Apparatus for providing an array of fine liquid droplets particularly suited for ink-jet printing

Claim 3

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said grooves are parallel.

Claim 4

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said grooves are essentially V-shaped.

Claim 5

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base plate means and said cover plate means are joined through hinging means which permit exposing the contacting surfaces for cleaning.

Claim 6

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles have a cross sectional area between about 2×10 -5 mm 2 and about 8×10 -3 mm 2 .

Claim 7

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said nozzles have an aspect ratio between about 2 and about 10.

Claim 8

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said manifold means are cut in said cover plate means.

Claim 9

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said manifold means are cut in said base plate means.

Claim 10

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base plate means and said grooves therein extend beyond the discharge end of said nozzles.

Claim 11

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cover plate means has grooves of the same configuration, size and spacing as said grooves of said base plate means and are aligned therewith, whereby said nozzles are formed by the resulting facing grooves.

Claim 12

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base plate means has a plurality of said grooves in opposite surfaces thereof and said cover plate means engage both of said surfaces whereby there are formed a plurality of nozzles in vertically and horizontally spaced relationship.

Claim 13

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base plate means is formed of crystalline silicon and said grooves are etched in said surface.

Claim 14

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base plate is formed of a synthetic resin material and said grooves are molded in said surface.

Claim 15

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base plate means and said cover plate means are permanently adhered in sealing relationship.

Claim 16

An apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said base plate means is formed of a metal and said grooves are machined in said surface.

Claim 17

An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein stream defining means are included to provide said liquid to said nozzles as individual streams, the length of said streams and the spacing between them being such as to electrically isolate each stream and each stream of liquid droplets formed therefrom.

Claim 18

An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said stream defining means comprise separate manifold channels for said nozzles or nozzles of the requisite length and spacing.

Claim 19

An apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said separate electrode means are deposited on the discharge end wall of said cover plate means and are arranged to contact said liquid streams at the discharge end of said nozzles.

Claim 20

An ink-jet array printing apparatus, comprising in combination (a) array forming means to provide an array of fine liquid streams which break up at drop formation points to form streams of liquid droplets, said array forming means comprising (1) base plate means having a plurality of grooves spaced according to a predetermined pattern in at least one contacting/sealing surface thereof (2) cover plate means engageable with said at least one surface of said base plate means to form with said grooves a plurality of nozzles extending along at least a portion of the length of said grooves, said base plate means and said cover plate means being maintained in liquid sealing contact; and (3) liquid manifold means communicating with said grooves to supply liquid under pressure to said nozzles (b) receptor surface means; (c) electrical signal source means; (d) signal control means to impress an electrical charge on at least some of said droplets of said streams; and (e) droplet directing electrode means to control the direction of travel and ultimate disposition of at least some of said droplets of each of said streams onto said receptor surface means.

Claim 21

An ink-jet array printing apparatus, comprising in combination (a) array forming means to provide an array of fine liquid streams which break up at drop formation points to form streams of liquid droplets, said array forming means comprising (1) base plate means having a plurality of grooves spaced according to a predetermined pattern in at least one contacting/sealing surface thereof (2) cover plate means engageable with said at least one surface of said base plate means to form with said grooves a plurality of nozzles extending along at least a portion of the length of said grooves, said base plate means and said cover plate means being maintained in liquid sealing contact; and (3) liquid manifold means communicating with said grooves to supply liquid under pressure to said nozzles (b) receptor surface means; (c) electrical signal source means; (d) signal control means to impress an electrical charge on at least some of said droplets of said streams; and (e) droplet directing electrode means to control the direction of travel and ultimate disposition of at least some of said droplets of each of said streams onto said receptor surface means.

Claim 22

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said grooves are parallel and essentially V-shaped in cross section.

Claim 23

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said base plate means and said grooves therein extend beyond the discharge end of said nozzles.

Claim 24

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said base plate means is formed of crystalline silicon and said grooves are etched in said surface.

Claim 25

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said base plate means is formed of a metal and said grooves are machined in said surface.

Claim 26

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said base plate means is formed of a synthetic resin material and said grooves are molded in said surface.

Claim 27

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein in said base plate means and said cover plate means are permanently adhered in sealing relationship.

Claim 28

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein stream defining means are included to provide said liquid to said nozzles as individual streams, the length of said streams and the spacing between them being such as to electrically isolate each stream and each stream of liquid droplets formed therefrom.

Claim 29

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 26 including separate electrode means associated with each of said liquid streams.

Claim 30

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 27 wherein said base plate means and said grooves therein extend beyond the discharge end of said nozzles to provide groove extensions and said separate electrode means are arranged to contact said liquid streams in said groove extensions.

Claim 31

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 27 wherein said signal control means comprises means to supply separate signals from said signal source to said separate electrodes means and common charging electrode means through which said liquid streams pass and in which said drop formation points are located.

Claim 32

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 27 wherein said stream defining means comprise separate manifold channels for said nozzles or nozzles of the requisite length and spacing.

Claim 33

An ink-jet array printing apparatus in accordance with claim 30 wherein said separate electrode means are deposited on the discharge end wall of said cover plate means and are arranged to contact said liquid streams discharged from said nozzles.