US5070345A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Interlaced ink jet printing
Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems America Inc
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Filing: 1990-02-02
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Granted: 1991-12-03
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Expires: 2010-02-02
Abstract
Abstract A pixel row interlacing method and system, and print head for practicing same, for use with dot-matrix ink jet printers which apply ink to a substrate as elevated temperatures (e.g., phase change ink jet printers), which assures environmentally symmetric ordered placement of molten ink droplets and, thereby, achieves seamless dot-matrix printing and minimizes the horizontal striping or "banding" effects which are prevalent in prior art printers. Odd rows of print region are printed in one pass and the even rows of the same region are printed in the following pass. The guidelines for laying down dots are essentially: (1) adjacent dot rows should not be laid down in the same pass; (2) each dot row should be sandwiched by either (a) virgin paper on both sides of the dot row, or (b) ink on both sides of the dot row; (3) the first and the last dot row in each solid pattern are exempted from guidelines #2 and #3.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Lahut
- 👤 Jim Keeler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:25
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/21; B41J2/2132; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/04; H04N1/19; H04N1/191; H04N1/1911; H04N1/1912
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
For use in an ink jet printer having a print head comprised of a plurality of jetting nozzles for jetting heated ink droplets onto a substrate comprised of a plurality of pixel rows during successive passes of the print head over the substrate, an improved process for printing onto the substrate, the improvement comprising: (a) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the odd numbered rows in a print region comprising consecutive pixel rows i to 2 n -1, during a pass of the print head, where n is a positive integer and i is either 1 or 2; (b) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the even numbered rows in the same print region, in the next pass of the print head; (c) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the odd numbered rows in another print region comprising consecutive pixel rows beginning with the first pixel row following the last pixel row of the immediately preceding print region and ending with the 2 n -3 pixel row thereafter, during the next pass of the print head; and (d) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the even numbered rows in the print region of step (c), in the next pass of the print head.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
207 words
For use in an ink jet printer having a print head comprised of a plurality of jetting nozzles for jetting heated ink droplets onto a substrate comprised of a plurality of pixel rows during successive passes of the print head over the substrate, an improved process for printing onto the substrate, the improvement comprising: (a) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the odd numbered rows in a print region comprising consecutive pixel rows i to 2 n -1, during a pass of the print head, where n is a positive integer and i is either 1 or 2; (b) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the even numbered rows in the same print region, in the next pass of the print head; (c) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the odd numbered rows in another print region comprising consecutive pixel rows beginning with the first pixel row following the last pixel row of the immediately preceding print region and ending with the 2 n -3 pixel row thereafter, during the next pass of the print head; and (d) jetting one or more ink droplets onto the even numbered rows in the print region of step (c), in the next pass of the print head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 wherein is steps (c) and (d) are repeated for one or more additional print regions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein the ink is a phase change ink and the printer is a phase change ink jet printer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the phase change ink jet printer is of the impulse type.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
9 words
The process of claim 1 wherein i is 1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
9 words
The process of claim 1 wherein i is 2.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claims 1 or 5 or 6 wherein n is selected from the integers 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
166 words
An improved ink jet printer having a print head comprised of 2 n jetting nozzles for jetting heated ink droplets onto a substrate comprised of a plurality of pixel rows during successive passes of the print head over the substrate, the improvement comprising: (a) all the nozzles of the print head having a uniform vertical spacing corresponding to two pixel rows; (b) means for positioning the substrate so that the first pixel row is opposite the first nozzle, and then activating nozzles 1 to 2 n during a pass of the print head; (c) means for advancing the substrate a pixel row and then activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 during another pass of the print head; and (d) means for advancing the substrate 2*2 n -3 and then activating nozzles 2 to 2 n during another pass of the print head, and advancing the substrate a pixel row and then activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 during another pass of the print head.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
166 words
