US3877036A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Precise jet alignment for ink jet printer
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1973-07-02
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Granted: 1975-04-08
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Expires: 1993-07-02
Abstract
Abstract An ink jet printing system in which vernier jet alignment is achieved by positioning an electrode within close proximity to the continuous stream of ink being emitted by the jet and applying a voltage to the electrode so as to create an asymmetrical force field which has a component perpendicular to the ink stream direction and which affects the trajectory of the ink stream. The vernier jet alignment technique reduces the high cost involved in obtaining similar tolerances mechanically and the complexity of electronic alignment after drop formation, and is suitable for either single or multiple jet printer configurations.
Inventors
- 👤 Karl Heinz Loeffler
- 👤 Heinz Hermann Weichardt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:25
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/07; B41J2/075; B41J2/08; B41J2/09
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
An alignable recording system for precisely recording on a recording medium comprising: a source of conductive fluid, a nozzle means for ejecting said conductive fluid in a continuous stream towards said recording medium; excitation means for agitating said conductive fluid prior to ejection from said nozzle means to cause said continuous stream to break up into uniform droplets at a point spaced from said nozzle means; a charging means positioned between said nozzle means and said recording medium and in close proximity to said continuous stream at said point where said continuous stream breaks up into droplets for selectively imparting charges to said droplets, deflection plates positioned between said charging means and said recording medium such that said droplets pass through the electrostatic field created by said deflection plates for deflecting said charged droplets along one dimension; and a bias control means positioned between said nozzle means and said charging means and in close proximity to said continuous stream prior to said point of breakup for creating a constant force field to transversely deflect said continuous stream along a second dimension approximately perpendicular to said one dimension for alignment of said stream.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
An alignable recording system for precisely recording on a recording medium comprising: a source of conductive fluid, a nozzle means for ejecting said conductive fluid in a continuous stream towards said recording medium; excitation means for agitating said conductive fluid prior to ejection from said nozzle means to cause said continuous stream to break up into uniform droplets at a point spaced from said nozzle means; a charging means positioned between said nozzle means and said recording medium and in close proximity to said continuous stream at said point where said continuous stream breaks up into droplets for selectively imparting charges to said droplets, deflection plates positioned between said charging means and said recording medium such that said droplets pass through the electrostatic field created by said deflection plates for deflecting said charged droplets along one dimension; and a bias control means positioned between said nozzle means and said charging means and in close proximity to said continuous stream prior to said point of breakup for creating a constant force field to transversely deflect said continuous stream along a second dimension approximately perpendicular to said one dimension for alignment of said stream.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
190 words
In an ink jet printer having a pressurized ink manifold means, an ink jet nozzle means for directing conductive ink from said manifold means in a continuous ink jet stream, excitation means in said manifold for actuating said ink jet to cause said stream to break into uniformly spaced droplets at a predetermined point, charging means positioned in close proximity to said continuous stream at said predetermined point for selectively charging said droplets, deflection plates positioned subsequent to charging means such that said droplets pass through the field created by said deflection plates for deflecting said charged droplets along a first dimension, and record media means for receiving drops of ink produced by said ink jet, in combination therewith, correction biasing means positioned in close proximity to said ink jet and intermediate said nozzle means and said charging means where the ink jet is still in a continuous stream prior to said predetermined point, for creating a constant force field for deflecting said ink jet stream along a second dimension perpendicular to the direction of said ink and perpendicular to said one dimension for alignment of said ink jet stream.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
190 words
In an ink jet printer having a pressurized ink manifold means, an ink jet nozzle means for directing conductive ink from said manifold means in a continuous ink jet stream, excitation means in said manifold for actuating said ink jet to cause said stream to break into uniformly spaced droplets at a predetermined point, charging means positioned in close proximity to said continuous stream at said predetermined point for selectively charging said droplets, deflection plates positioned subsequent to charging means such that said droplets pass through the field created by said deflection plates for deflecting said charged droplets along a first dimension, and record media means for receiving drops of ink produced by said ink jet, in combination therewith, correction biasing means positioned in close proximity to said ink jet and intermediate said nozzle means and said charging means where the ink jet is still in a continuous stream prior to said predetermined point, for creating a constant force field for deflecting said ink jet stream along a second dimension perpendicular to the direction of said ink and perpendicular to said one dimension for alignment of said ink jet stream.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-07 | 1978-10-07 | 1979-04-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-07 | 1982-10-07 | 1983-04-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-07 | 1986-10-07 | 1987-04-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |