US3834301A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process and device for non-impact printing with liquid ink
Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute Inc
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Filing: 1972-11-06
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Granted: 1974-09-10
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Expires: 1992-11-06
Abstract
Abstract A process and device are provided for non-impact printing with liquid ink, in which ink dots of controlled size are printed at high speed on paper sheet or strip in accordance with desired printing patterns corresponding to printing control signals delivered by a data source. Electrically conductive ink is retained by capillary action in a plurality of uniform perforations in an electrically conductive ink-carrier provided with an ink-repelling layer. To provide selective ink transfer onto the paper, the ink-carrier is maintained at a given constant potential and the paper sheet is placed between said inkrepelling layer and an array of electrodes which are selectively aligned with perforations of the ink-carrier and receive said printing control signals in the form of voltage pulses of given amplitude and short duration. A localized electric field of controlled intensity and duration is thereby momentarily created between each selected electrode and the ink contained in the perforation in alignment therewith, so as to provide rapid attraction of the ink surface towards the paper for contact therewith. The amount of ink transferred onto the paper during contact may be controlled to provide ink dots of given size by suitable adjustment of the amplitude and duration of the voltage pulses, as well as adjustment of the distance between the paper and the ink at rest in each perforation.
Inventors
- 👤 J Croquelois
- 👤 W Erskine
- 👤 R Gerber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 03:28
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S101/00; Y10S101/37
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
353 words
A method of continuous, high speed, non-impact printing with liquid electrically conductive ink on a sheet-like conventional print medium of ordinary paper or the like, by printing ink dots thereon in response to electrical control signals corresponding to a desired printing pattern, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a perforated electrically conductive ink-carrying foil having a correspondingly perforated ink-repelling layer arranged on one side thereof and a regular array of capillary perforations traversing said foil and said layer, a print medium opposed to said ink-repelling layer, means for developing localized electric fields extending axially to said capillary perforations and disposed on an opposite side of said print medium as said ink carrying foil, and means for energizing anyone or any combination of said means for developing electric fields; b. introducing electrically conductive liquid ink into said perforated electrically conductive ink-carrying foil so that a small amount of said ink is retained by capillary force and stored within said perforations while forming an ink meniscus therein; c. positioning said foil and said print medium so that said inkrepelling layer is progressively placed adjacent to said medium and selected perforations of said array, each having said meniscus formed therein, are opposite said means for developing localized axially extending electric fields and opposite to and at a short predetermined distance from selected surface areas of said medium which are intended to receive ink dots; and d. maintaining said foil at a uniform potential while subjecting any one or any combination of said ink menisci formed within each of said selected perforations to a localized electric field extending axially to said perforations by selectively energizing said means for developing electric fields, said field being momentarily produced in response to voltage pulses of given amplitude and short duration, the intensity and duration of said field bieng such as to ensure axial attraction of each meniscus from said selected perforations and controlled deformation of said meniscus to provide contact thereof with one of said selected areas of the print medium for a sufficient short period to produce an ink dot of predetermined size on said one area.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
353 words
A method of continuous, high speed, non-impact printing with liquid electrically conductive ink on a sheet-like conventional print medium of ordinary paper or the like, by printing ink dots thereon in response to electrical control signals corresponding to a desired printing pattern, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a perforated electrically conductive ink-carrying foil having a correspondingly perforated ink-repelling layer arranged on one side thereof and a regular array of capillary perforations traversing said foil and said layer, a print medium opposed to said ink-repelling layer, means for developing localized electric fields extending axially to said capillary perforations and disposed on an opposite side of said print medium as said ink carrying foil, and means for energizing anyone or any combination of said means for developing electric fields; b. introducing electrically conductive liquid ink into said perforated electrically conductive ink-carrying foil so that a small amount of said ink is retained by capillary force and stored within said perforations while forming an ink meniscus therein; c. positioning said foil and said print medium so that said inkrepelling layer is progressively placed adjacent to said medium and selected perforations of said array, each having said meniscus formed therein, are opposite said means for developing localized axially extending electric fields and opposite to and at a short predetermined distance from selected surface areas of said medium which are intended to receive ink dots; and d. maintaining said foil at a uniform potential while subjecting any one or any combination of said ink menisci formed within each of said selected perforations to a localized electric field extending axially to said perforations by selectively energizing said means for developing electric fields, said field being momentarily produced in response to voltage pulses of given amplitude and short duration, the intensity and duration of said field bieng such as to ensure axial attraction of each meniscus from said selected perforations and controlled deformation of said meniscus to provide contact thereof with one of said selected areas of the print medium for a sufficient short period to produce an ink dot of predetermined size on said one area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
217 words
