초록 ▼

A particulate filter (16) is provided within an inlet channel (22) of an ink jet (14). The filter is oriented generally in the direction of ink flow to provide a greater filter surface area. Positioning the filter within the inlet channel results in reduced acoustic crosstalk, more effective filteri

A particulate filter (16) is provided within an inlet channel (22) of an ink jet (14). The filter is oriented generally in the direction of ink flow to provide a greater filter surface area. Positioning the filter within the inlet channel results in reduced acoustic crosstalk, more effective filtering, and more efficient purging of the filter itself because of the relatively high ink pressure drop across the filter in the channel. Positioning the channel vertically assists the buoyancy of the bubble movement during operation and purging.

대표청구항 ▼

An ink jet print head having improved particulate filtering and bubble purgability, comprising: a nozzle having a nozzle diameter ranging from about 0.0015 inches to about 0.0035 inches for ejecting ink onto a print medium, the nozzle further having an inlet side for receiving ink and an outlet side

An ink jet print head having improved particulate filtering and bubble purgability, comprising: a nozzle having a nozzle diameter ranging from about 0.0015 inches to about 0.0035 inches for ejecting ink onto a print medium, the nozzle further having an inlet side for receiving ink and an outlet side from which the ink is ejected; an ink supply manifold connected to the nozzle; an elongated inlet channel having a longitudinal axis, the inlet channel connecting the ink supply manifold and the nozzle such that there is only one inlet channel per nozzle, the inlet channel having an interior that provides an ink flow path between the ink supply manifold and the nozzle; a pressure chamber in the print head in flow communication with the nozzle such that there is only one pressure chamber per nozzle, the pressure chamber causing ink to eject from the outlet side of the nozzle; and a particulate removing filter having a major axis positioned within the interior of the elongated inlet channel and oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the particulate removing filter having multiple pores each having a pore diameter ranging from about 0.0002 inches to about 0.006 inches and a pore axis oriented substantially transverse to the major axis, the pores taken together having a total pore area and the nozzle having a nozzle opening area such that a ratio of the total pore area to the nozzle opening area is sufficiently large to provide an adequate supply of ink to the nozzle during operation of the print head and is sufficiently small to provide a pressure drop across the filter that is adequate to draw bubbles through the filter during purging of the print head.