US3681778A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Phasing of ink drop charging
Assignee: AB Dick Co
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Filing: 1971-05-03
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Granted: 1972-08-01
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Expires: 1991-05-03
Abstract
Abstract In a system wherein a stream of ink emitted from a vibrating nozzle passes through a charging tunnel wherein the ink stream breaks up into drops and the drops are charged by video signals, an arrangement is provided for insuring that the ink drops formed within the charging tunnel have the correct phase to receive a proper video signal.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert I Keur
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 13:50
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/07; B41J2/115
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
246 words
In a system for printing with ink drops on a sheet of paper of the type wherein ink is emitted from a vibrating nozzle in a stream which next passes through a drop charging device wherein said stream breaks up into drops whose formation is determined by the frequency and phase of the vibrating nozzle, said drop printing system including: means for generating video pulses, means for applying said video pulses to said drop charging device for charging each drop, and means for establishing an electric field through which charged drops pass, after passing through said drop charging device, to be deflected an amount determined by the charge on each drop, the improvement comprising: means for generating a test pulse immediately before and immediately after the interval of each video pulse having an amplitude greater than that of the largest video pulse, means for applying the output of said means for generating a test pulse to said drop charging device whereby a drop is charged with either a video pulse or a test pulse, drop interception means positioned beyond said electric field to intercept a drop whicH is charged by a test pulse, means for generating nozzle vibrating signals having one or the other of two phases, means responsive to interception of a drop by said drop interception means to transfer said nozzle vibrating signals from one to the other of said two phases, and means for applying said nozzle vibrating signals to vibrate said nozzle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
246 words
In a system for printing with ink drops on a sheet of paper of the type wherein ink is emitted from a vibrating nozzle in a stream which next passes through a drop charging device wherein said stream breaks up into drops whose formation is determined by the frequency and phase of the vibrating nozzle, said drop printing system including: means for generating video pulses, means for applying said video pulses to said drop charging device for charging each drop, and means for establishing an electric field through which charged drops pass, after passing through said drop charging device, to be deflected an amount determined by the charge on each drop, the improvement comprising: means for generating a test pulse immediately before and immediately after the interval of each video pulse having an amplitude greater than that of the largest video pulse, means for applying the output of said means for generating a test pulse to said drop charging device whereby a drop is charged with either a video pulse or a test pulse, drop interception means positioned beyond said electric field to intercept a drop whicH is charged by a test pulse, means for generating nozzle vibrating signals having one or the other of two phases, means responsive to interception of a drop by said drop interception means to transfer said nozzle vibrating signals from one to the other of said two phases, and means for applying said nozzle vibrating signals to vibrate said nozzle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
In an ink drop printing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said drop interception means positioned beyond said electric field includes a pair of conductive electrodes spaced apart a distance to be bridged by an ink drop which is intercepted thereby.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
205 words
In an ink drop system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for generating nozzle vibrating signals having one or the other of two phases includes a toggle flip-flop having a first and a second output and being driven to successively provide first one output and then the other output in response to successive input signals, a first NAND gate having two inputs and one output, a second NAND gate having two inputs and one output, means respectively connecting said first and second toggle flip-flop outputs to one of said respective first and second NAND gate inputs, a source of clock pulses, means for applying clock pulses from said source to the other of said first NAND gate inputs, means for inverting clock pulses from said source to obtain inverted clock pulses, means for applying inverted clock pulses to the other of said second NAND gate inputs, means for applying said output signal to drive said toggle flip-flop, a third NAND gate having two inputs and an output and means for applying the outputs of said first and second NAND gates to the inputs of said third NAND gate whereby its output constitutes nozzle vibrating signals of one or the other of two phases.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
263 words
A system for printing with ink drops on a sheet of paper comprising a source of ink under pressure, nozzle means for emitting a stream of ink from said source of ink toward said sheet of paper, a source of clock pulses at a particular frequency, means to which clock pulses are applied for generating nozzle vibrating signals having one or the other of two phases, means for applying said nozzle vibrating signals to said nozzle to cause it to vibrate whereby said stream of ink breaks into a stream of drops at a location downstream of said nozzle, drop charging means positioned at the location where said stream of ink breaks into a stream of drops, electrode means extending along the path of said stream of drops after they leave said charging means for establishing an electric field transverse to said path, means to which clock pulses are applied for generating video pulses at a frequency responsive to the clock pulse frequency, test pulse means for generating a test pulse just before and just after each video pulse, said test pulses having an amplitude larger than the largest video pulse, means for applying said video pulses and test pulses to said drop charging means, test electrode means positioned adjacent an end of said electrode means at a location for receiving only drops charged by a test pulse and producing an output signal indicative thereof, and means for applying output signals to said means for generating nozzle vibrating signals to shift the phase thereof from one to the other of said two phases.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
263 words
A system for printing with ink drops on a sheet of paper comprising a source of ink under pressure, nozzle means for emitting a stream of ink from said source of ink toward said sheet of paper, a source of clock pulses at a particular frequency, means to which clock pulses are applied for generating nozzle vibrating signals having one or the other of two phases, means for applying said nozzle vibrating signals to said nozzle to cause it to vibrate whereby said stream of ink breaks into a stream of drops at a location downstream of said nozzle, drop charging means positioned at the location where said stream of ink breaks into a stream of drops, electrode means extending along the path of said stream of drops after they leave said charging means for establishing an electric field transverse to said path, means to which clock pulses are applied for generating video pulses at a frequency responsive to the clock pulse frequency, test pulse means for generating a test pulse just before and just after each video pulse, said test pulses having an amplitude larger than the largest video pulse, means for applying said video pulses and test pulses to said drop charging means, test electrode means positioned adjacent an end of said electrode means at a location for receiving only drops charged by a test pulse and producing an output signal indicative thereof, and means for applying output signals to said means for generating nozzle vibrating signals to shift the phase thereof from one to the other of said two phases.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
198 words
A system as recited in claim 4 wherein said means to which clock pulses are applied for generating nozzle vibrating signals includes a toggle flip-flop having a first and a second output and being driven to successively provide first one and then the other in response to successive input signals, a first NAND gate having two inputs and one output, a second NAND gate having two inputs and one output, means respectively connecting said first and second toggle flip-flop outputs to one of said respective first and second NAND gate inpuTs, a source of clock pulses, means for applying clock pulses from said source to the other of said first NAND gate inputs, means for inverting clock pulses from said source to obtain inverted clock pulses, means for applying inverted clock pulses to the other of said second NAND gate inputs, means for applying said output signal to drive said toggle flip-flop, a third NAND gate having two inputs and an output, and means for applying the outputs of said first and second NAND gates to the inputs of said third NAND gate whereby its output constitutes nozzle vibrating signals of one or the other of two phases.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-01 | 1976-01-31 | 1976-08-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-01 | 1980-01-31 | 1980-08-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-01 | 1984-01-31 | 1984-08-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |