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Color printer having concurrent drop selection and drop separation, the printer being adapted for connection to a computer

  • US 5,914,737 A
  • Filed: 12/04/1996
  • Issued: 06/22/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A bi-level color printing apparatus including:

  • (a) a connection to a computer;

    (b) a PDL interpreter;

    (c) a digital halftoning unit which converts the continuous tone image data output by the PDL interpreter to bi-level image data;

    (d) a bi-level page memory used to store at least one full page of bi-level data;

    (e) a print head comprising;

    (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles,(2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles,(3) a pressurizing device adapted to subject ink in said body of ink to a pressure of at least 2% above ambient pressure, at least during drop selection and separation to form a meniscus with an air/ink interface,(4) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles, and(5) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles; and

    (f) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the a print head at a correct time during a printing operation.

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