Rotatable paraboloidal reservoir useful in an ink jet printer

Claim 3

In combiNation: a passageway for fluid following an upwardly sloped course, said passageway having a substantially uniform cross-section; a fluid metering element of the type incapable of sustaining a predetermined input pressure mounted on said passageway for ejecting fluid from said passageway; an input port for fluid to enter said passageway located at a point on said passageway below said metering element; and means for rotating said passageway about a vertical axis at an angular velocity at which the slope of the free surface of fluid within said passageway is generally the same as the slope of said upwardly sloped course such that said fluid within said passageway rises from said input port to said metering element and the head pressure of said fluid within said passageway is substantially minimized whereby fluid is supplied to said metering element at a pressure no greater than said predetermined input pressure.

Claim 4

In combiNation: a passageway for fluid following an upwardly sloped course, said passageway having a substantially uniform cross-section; a fluid metering element of the type incapable of sustaining a predetermined input pressure mounted on said passageway for ejecting fluid from said passageway; an input port for fluid to enter said passageway located at a point on said passageway below said metering element; and means for rotating said passageway about a vertical axis at an angular velocity at which the slope of the free surface of fluid within said passageway is generally the same as the slope of said upwardly sloped course such that said fluid within said passageway rises from said input port to said metering element and the head pressure of said fluid within said passageway is substantially minimized whereby fluid is supplied to said metering element at a pressure no greater than said predetermined input pressure.

Claim 5

The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said passageway follows a generally parabolic course, the axis of the parabola being vertically orientated and the vertex of the parabola being directed downward; and wherein said parabolic passageway is rotated about its axis.

Claim 6

A rotatable reservoir, comprising: a container for fluid having the form of a paraboloid of revolution, the axis of said paraboloidal container being vertically orientated, and the vertex of said paraboloidal container being directed downward; a passageway for said fluid adjacent to the wall of said paraboloidal container, said passageway having a generally uniform cross-section, and having an entrance port by which fluid from said container enters said passageway; an ink jet directed radially outward and communicating with said passageway to eject fluid radially outwardly; means for rotating said paraboloidal container about its axis at an angular velocity such that said fluid rises upwardly in said passageway to provide fluid to said ink jet; and means for metering fluid passing through said ink jet.

Claim 7

A rotatable reservoir, comprising: a container for fluid having the form of a paraboloid of revolution, the axis of said paraboloidal container being vertically orientated, and the vertex of said paraboloidal container being directed downward; a passageway for said fluid adjacent to the wall of said paraboloidal container, said passageway having a generally uniform cross-section, and having an entrance port by which fluid from said container enters said passageway; an ink jet directed radially outward and communicating with said passageway to eject fluid radially outwardly; means for rotating said paraboloidal container about its axis at an angular velocity such that said fluid rises upwardly in said passageway to provide fluid to said ink jet; and means for metering fluid passing through said ink jet.

Claim 8

The reservoir recited in claim 4 wherein said passageway is formed between said first mentioned container and a second container, having the form of a paraboloid of revolution, coaxially inserted within said first-mentioned paraboloidal container and similarly orientated; said second paraboloidal container having an orifice at its vertex through which fluid container therein enters said passageway.

Claim 9

The reservoir recited in claim 5 wherein the slope of said second paraboloidal container is greater than the slope of the paraboloidal surface of the fluid formed by the rotation of said container, whereby said fluid flows downwardly to said orifice.

Claim 10

The reservoir recited in claim 4 wherein said passageway comprises a tube having an entrance receptive of the fluid within said paraboloidal container located at the vertex thereof, and running along the wall of said paraboloid character to said ink jet.

Claim 11

An ink jet printing apparatus, comprising; a first container in the form of a first paraboloid of revolution, having its axis vertically orientated, and having its vertex directed downward; a jet located at the periphery of said first container and directed radially outward therefrom; means for controlling the flow of ink through said jet; means for guiding a printing medium past said jet; a second container for storing ink in the form of a second paraboloid of revolution coaxially inserted in said first container with its vertex directed downward so that a passageway is formed between said first and second containers; said first and second containers having thereby a common axis of revolution; said second container having an aperture at its vertex through which ink stored therein flows into said passageway; said passageway providing a flow path between the second container and said jet; means for rotating said containers about said axis with an angular velocity such that the paraboloidal shapE of the surface of the ink stored in said second container widens less rapidly as a function of height than does said first paraboloid of revolution, but more rapidly as a function of height than does said second paraboloid of revolution.

Claim 12

An ink jet printing apparatus, comprising; a first container in the form of a first paraboloid of revolution, having its axis vertically orientated, and having its vertex directed downward; a jet located at the periphery of said first container and directed radially outward therefrom; means for controlling the flow of ink through said jet; means for guiding a printing medium past said jet; a second container for storing ink in the form of a second paraboloid of revolution coaxially inserted in said first container with its vertex directed downward so that a passageway is formed between said first and second containers; said first and second containers having thereby a common axis of revolution; said second container having an aperture at its vertex through which ink stored therein flows into said passageway; said passageway providing a flow path between the second container and said jet; means for rotating said containers about said axis with an angular velocity such that the paraboloidal shapE of the surface of the ink stored in said second container widens less rapidly as a function of height than does said first paraboloid of revolution, but more rapidly as a function of height than does said second paraboloid of revolution.

Claim 13

An ink jet printing apparatus, comprising; a container in the form of a paraboloid of revolution, having its axis vertically orientated, and having its vertex directed downward; said container being a reservoir for storing ink; a jet located at the periphery of said container and directed radially outward therefrom; means for controlling said jet; means for guiding a printing medium past said jet; a tube having an entrance receptive of the ink stored within said container located at the vertex of said container and running along the wall of said container to said jet through which ink may flow from said container to said jet; and means for rotating said container about its axis at an angular velocity such that the paraboloidal shape of the surface of the ink stored in said container widens less rapidly as a function of height than does the paraboloidal shape of said container.

Claim 14

An ink jet printing apparatus, comprising; a container in the form of a paraboloid of revolution, having its axis vertically orientated, and having its vertex directed downward; said container being a reservoir for storing ink; a jet located at the periphery of said container and directed radially outward therefrom; means for controlling said jet; means for guiding a printing medium past said jet; a tube having an entrance receptive of the ink stored within said container located at the vertex of said container and running along the wall of said container to said jet through which ink may flow from said container to said jet; and means for rotating said container about its axis at an angular velocity such that the paraboloidal shape of the surface of the ink stored in said container widens less rapidly as a function of height than does the paraboloidal shape of said container.