초록 ▼

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 controlle

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.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [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 communicati

[ What is claimed is:] [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; andat 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 surfacewhereby movement of said structure relative to said at least one fluid nozzle substantially controls the amount of liquified pigmented material removed from said structure.