Droplet deposition apparatus
USRE36667E · kind E · reissue
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 15, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 25, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 15, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC —)General
Abstract
A pulsed droplet ink jet printer has relatively long thin ink channels extending in parallel between an ink manifold 13, and a nozzle plate 5 providing a nozzle 6 for each channel. Side walls 11 may be formed substantially entirely of piezo-electric material so as to be displaceable transversely into a selected channel on the application of an electric field. This transverse displacement produces an acoustic wave in the channel which results in the ejection of an ink droplet. The side walls may deflect in shear mode to a cross-section of chevron formation. Usefully, it is arranged that both side walls adjoining the selected channel are displaced inwardly of the channel to cooperate in droplet ejection. Under this arrangement, the channels are assigned alternately to first and second groups of channels, only one group of channels being capable of actuation at any one instant. The nozzles associated with the respective groups of channels may be offset so as to compensate for the time delay in actuation of channels in the first and second groups.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.