Jet printer with enhanced print drop delivery

• US 7,380,911 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Fargo, Foster M. Jr., Pinard, Adam I., Guilmet, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/842,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/74, 347/75, 347/77, 347/55
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04 generating single droplets or particles on demand
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/09 Deflection means
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112

Abstract

Disclosed is a jet printing method, which includes firing printing fluid drops and deflecting them. The drops are then deflected again in a second direction, which can allow them to be deposited in a collimated swath. Also disclosed is dynamically adjusting the deflection to achieve a dynamic swath density and/or a dynamic swath width.

Claims

1. A jet printer, comprising:

a first jet printing nozzle;

at least one deflection element located proximate an output trajectory of the first jet printing nozzle and being positioned to deflect printing fluid drops exiting the first jet printing nozzle;

dynamic swath adjustment logic responsive to a dynamic swath adjustment signal and operative to dynamically adjust a signal provided to the deflection element during deposition of ink by the first ink jet printing nozzle; and

wherein the dynamic swath adjustment signal is a target swath-width signal and wherein the dynamic swath adjustment logic is operative to scale the signal provided to the deflection element during deposition of ink by the first ink jet printing nozzle.

2. The jet printer of claim 1 wherein the dynamic swath-width adjustment logic further includes offset correction logic operative to introduce an offset in the signal provided to the deflection element during deposition of ink by the first ink jet printing nozzle.

3. The jet printer of claim 1 wherein the dynamic swath-width adjustment logic is responsive to a substrate advance signal and to substrate shape information.

4. The jet printer of claim 1 further including half-tone imaging logic operative to drive the printer to print half-tone images on the print substrate.

5. The jet printer of claim 1 wherein the print substrate is a printing plate.

6. The jet printer of claim 1 further including an actuating mechanism that includes an actuator for conveying a substrate that includes a three-dimensional printing surface.

7. The jet printer of claim 6 wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to hold a container.

8. The jet printer of claim 6 wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to hold a three-dimensional plastic object.

9. The jet printer of claim 8 wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to hold a plastic bottle.

10. The jet printer of claim 8 wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to hold at least a partially non-cylindrical plastic bottle.

11. The jet printer of claim 6 wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to hold a three-dimensional metal object.

12. The jet printer of claim 6 wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to hold a three-dimensional semi-rigid object.