In the method according to claim 1 wherein: a. said ink-carrying foil is a metallic ribbon having said ink repelling layer on one side thereof with said capillary perforations arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows, said means for producing said localized electric field comprises a linear array of point electrodes each corresponding to the capillary perforations of one of said longitudinal rows; b. positioning said foil and said print medium so that said ink-repelling layer is placed adjacent to said medium and selected perforations of said array are opposite said means for developing localized axially extending electric fields comprises aligning said linear array of point-electrodes with said perforations and placing said linear array of point-electrodes a short distance from said perforations through relative movement between said metallic ribbon and said linear array of point-electrodes with said medium placed therebetween; and c. subjecting said ink meniscus formed within each of said selected perforations to a localized electric field comprises selectively applying control signals in the form of said voltage pulses to said linear array of point-electrodes aligned with said corresponding perforations to momentarily produce said localized electric fields of predetermined intensity and duration thereby inducing said deformation of said meniscus to produce ink dots of predetermined size disposed in a printing pattern determined by said control signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
In the method according to claim 2 wherein the amplitude and duration of said voltage pulses are adjusted to control the size of said ink dots.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
In the method according to claim 1 wherein said print medium is maintained at a short predetermined distance from said ink repelling layer during said attraction of the ink meniscus for contact thereof with said print medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
327 words
A continuous, high speed, non-impact printer for producing dots with liquid electrically conductive ink on a sheet-like conventional print medium of ordinary paper or the like, in accordance with electrical control signals corresponding to a desired printing pattern, said printer comprising: a. an electrically conductive ink-carrying foil having an ink repelling layer on one side thereof and a regular array of capillary perforations each traversing said foil and said layer and each forming a reservoir wherein a small amount of ink is retained by capillary force; b. inking means for applying ink to said foil for periodically filling said capillary perforations therein with said ink; c. an electrode head located on the opposite side of said medium from said foil comprising an array of point-electrodes spaced so that an individual electrode can be aligned with a single one of said perforations at a time; d. guide and drive means for guiding and driving said foil, said print medium, and said electrode head to produce relative movement of both said foil and said print medium with respect to said electrode head, so that opposite sides of said print medium are respectively arranged adjacent to said ink repelling layer and to said electrodes and that said perforations are thereby successively aligned with corresponding electrodes of said array; e. means for maintaining said foil and the ink retained therein at a predetermined, uniform electrical potential; f. means for selectively delivering control signals to any one or any combination of said electrodes, in the form of brief voltage pulses of predetermined amplitude and duration to momentarily develop an electric field of predetermined intensity extending between each electrode receiving one of said voltage pulses and a perforation aligned therewith so that said field causes controlled deformation and axial attraction of an ink meniscus from said perforation for contact thereof with a pre-selected area of said print medium thereby transferring ink to said area to form an ink dot of predetermined size thereon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
327 words
A continuous, high speed, non-impact printer for producing dots with liquid electrically conductive ink on a sheet-like conventional print medium of ordinary paper or the like, in accordance with electrical control signals corresponding to a desired printing pattern, said printer comprising: a. an electrically conductive ink-carrying foil having an ink repelling layer on one side thereof and a regular array of capillary perforations each traversing said foil and said layer and each forming a reservoir wherein a small amount of ink is retained by capillary force; b. inking means for applying ink to said foil for periodically filling said capillary perforations therein with said ink; c. an electrode head located on the opposite side of said medium from said foil comprising an array of point-electrodes spaced so that an individual electrode can be aligned with a single one of said perforations at a time; d. guide and drive means for guiding and driving said foil, said print medium, and said electrode head to produce relative movement of both said foil and said print medium with respect to said electrode head, so that opposite sides of said print medium are respectively arranged adjacent to said ink repelling layer and to said electrodes and that said perforations are thereby successively aligned with corresponding electrodes of said array; e. means for maintaining said foil and the ink retained therein at a predetermined, uniform electrical potential; f. means for selectively delivering control signals to any one or any combination of said electrodes, in the form of brief voltage pulses of predetermined amplitude and duration to momentarily develop an electric field of predetermined intensity extending between each electrode receiving one of said voltage pulses and a perforation aligned therewith so that said field causes controlled deformation and axial attraction of an ink meniscus from said perforation for contact thereof with a pre-selected area of said print medium thereby transferring ink to said area to form an ink dot of predetermined size thereon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
A printer according to claim 5 wherein said ink-carrying foil comprises a metallic ribbon having said ink repelling layer on one side thereof with said capillary perforations traversing said ribbon and said layer in a plurality of longitudinal rows, each row having at least one of said electrodes associated therewith for successive alignment of said one electrode with the perforations of one of said longitudinal rows.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printer according to claim 5, wherein said ink-carrying foil includes spacing members projecting from said ink repelling layer for contact with one surface of said print medium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A printer according to claim 5, wherein said caPillary perforations have a cross-section which increases between said ink repelling layer and the opposite side of said ink-carrying foil.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-09 | 1978-03-11 | 1978-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-09 | 1982-03-11 | 1982-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-09 | 1986-03-11 | 1986-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |