Patent · US Expired

Method of operating an ink jet to reduce print quality degradation resulting from rectified diffusion

US5155498A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
12References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 6, 1991
Grant dateOct 13, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 6, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2202/12
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A drop-on-demand ink jet print head (9) has an ink pressure chamber (22) coupled to a source of ink (11) and an ink drop ejecting orifice (103) with an ink drop ejection orifice outlet (14). An acoustic driver (36), in response to a driver signal (100), produces a pressure wave in the ink and causes the ink to pass outwardly through the ink drop ejecting orifice (103) and the ink jet ejection orifice outlet (14) of the ink jet print head (9). In accordance with the present invention, controlling the operation of the ink jet print head (9) with a particular drive signal reduces print quality degradation resulting from rectified diffusion, which is the growth of air bubbles dissolved in the ink from the repeated application of pressure pulses to the ink residing within the ink pressure chamber (22) of the ink jet print head (9), such pressure pulses causing the application of pressures below ambient pressure. This method of controlling the operation of the ink jet print head (9) applies pressure below ambient pressure to the ink residing within the ink pressure chamber (22) of the ink jet print head (9) at magnitudes less than the threshold pressure magnitude that leads to the air bu…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.