Patent · US Expired

Surface ripple wave diffusion in apertured free ink surface level controllers for acoustic ink printers

US5216451A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
3References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 27, 1992
Grant dateJun 1, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 27, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/14008
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The free ink surface levels of acoustic ink printers are controlled by cap structures that have substantially non-retroreflective aperture configurations. The non-retroreflective configurations of the apertures of these cap structures cause diffusive scattering or directional deflection of the reflected surface ripple waves, thereby significantly reducing the time that is required for the oscillatory perturbations, which are caused by reflection of the surface ripple waves that are generated during the droplet ejection process, to dissipate to a negligibly low amplitude in the critical local areas of the ejection sites. This, in turn, increases the droplet ejection rates at which printers having such cap structures can be operated asynchronously.

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