Anharmonic stimulation of inkjet drop formation
US7073896B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 25, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 8, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2/115
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A continuous inkjet device emits a stream of fluid from nozzles. Droplet break-off is stimulated by the application of external perturbing stimulus to the stream in a manner that controls the formation of satellite drops. Satellite behavior is controlled by the use of a composite perturbing signal, composed of at least two frequencies that are not harmonically related, but are related by the ratio of small integers. In one embodiment, the use of two perturbing signals with frequencies fL and fH having a ratio of M/N, where M and N are integers, and M is not a multiple of N, and N is not a multiple of M, produces a repeating drop pattern of either M or N drops at the beat frequency of the combined signal, the constituent drops in said repeating pattern have different satellite formation characteristics. With suitable choice of phase and amplitude of the two component perturbing signals, at least one drop in the repeating pattern is observed to have favorable satellite behavior, or the absence of satellites, and is optimal for printing. This stimulation method, producing a repeating pattern of drops of different satellite behavior may then be aligned with the phase of a guard drop sc…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.