said tubular means (16a, 16b) is generally substantially polygonal in cross-section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which said electro-acoustic transducer means (15, 19) produces tone bursts (20) of focused acoustic energy having a focal distance which is generally between 0.1 and 0.5 millimeter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which said regulating means (28,32, 38, 40) provides a fluid velocity which is generally between 0.1 meter per second and 0.5 meter per second.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
173 words
Droplet formation apparatus (10) comprising: a head structure (16a) having an input side (22), an output side (24) and a transducer support surface (17); said head structure (16a) having a perimetrically smooth exterior surface (18) disposed between said input side (22) and said output side (24); a linear array of acoustic lenses (19) inscribed along a length of said smooth exterior surface (18) of said head structure (16a); a linear array of electro-acoustic transducers (15) for generating tone bursts (20) of acoustic energy substantially coincident with said transducer support surface (17) of said head structure (16a), each said electro-acoustic transducer (15) being generally aligned with one of said acoustic lenses (19); a power supply (21) and an electronic multiplexer (41) connected to said linear array of electro-acoustic transducers (15); a laminar flow regulator (28) adjustably mounted in proximity to said perimetrically smooth exterior surface (18) at said input side (22) of said head structure (16a); and means (32, 34, 38, 40) for continuously supplying pressurized fluid (33) through said laminar flow regulator (28).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
An acoustic printer having a printhead which comprises apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said fluid is ink and the said transducer means is operable to cause droplets of ink to be expelled by the printhead on demand.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
132 words
An acoustic printer having a printhead which comprises apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the said fluid is ink and the said transducer means is operable to cause droplets of ink to be expelled by the printhead on demand, and wherein the regulating means comprises: pump means (32) for applying pressure to an ink supply (33); filter means (36) for filtering said ink supply; means (28) for transforming the supply of ink into a thin film of ink; input means (22) for supplying the thin film of ink continuously across the tubular means; output means (24) for conducting the thin film of ink away from the tubular means; sump means (38) for collecting the ink; and return means (40) for returning ink to the pump means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
108 words
An acoustic printer having a printhead which comprises apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said fluid is ink and the said transducers are operable to cause droplets of ink to be expelled from the printhead, on demand, by the acoustic lenses, and wherein the means (32, 34, 38, 40) for continously supplying pressurized ink through the laminar flow regulator comprises: pump means (32) for applying pressure to an ink supply (33); filter means (36) for filtering said ink supply; sump means (38) for collecting ink from the output side (24) of the head structure (16a); and return means (40) for returning ink to the pump means.