Metering device for paint for digital printing

• US 5,944,893 A
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Dean Robert Gary Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Dean Robert Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PADGETT, CALVIN F
• Application Number:
  US08/958,292
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 118/62, 118/63, 118/64, 118/65, 118/67, 118/68, 118/69, 118/419, 118/420, 118/424, 118/413, 118/410, 118/313, 118/314, 118/315, 118/400, 347/20, 347/37, 347/39, 347/40, 347/42, 347/43, 347/44, 347/102, 347/108, 347/21
• US Class Current: 118/300
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/04 operating with special methods
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2483 the supplying means involving no pressure or aspiration, e.g. means involving gravity or capillarity B05B7/2459, B05B7/247 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/001 Handling wide copy materials
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04 generating single droplets or particles on demand
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/02 Air-assisted ejection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material

Abstract

A paint injector for digital printing in which paint is deposited in metered amounts on a print medium comprising a wheel rotatable by a shaft of a motor, an idler disposed in a paint reservoir, and a segment of wire disposed around the wheel and the idler. The motor is preferably computer controlled such that the rotation of the wheel and thus movement of the wire is selectively controlled. As the wheel is rotated, paint contained within the paint reservoir coats the wire and is thus drawn by the wire in front of an air stream. The air stream pulls the paint from the wire and carries it toward the print medium. By employing a plurality of such paint injectors into a single print head, each containing a different color of paint, and secured to a computer controlled, movable carriage positioned over the print medium, a digital image can be painted by the print head on the print medium.

Claims

1. An apparatus for depositing a metered amount of a liquified pigmented material on a surface, comprising:

an electronically controllable drive mechanism;

a structure associated with said drive mechanism and movable thereby;

a liquified pigmented material supply in communication with said structure for depositing liquified pigmented material on at least a portion of said structure; and

at least one fluid nozzle having at least one nozzle orifice positioned and oriented for directing at least one jet of fluid toward at least a portion of said structure to remove an amount of liquified pigmented material from said structure and direct said amount toward a surface

whereby movement of said structure relative to said at least one fluid nozzle substantially controls the amount of liquified pigmented material removed from said structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said structure comprises a wire.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said wire is of a finite length.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said drive mechanism comprises a wheel having a first circumferential groove and a second circumferential groove therein, said wire being at least partially disposed in said first circumferential groove passing in front of said at least one nozzle orifice and being at least partially disposed in said second circumferential groove.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said at least one nozzle orifice comprises two nozzle orifices.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said two nozzle orifices are substantially aligned with said wire for directing a jet of fluid at two locations on said wire.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a biasing device associated with said wire to maintain tension in said wire.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said biasing device comprises a biased guide secured relative to said drive mechanism, said wire being disposed about at least a portion of said guide.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a mechanical metering device in contact with said wire for removing an amount of liquified pigmented material from said wire before said wire passes in front of said at least one orifice.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said mechanical metering device comprises a pair of plates sandwiching said wire thereinbetween.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said pair of plates includes first ends and second ends, said wire being sandwiched at two separate locations by said pair of plates.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a wiping device in contact with said wire for removing liquified pigmented material from said wire before said wire is rewound onto said wheel.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one nozzle orifice comprises an elongated slit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one nozzle orifice comprises a cross-shaped orifice.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a reservoir containing liquified pigmented material, said structure at least partially disposed within said liquified pigmented material.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further including a guide disposed in said reservoir for guiding said structure through said reservoir.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said guide is rotatable by said structure and includes at least one mixing device associated therewith.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive mechanism comprises a stepper motor.

19. An apparatus for depositing a liquified pigmented material on a surface to be painted, comprising:

means for providing a fluid jet;

means for advancing a liquified pigmented material disposed on at least a portion thereof relative to said fluid jet means, said fluid jet means oriented for removing liquified pigmented material from said advancing means and for directing said liquified pigmented material onto a surface to be painted;

means for controlling said advancing means and thus controlling the quantity of liquified pigmented material advanced relative to said fluid jet means.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said advancing means is comprised of at least one of an endless cable, an endless wire, a length of cable, a length of wire, a ribbon, an elongate rod, and a band.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein fluid said jet means is comprised of a nozzle defining at least two orifices therein.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said at least two orifices are aligned with said advancing means to direct at least two fluid jets toward at least two distinct points along said advancing means.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further including at least one wiping means for wiping liquified pigmented material from said advancing means before a portion of said advancing means carrying said liquified pigmented material across a path of said fluid jet means.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said wiping means is configured to also wipe said advancing means at at least two locations thereof.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said advancing means comprises a wire and further including a biasing means for maintaining tension in said wire.

26. A nozzle for directing a jet of fluid at an advanceable structure of a paint injector having a quantity of liquified pigmented material disposed thereon, comprising:

a nozzle body;

at least two orifices defined in said nozzle body, said at least two orifices oriented for directing at least two fluid jets toward at least two discrete points along a length of the advanceable structure to remove an amount of liquified pigmented material from the advanceable structure and direct said amount toward a surface to be painted.