An improved ink jet printer having a print head comprised of 2 n jetting nozzles for jetting heated ink droplets onto a substrate comprised of a plurality of pixel rows during successive passes of the print head over the substrate, the improvement comprising: (a) all the nozzles of the print head having a uniform vertical spacing corresponding to two pixel rows; (b) means for positioning the substrate so that the first pixel row is opposite the first nozzle, and then activating nozzles 1 to 2 n during a pass of the print head; (c) means for advancing the substrate a pixel row and then activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 during another pass of the print head; and (d) means for advancing the substrate 2*2 n -3 and then activating nozzles 2 to 2 n during another pass of the print head, and advancing the substrate a pixel row and then activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 during another pass of the print head.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The printer of claim 8 further including means for repeating step (d) one or more additional times.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The printer of claims 8 or 9 wherein the nozzles are arranged in a slanted array.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The printer of claim 10 wherein the horizontal distance between two adjacent nozzles is seven times the uniform vertical distance between adjacent nozzles.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The printer of claim 11 wherein the horizontal distance between two adjacent nozzles is 14/240th of an inch.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
255 words
An improved print head having 2 n nozzles for an ink jet printer of the type for jetting heated ink droplets onto a substrate comprised of a plurality of pixel rows during successive passes of the print head over the substrate, the improvement comprising: (a) all the nozzles of the print head having a uniform vertical spacing corresponding to two pixel rows; (b) means for activating nozzles 1 to 2 n during a pass of the print head so as to deposit ink on the odd numbered pixel rows of the substrate within a print region defined by consecutive pixel rows from i to 2 n -1, where i is 1 or 2; (c) means for activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 during another pass of the print head so as to deposit ink on the even numbered pixel rows in the same print region of the substrate; (d) means for activating nozzles 2 to 2 n during another pass of the print head so as to deposit ink on the odd numbered rows of another print region comprising consecutive pixel rows from beginning with the first pixel row following the last pixel row of the immediately preceding print region and ending with the 2 n -3 pixel row thereafter, during the next pass of the print head; and (e) means for activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 so as to deposit ink onto the even numbered rows in the print region of element (d), in the next pass of the print head.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
255 words
An improved print head having 2 n nozzles for an ink jet printer of the type for jetting heated ink droplets onto a substrate comprised of a plurality of pixel rows during successive passes of the print head over the substrate, the improvement comprising: (a) all the nozzles of the print head having a uniform vertical spacing corresponding to two pixel rows; (b) means for activating nozzles 1 to 2 n during a pass of the print head so as to deposit ink on the odd numbered pixel rows of the substrate within a print region defined by consecutive pixel rows from i to 2 n -1, where i is 1 or 2; (c) means for activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 during another pass of the print head so as to deposit ink on the even numbered pixel rows in the same print region of the substrate; (d) means for activating nozzles 2 to 2 n during another pass of the print head so as to deposit ink on the odd numbered rows of another print region comprising consecutive pixel rows from beginning with the first pixel row following the last pixel row of the immediately preceding print region and ending with the 2 n -3 pixel row thereafter, during the next pass of the print head; and (e) means for activating nozzles 1 to 2 n -1 so as to deposit ink onto the even numbered rows in the print region of element (d), in the next pass of the print head.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The print head of claim 13 further including means for repeating steps (d) and (e) for one or more additional print regions.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The print head of claims 13 or 14 wherein the ink is a phase change ink and the printer is a phase change ink jet printer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The print head of claim 15 wherein the phase change ink jet printer is of the impulse type.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
10 words
The print head of claim 13 wherein i is 1.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
10 words
The print head of claim 13 wherein i is 2.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The print head of claims 13 or 17 or 18 wherein n is selected from the integers 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The print head of claims 13 or 14 wherein the nozzles are arranged in a slanted array.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
The print head of claim 20 wherein the horizontal distance between two adjacent nozzles is seven times the uniform vertical distance between adjacent nozzles.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The print head of claim 21 wherein the horizontal distance between two adjacent nozzles is 14/240th of an inch.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claims 1 or 2 wherein at least one print region is rectangular.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 3 wherein at least one print region is rectangular.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The printer of claims 8 or 9 wherein at least one print region is rectangular.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
13 words
The printer of claim 10 wherein at least one print region is rectangular.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
The print head of claims 13 or 14 wherein at least one print region is rectangular.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
14 words
The print head of claim 15 wherein at least one print region is rectangular.
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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) | 1994-12-02 | 1995-06-03 | 1995-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-12-02 | 1999-06-03 | 1999-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-12-02 | 2003-06-03 | 2003-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |