Printing apparatus and method for controlling the spread of fluid around a nozzle orifice
US6257700A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jul 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49401
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A printing apparatus having a printing head that prevents ink, diluent, and a mixed solution thereof from adhering to and spreading about a portion of the printing head around a nozzle. The printing apparatus has an enhanced ability to reproduce a gradation of concentration, thereby making it possible to form a recorded image of high resolution. The printing head has a first nozzle, which discharges a discharge medium, and a second nozzle, which discharges a metering medium. The orifices of the first and second nozzles are adjacent to each other in a nozzle outlet face of the printing head. A groove, a hydrophilic portion, or an insular projection is formed between the first and second nozzles to control the spread of ink, diluent, and a mixed solution thereof around the nozzles. The hydrophilic portion may be made by a non-processed portion of the outlet face of the printing head, and a portion other than the nonprocessed portion may be made a hydrophobic portion. Several variations of the groove, hydrophilic portion, and insular projection are disclosed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.