US3979756A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for merging satellites in an ink jet printing system
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1974-12-18
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Granted: 1976-09-07
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Expires: 1994-12-18
Abstract
Abstract In an ink jet recorder, a ferrofluid ink is supplied under pressure to a nozzle to form a continuous ink jet stream. The jet stream is subjected to two or more perturbation forces out-of-phase with each other causing the satellites and drops to fast merge. Plural electromagnetic transducers are located at spaced locations along the stream and energized to produce out-of-phase perturbations on the stream. The spacing of the transducers is differentially related to spacing of varicosities or ink drops produced by first transducer. The out-of-phase perturbations can also be obtained using an electromechanical transducer and electromagnetic transducers located out-of-phase or energized out-of-phase with each other.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward F. Helinski
- 👤 Jack L. Zable
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 17:54
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/07; B41J2/075; B41J2/10; B41J2/015; B41J2/02; B41J2/035
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
In an ink drop forming system of the type having means for supplying magnetic ink under pressure to a nozzle or the like to cause a continuous jet stream of magnetic ink to flow from said nozzle and magnetic transducer means for applying periodic perturbations at plural spaced locations along said stream in advance of drop breakoff, a method of controlling the merging of satellites comprising making the spacing between said spaced location different from the wavelength of the peturbations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
In an ink drop forming system of the type having means for supplying magnetic ink under pressure to a nozzle or the like to cause a continuous jet stream of magnetic ink to flow from said nozzle and magnetic transducer means for applying periodic perturbations at plural spaced locations along said stream in advance of drop breakoff, a method of controlling the merging of satellites comprising making the spacing between said spaced location different from the wavelength of the peturbations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
91 words
A liquid jet apparatus comprising, means for projecting a liquid jet stream, and means for producing regularly spaced varicosities in said jet stream for producing drops of substantially uniform size and spacing, said means for producing said regularly spaced varicosities comprising first means for cyclically perturbing said stream with a first longitudinal force component in said jet stream, and second means for cyclically perturbing said stream with a second longitudinal force component in said jet stream out of phase with the wavelength of said varicosities produced by said first perturbing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
A liquid jet apparatus comprising, means for projecting a liquid jet stream, and means for producing regularly spaced varicosities in said jet stream for producing drops of substantially uniform size and spacing, said means for producing said regularly spaced varicosities comprising first means for cyclically perturbing said stream with a first longitudinal force component in said jet stream, and second means for cyclically perturbing said stream with a second longitudinal force component in said jet stream out of phase with the wavelength of said varicosities produced by said first perturbing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said jet stream is formed of field controllable fluid, and said means for perturbing said stream with said second longitudinal force component includes a field transducer means located proximate said jet stream in an out-of-phase relationship with the wavelength of said varicosities produced in said stream by said first stream perturbing means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
A liuqid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said jet stream is formed of magnetic liquid, and said means for perturbing said stream with said first and second longitudinal force components in said jet stream comprises magnetic transducer means located proximate said jet stream at at least two spaced locations, said spaced locations being differentially related to the spacing of varicosities in said jet stream.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said magnetic transducer comprises a magnetic core device said magnetic core device having two pole sections located at spaced locations along said jet stream, said spaced locations being differentially related to the spacing between varicosities in said jet stream, and means for cyclically energizing said magnetic core for producing differentially spaced magnetic fields causing said first and second longitudinal force components in said jet stream.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
94 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said jet stream is formed of field controllable liquid, and said means for perturbing said stream with said first and second longitudinal force components in said jet stream comprises field transducer means proximate said jet stream, said field transducer means being operable for generating said first and second longitudinal force components at plural spaced locations along said jet stream at a location in advance of said drop breakoff position, said spaced locations being differentially spaced relative to varicosities induced in said jet stream.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which said plural spaced locations have a distance greater than the spacing of successive varicosities in said jet stream.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which said plural spaced locations have a distance less than the spacing of successive varicosities in said jet stream.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the difference in said spacing of said locations and said varicosities is within the range of ± 1/3 the distance between the varicosites or multiples thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
67 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said jet stream is formed of field controllable fluid said first stream perturbing means is a cyclically operable vibratory device, and said second stream perturbing means is a field transducer proximate said jet stream at a location and operable out-of-phase relative to the wavelength of varicosities produced in said stream by said first stream perturbing means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 10 in which said ink jet stream is formed of a ferrofluid ink, said vibratory device is an electromechanical device, and said second stream perturbing means is a magnetic field transducer operable on said jet stream in advance of the drop break off region of said stream.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
62 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which said second means for perturbing said stream with said second longitudinal force component includes a field transducer located proximate said jet stream beyond the drop breakoff position of said stream and in an out-of-phase relationship with the wavelength of said varicosities produced in said stream by said first stream perturbing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
70 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said first means is a first transducer for applying periodic perturbations to said jet stream whereby varicosities are produced along said stream to cause said stream to break up into drops, and said second means is a second transducer located along said stream for applying periodic perturbations to said stream out of phase with the spacing of said varicosities.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 13 in which said liquid jet stream is a ferrofluid, said first transducer is an electromechanical transducer, and said second transducer is an electromagnetic transducer proximate said stream.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A liquid jet apparatus in accordance with claim 14 in which said first transducer is a piezoelectric device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3334351A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-09-07 | 1980-03-08 | 1980-09-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-09-07 | 1984-03-08 | 1984-09-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-09-07 | 1988-03-08 | 1988-09-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |