Multi-nozzle electrohydrodynamic printing with diverters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12172437-B2
Application number	US-202118011506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2021
Priority date	Jun 18, 2020
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A printer includes a nozzle from which a stream of printing fluid is electrostatically extracted and directed toward a printing surface. A diverter can selectively interrupt the stream of printing fluid so that at least some of the extracted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface. Another stream of printing fluid can be extracted from another nozzle in a different direction from the first. Respective diverters can selectively and independently interrupt each stream of printing fluid to control which portions of the extracted fluids are deposited over the printing surface. Diverted printing fluid can be collected and reused. The diverters allow for a more constant or uniform extraction field while permitting selective deposition of ink droplets similar to drop-on-demand printing schemes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printer, comprising: a nozzle from which a stream of printing fluid is electrostatically extracted and directed toward a printing surface, and a diverter that selectively interrupts the stream of printing fluid such that at least some of the extracted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface.

2. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the diverter uses a jet of fluid to selectively divert printing fluid from the stream so that the diverted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface.

3. The printer of claim 1 , further comprising a collector into which the extracted and undeposited printing fluid is diverted.

4. The printer of claim 1 , further configured to produce intersecting first and second jets of fluid, wherein the first jet directs the stream of printing fluid toward the printing surface and the second jet is provided by the diverter.

5. The printer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a director nozzle that provides a first jet of fluid to direct the stream of printing fluid toward the printing surface; and
a diverter nozzle that provides a second jet of fluid to selectively divert printing fluid from the stream of printing fluid, wherein the stream of printing fluid is electrostatically extracted at a location between a discharge end of the director nozzle and a discharge end of the diverter nozzle.

6. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is a first nozzle, the diverter is a first diverter, and the stream of printing fluid is a first stream of printing fluid electrostatically extracted in a first direction toward a first extractor, the printer further comprising:
a second nozzle from which a second stream of printing fluid is electrostatically extracted in a different second direction toward a second extractor and directed toward the printing surface, and
a second diverter that selectively interrupts the second stream of printing fluid such that at least some of the printing fluid extracted from the second nozzle is not deposited on the printing surface.

7. The printer of claim 6 , wherein the first and second diverters are independently controllable to permit printed patterns from each nozzle to be different without independent control of the electrostatic extraction of printing fluid from the first and second nozzles.

8. The printer of claim 6 , wherein the first and second nozzles are located between the first and second extractors with extraction openings of the first and second nozzles facing away from each other.

9. The printer of claim 6 , wherein the first and second nozzles are a first pair of nozzles located between the first and second extractors, the printer further comprising a second pair of nozzles located between the second extractor and a third extractor such that one of the nozzles of each pair share the second extractor.

10. The printer of claim 9 , wherein the second extractor extends between the first pair and the second pair of nozzles and shields the pairs from each other.

11. The printer of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is an ink nozzle, the printer further comprising:
an extractor transversely spaced apart from the ink nozzle;
a director nozzle between the ink nozzle and the extractor; and
a layer of electrically insulating material disposed between the director nozzle and at least one of: the ink nozzle and the extractor.

12. A printer comprising a first nozzle and a second nozzle from which respective streams of printing fluid are electrostatically extracted in different first and second directions and directed toward a printing surface.

13. The printer of claim 12 , wherein extraction openings of the first and second nozzles face away from each other.

14. The printer of claim 12 , further comprising a first extractor spaced from the first nozzle in the first direction and a second extractor spaced from the second nozzle in the second direction, such that the nozzles are between the extractors.

15. The printer of claim 12 , further comprising a diverter that selectively interrupts at least one of the streams of printing fluid such that at least some of the extracted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface.

16. The printer of claim 12 , further comprising a first diverter that selectively interrupts the stream of printing fluid from the first nozzle and a second diverter that selectively interrupts the stream of printing fluid from the second nozzle such that at least some of the extracted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface.

17. The printer of claim 12 , further configured to produce intersecting first and second jets of fluid, wherein the first jet directs at least one of the streams of printing fluid toward the printing surface and the second jet diverts printing fluid from one of the streams of printing fluid such that at least some of the extracted printing fluid is not deposited on the printing surface.

18. The printer of claim 12 , wherein the first and second nozzles are a first pair of ink nozzles located between first and second extractors, the printer further comprising a second pair of ink nozzles located between the second extractor and a third extractor such that one of the nozzles of each pair share the second extractor.

19. The printer of claim 18 , further comprising:
a first pair of director nozzles between the first and second extractor and a second pair of director nozzles between the second and third extractors, wherein the first pair of ink nozzles is between the nozzles of the first pair of director nozzles, and the second pair of ink nozzles is between the nozzles of the second pair of director nozzles; and
a first pair of diverter nozzles between the first and second extractor and a second pair of diverter nozzles between the second and third extractors, wherein each diverter nozzle is independently controllable to produce respective jets of fluid to selectively divert printing fluid from each of the respective streams of printing fluid.

20. The printer of claim 12 , wherein the nozzles are ink nozzles, the printer further comprising:
an extractor transversely spaced apart from one of the ink nozzles;
a director nozzle between the extractor and the spaced apart ink nozzle; and
a layer of electrically insulating material disposed between the director nozzle and at least one of: the spaced apart ink nozzle and the extractor.

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Tse Lai Yu Leo
• Barton Kira
• Mcmillan Ethan John

Classifications

• B41J2002/062

  by using a divided counter electrode opposite to ejection openings of an electrostatic printhead, e.g. for controlling the flying direction of ejected toner particles by providing the divided parts of the counter electrode with different potentials · CPC title

• B41J2/185

  Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers · CPC title

• B41J2/06 Primary

  by electric or magnetic field · CPC title

• B41J2/02 Primary

  generating a continuous ink jet · CPC title