Stacked drop generators for pulsed ink jet printing

Claim 1

A stackable drop generator apparatus for ink jet printing comprising: a plurality of stackable housings of electrically nonconductive material each having a cavity for containing a fluid; means asociated with each housing and deformably responsive to a first change in polarities of electrical pulses, for producing a pressure wave in the fluid and responsive to a different change in polarities of electrical signals to establish a vacuum within said cavity; stackable means for transmitting electrical pulses to the deformably responsive means; means for flooding each cavity with fluid; a nozzel, integral with each housing, having an intake end in the fluid cavity and an exit port through which fluid is expelled from within the housing, the fluid cavity having a tapered portion associated with the nozzel to concentrate the pressure wave on the fluid; and wherein each stackable housing further comprises electrically nonconductive material having an ink trough and apertures, the ink trough being aligned with the ink trough of each other housing for supplying the respective cavity with fluid and the apertures being aligned with the apertures of each other housing to receive fastening means for stacking drop generators.