Piezoelectric operated printer head for ink-operated mosaic printer units

Claim 2

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head for an ink-jet printing unit with printing jets, each printing jet having a compression chamber containing a printing liquid and being cylindrically surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive element so that a droplet of printing liquid is ejected by a piezoelectric contraction of the drive element, the improvement comprising the printer head having a body with a plurality of printing jets arranged in a pattern at a printing location on one surface of the head, a common ink supply distributor carried on said head, each printing jet comprising an individual passage extending in a straight line through the body from an orifice at the printing location to said common ink supply distributor, each passage having a first segment of its length surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive element, said first segments being spaced from the printing location by a second segment of the passage, said passages being disposed in the printer head to extend away from the pattern of orifices at the printing location in a radiating pattern without any kinks therein so that the pattern of jet orifices has the required close spacing without the piezoelectric drive elements of adjacent passages being in physical interference with each other.

Claim 3

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head according to claim 1, wherein all of the passages of the jets are in communication with said ink supply distributor through a common capillary filter device.

Claim 4

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head according to claim 1, which includes a plate having a plurality of jet bores corresponding in number to the number of ink passages, said plate being disposed at the printing location and forming jet orifices for the printing jets.

Claim 5

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head according to claim 3, wherein said plate is detachably mounted on the body of the printer head.

Claim 6

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head according to claim 1, wherein the body of the printer head is a single cast body with said drive elements being cast in situ therein.

Claim 7

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head according to claim 5, wherein the body consists of a dielectric synthetic material.

Claim 8

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head according to claim 5, which includes a plug-in contact for each of the drive elements cast in situ in the body.

Claim 9

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head for an ink-jet printing unit with printing jets, each printing jet having a compression chamber containing a printing liquid and being cylindrically surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive element so that a droplet of printing liquid is ejected by a piezoelectric contraction of the drive element, the improvement comprising the printer head having a body with a plurality of printing jets arranged in a pattern at a printing location on one surface of the head, each printing jet comprising an individual passage extending through the body from an orifice at the printing location to a source of printing liquid, each passage having a first segment of its length surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive element, said first segments being spaced from the printing location by a second segment of the passage, said second segments of the passages being disposed in the printer head to extend away from a pattern of orifices at the printing location in a radiating pattern without any kinks therein, and a common ink supply distributor carried on said printer head for supplying ink to each of said passages, said ink supply distributor being in communication with said passages by a common capillary filter device comprising a throttle plate containing a narrow opening for each of the passages of the body and a close mesh grid disposed between the throttle plate and the ink passages of the body.

Claim 10

In a piezoelectrically operated printer head for an ink-jet printing unit with printing jets, each printing jet having a compression chamber containing a printing liquid and being cylindrically surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive element so that a droplet of printing liquid is ejected by a piezoelectric contraction of the drive element, the improvement comprising the printer head having a body with a plurality of printing jets arranged in a pattern at a printing location on one surface of the head, each printing jet comprising an individual passage extending through the body from an orifice at the printing location to a source of printing liquid, each passage having a first segment of its length surrounded by a cylindrical piezoelectric drive element, said first segments being spaced from the printing location by a second segment of the passage, said second segments of the passages being disposed in the printer head to extend away from a pattern of orifices at the printing location in a radiating pattern without any kinks therein, and a common ink supply distributor carried on said printer head for supplying ink to each of said passages, said ink supply distributor being in communication with said passages by a common capillary filter device comprising a throttle plate containing a narrow opening for each of the passages of the body and a close mesh grid disposed between the throttle plate and the ink passages of the body.

Claim 13

A method of forming a printer head body according to claim 9, wherein the step of inserting the pins includes inserting a plug-in contact for each of the drive elements, said plug-in contacts being connected to electrodes of the drive elements so that the plug-in contacts are cast in situ with the drive elements.