Image construction system using multiple arrays of drop generators

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) includes: e. scanning a master representation of the pattern to be reproduced; f. creating digital control signals from the scanning operation; and g. and employing the signals from step (f) to control the switching step (d).

Claim 4

Apparatus for controlled placement in space and time of repetitiously generated liquid drops comprising: a plurality of arrays of orifices for generation of a plurality of rows of liquid jets each directed along a specific trajectory related to the other jets; all of said orifices having the same exit area and parallel nozzle axes; the orifices in each of said arrays having a common center-to-center spacing and the arrays being laterally staggered for production of interleaved adjoining drop deposit patterns across a receiving member moved successively Past said arrays, adjoining drop deposits being spaced by a predetermined center-to-center distance (d); liquid supply means operative to provide all said orifices with liquid at the same pressure thereby providing drops of uniform size and parallel jet trajectories with drops having a common velocity; means for producing drop stimulation at a common frequency (f) in all of said jets; switching means including a charging device for each jet arranged to charge selectively predetermined ones of the drops according to a master intelligence input and deflecting means cooperating with said charging devices to switch drops from their respective trajectories according to the charge status of the individual drops; means for removing drops of one charge status from the jets; data transfer means for generation of a data matrix in response to a master intelligence input and connected to produce a visible display of said matrix by control of said switching means; and transport drive means operative to move a receiving member such as a web past said arrays at a constant velocity (Vw) matched to the drop stimulation frequency (f) and the drop size such that the frequency is relative to the web velocity and drop deposits according to f d and the deposit areas of successive drops issuing from the same orifice will adjoin on the receiving member.

Claim 5

Apparatus for controlled placement in space and time of repetitiously generated liquid drops comprising: a plurality of arrays of orifices for generation of a plurality of rows of liquid jets each directed along a specific trajectory related to the other jets; all of said orifices having the same exit area and parallel nozzle axes; the orifices in each of said arrays having a common center-to-center spacing and the arrays being laterally staggered for production of interleaved adjoining drop deposit patterns across a receiving member moved successively Past said arrays, adjoining drop deposits being spaced by a predetermined center-to-center distance (d); liquid supply means operative to provide all said orifices with liquid at the same pressure thereby providing drops of uniform size and parallel jet trajectories with drops having a common velocity; means for producing drop stimulation at a common frequency (f) in all of said jets; switching means including a charging device for each jet arranged to charge selectively predetermined ones of the drops according to a master intelligence input and deflecting means cooperating with said charging devices to switch drops from their respective trajectories according to the charge status of the individual drops; means for removing drops of one charge status from the jets; data transfer means for generation of a data matrix in response to a master intelligence input and connected to produce a visible display of said matrix by control of said switching means; and transport drive means operative to move a receiving member such as a web past said arrays at a constant velocity (Vw) matched to the drop stimulation frequency (f) and the drop size such that the frequency is relative to the web velocity and drop deposits according to f d and the deposit areas of successive drops issuing from the same orifice will adjoin on the receiving member.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3, said data transfer means comprising timing means for delaying switching commands to jets in successive arrays by amounts correlated to the longitudinal displacements of the arrays with respect to the path of motion of the receiving member and the velocity of the receiving member.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 and further comprising a plurality of rows of sensors arranged in spaced positions corresponding to the arrangement of said arrays and means for transporting a representation of said master intelligence input past said sensors at a velocity corresponding to the velocity of the receiving member.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, comprising: a plurality of rows of photosensors corresponding in number and arrangement to said jets; means for transporting a representation of the master intelligence past said banks of photosensors; means for directing radiant energy to which said photosensors respond against said representation of the master intelligence for modification of the energy before it reaches said photosensors, switching controls responsive to individual ones of said photosensors and connected to corresponding ones of said charging devices; and a drive for said transporting means coordinated to said transport drive means to cause a one-to-one reproduction of elemental areas of said master intelligence on said receiving member.

Claim 9

Apparatus for the rapid precise placement of small drops of liquid in a pattern of predetermined width on a receiving member continuously moving in a direction lengthwise of the pattern, comprising: a supply of liquid under pressure; a plurality of arrays of laterally spaced orifices extending across the pattern width of said receiving member, all of said orifices communicating with said liquid pressure supply to develop a series of liquid jets directed in parallel equidistant paths towards said receiving element and said arrays being staggered to produce an interleaved pattern of adjoining drop deposits; stimulator means imposing on all the jets continuous vibration at a predetermined frequency to cause each of said liquid jets to break into individual drops identical as to size and velocity and equally spaced from each other; means moving the receiving member to intersect the drop paths at a constant velocity so related to the stimulation frequency that successive drops from the same orifice will make adjoining drop deposits, whereby each drop remaining in each path is deposited in a predestined and different coordinate position on the receiving memBer; charging means for selectively applying a charge to each drop in all of said series as each drop is formed; means providing a deflection field along and normal to the drop paths between said charging means and said receiving member; means controlling said charge applying means to cause differential charging on a binary basis of corresponding drops in each of said jets at the same instant; means for diverting the drops having one charge condition and allowing the drops having the other charge condition to continue along the normal jet path to deposit on the receiving member; and said means controlling said charge applying means including: a support for a master representation of the pattern, reading means having a plurality of sensors corresponding in number to the number of orifices in said array, said reading means being mounted to scan the entire width of said master, driving means synchronized to said means for moving the receiving member and connected to cause relative scanning movement between said master supporting means and said reading means at a rate correlated with the movement of said receiving member, and individual control connections between each of said sensors and corresponding ones of said charge applying means.

Claim 10

Apparatus for the rapid precise placement of small drops of liquid in a pattern of predetermined width on a receiving member continuously moving in a direction lengthwise of the pattern, comprising: a supply of liquid under pressure; a plurality of arrays of laterally spaced orifices extending across the pattern width of said receiving member, all of said orifices communicating with said liquid pressure supply to develop a series of liquid jets directed in parallel equidistant paths towards said receiving element and said arrays being staggered to produce an interleaved pattern of adjoining drop deposits; stimulator means imposing on all the jets continuous vibration at a predetermined frequency to cause each of said liquid jets to break into individual drops identical as to size and velocity and equally spaced from each other; means moving the receiving member to intersect the drop paths at a constant velocity so related to the stimulation frequency that successive drops from the same orifice will make adjoining drop deposits, whereby each drop remaining in each path is deposited in a predestined and different coordinate position on the receiving memBer; charging means for selectively applying a charge to each drop in all of said series as each drop is formed; means providing a deflection field along and normal to the drop paths between said charging means and said receiving member; means controlling said charge applying means to cause differential charging on a binary basis of corresponding drops in each of said jets at the same instant; means for diverting the drops having one charge condition and allowing the drops having the other charge condition to continue along the normal jet path to deposit on the receiving member; and said means controlling said charge applying means including: a support for a master representation of the pattern, reading means having a plurality of sensors corresponding in number to the number of orifices in said array, said reading means being mounted to scan the entire width of said master, driving means synchronized to said means for moving the receiving member and connected to cause relative scanning movement between said master supporting means and said reading means at a rate correlated with the movement of said receiving member, and individual control connections between each of said sensors and corresponding ones of said charge applying means.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein: the master to be reproduced is an optical representation of the pattern; said supporting means including a rotatable cylinder; said reading means including a plurality of optical fibers arranged across said cylinder in spaced positions corresponding to the arrangement of the orifices in said arrays, said sensors comprising a plurality of photoelectric transducers, each one receiving light from a corresponding one of said optical fibers; and said driving means being connected to rotate said cylinder past the opposite ends of said optical fibers.

Claim 12

Apparatus for the rapid precise placement of small drops of liquid in a pattern of predetermined width on a receiving member moving in a lengthwise direction, comprising: at least two arrays extending laterally across the width of said pattern and in predetermined spaced relation with each other in the longitudinal direction of movement of the receiving member; a source of liquid under pressure connected to each said array; a plurality of laterally spaced orifices in each array communicating with said liquid pressure supply to develop a series of laterally spaced liquid jets directed along parallel equally spaced paths toward said receiving member; said jets being spaced laterally from each other by a distance greater than the minimum spacing desired for adjacent areas on said receiving member, the locations of the jets from one array being offset laterally from those of another such that drops deposited from different arrays are interleaved with each other to cover side-by-side bands lengthwise of said receiving member; means for imposing on all the jets continuous stimulation at a predetermined frequency to separate said liquid jets into a plurality of streams of individual drops identical as to size and velocity and spaced apart to form successive drop deposits at the same spacing as the spacing between adjacent bands; switching means for selectively applying electrostatic charges to selected drops from the jets of both of said arrays; means for deflecting each charged drop from its jet and allowing the uncharged drops to deposit in predetermined locations on said receiving element; and means for moving a receiving member past the arrays at a constant speed equal to the drop generation frequency times the center-to-center spacing of adjoining drop deposits whereby each drop is destined for a predetermined coordinate location on the receiving member and the action of said switching means determines the form of pattern created by deposited drops on the receiving member.

Claim 13

Apparatus for the rapid precise placement of small drops of liquid in a pattern of predetermined width on a receiving member moving in a lengthwise direction, comprising: at least two arrays extending laterally across the width of said pattern and in predetermined spaced relation with each other in the longitudinal direction of movement of the receiving member; a source of liquid under pressure connected to each said array; a plurality of laterally spaced orifices in each array communicating with said liquid pressure supply to develop a series of laterally spaced liquid jets directed along parallel equally spaced paths toward said receiving member; said jets being spaced laterally from each other by a distance greater than the minimum spacing desired for adjacent areas on said receiving member, the locations of the jets from one array being offset laterally from those of another such that drops deposited from different arrays are interleaved with each other to cover side-by-side bands lengthwise of said receiving member; means for imposing on all the jets continuous stimulation at a predetermined frequency to separate said liquid jets into a plurality of streams of individual drops identical as to size and velocity and spaced apart to form successive drop deposits at the same spacing as the spacing between adjacent bands; switching means for selectively applying electrostatic charges to selected drops from the jets of both of said arrays; means for deflecting each charged drop from its jet and allowing the uncharged drops to deposit in predetermined locations on said receiving element; and means for moving a receiving member past the arrays at a constant speed equal to the drop generation frequency times the center-to-center spacing of adjoining drop deposits whereby each drop is destined for a predetermined coordinate location on the receiving member and the action of said switching means determines the form of pattern created by deposited drops on the receiving member.