IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0163799
(1998-09-30)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Peeters, Eric
- Noolandi, Jaan
- Apte, Raj B.
- Floyd, Philip D.
- Lean, Meng H.
- Volkel, Armin R.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
13 인용 특허 :
111 |
초록
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A method of making a print head is disclosed for use in a marking apparatus in which a propellant stream is passed through a channel and directed toward a substrate. Marking material, such as ink, toner, etc., is controllably introduced into the propellant stream and imparted with sufficient kinetic
A method of making a print head is disclosed for use in a marking apparatus in which a propellant stream is passed through a channel and directed toward a substrate. Marking material, such as ink, toner, etc., is controllably introduced into the propellant stream and imparted with sufficient kinetic energy thereby to be made incident upon a substrate. A multiplicity of channels for directing the propellant and marking material allow for high throughput, high resolution marking. Multiple marking materials may be introduced into the channel and mixed therein prior to being made incident on the substrate, or mixed or superimposed on the substrate without re-registration.
대표청구항
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1. A method of producing a print head, comprising the steps of:providing a body to receive a gas propellant from a gas propellant source coupled to the print head;forming in said body a first channel, said first channel having a propellant receiving region for receiving the gas propellant, a marking
1. A method of producing a print head, comprising the steps of:providing a body to receive a gas propellant from a gas propellant source coupled to the print head;forming in said body a first channel, said first channel having a propellant receiving region for receiving the gas propellant, a marking material receiving region, and an exit orifice, said exit orifice having a width greater than zero micrometers but not exceeding 250 micrometers;forming in said first channel a converging region and a diverging region, said converging region and said diverging region formed between said propellant receiving region and said marking material receiving region, each channel shaped such that the converging region includes a region of decreasing width and the diverging region includes a region of increasing width, the changing width to cause a propellant stream that may enter said converging region at a first velocity and first pressure and flow into said diverging region to change velocity such that when said propellant exits said diverging region at a second velocity and a second pressure, said first pressure greater is greater than said second pressure and said first velocity less than said second velocity;forming in said body a first port, in communication with said marking material receiving region, for receiving marking material;forming in said body a second port, in communication with said propellant receiving region, for receiving propellant;such that a gas propellant provided to said propellant receiving region forms a propellant stream traveling through said first channel to and through said exit orifice, the propellant stream flows continuously during operation of the print head such that marking material provided to said marking material receiving region enters said propellant stream, the marking material receiving sufficient energy from said propellant stream to travel to and through said exit orifice. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a first electrode in said marking material receiving region such that said first electrode may be located proximate said first port. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first channel is formed in a first layer of said body, said first channel having a first longitudinal axis, and further comprising the steps of:forming in a second layer of said body, spaced apart from said first layer in a first plane, a second channel, said second channel having a second longitudinal axis in a second plane which is parallel to said first plane and spaced apart from said first longitudinal axis of said first channel, said second channel having a propellant receiving region, a marking material receiving region, and an exit orifice, said exit orifice having a width greater than zero micrometers but not exceeding 250 micrometers;forming in said body a third port, in communication with said marking material receiving region of said second channel, for receiving marking material;forming in said body a fourth port, in communication with said propellant receiving region of said second channel, for receiving propellant;such that propellant provided to said propellant receiving region may be caused to form a propellant stream travelling through said second channel to and through said exit orifice, and marking material provided to said marking material receiving region may be caused to enter said propellant stream and imparted with sufficient energy thereby to travel to and through said exit orifice. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said fourth port is formed to be in communication with said second port. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said third port is formed to be in communication with said first port. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein said second channel is formed to include a cross sectional profile which is selected from the group consisting of:square, rectangular, oval, semi-oval, circular, semi-circular, and triangular. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said channel is forme d to include a cross sectional profile which is selected from the group consisting of:square, rectangular, oval, semi-oval, circular, semi-circular, and triangular. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the propellant is a gas. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the propellant is a dry gas. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming in said body said first channel further comprises the operation of:forming over said body, by a liquid application process, a first layer of photosensitive material; andphotolithographically forming said first channel in said first layer, said first channel including said propellant receiving region, said marking material receiving region and said exit orifice. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of forming said second port further comprises the operations of:forming over said first layer, by a dry film application process, a second layer of photosensitive material; andphotolithographically forming said second port in said second layer, said port positioned so as to be in communication with said marking material receiving region. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein a width of said converging region and said diverging region formed between said propellant receiving region and said marking material receiving region varies continuously without the presence of a discontinuity in the width of the converging region and the diverging region. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the region of decreasing width is a gradual linear decrease in width and the region of increasing width is a gradual linear increase in width. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the region of decreasing width and the region of increasing width is formed to be symmetric about an axis running along the center of said channel. 15. A method of manufacturing a print head, comprising the steps of:providing a substrate;forming in said substrate first and second channels, each said channel having a propellant receiving region for coupling to a source of gas propellant, the propellant receiving region for receiving the gas propellant, a marking material receiving region, and an exit orifice, each said exit orifice having a width greater than zero micrometers but not exceeding 250 micrometers;forming in said channel a converging region where the width of the channel gradually decreases and a diverging region where the width of the channel gradually increases, said converging region and said diverging region formed between said propellant receiving region and said marking material receiving region of said channel, each channel shaped such that for each said channel said propellant stream may enter said converging region at a first velocity and first pressure and flow into said diverging region, and further wherein said propellant may exit said diverging region at a second velocity and a second pressure, said first pressure greater than said second pressure and said first velocity less than said second velocity;forming over said substrate a material layer;providing in said material layer first and second marking material ports, said first marking material port in communication with the marking material receiving region of said first channel, said second marking material port in communication with the marking material receiving region of said second channel;providing first and second propellant ports, said first propellant port in communication with the propellant receiving region of said first channel, said second propellant port in communication with the propellant receiving region of said second channel;such that a gas propellant provided to said propellant receiving region of each said channel forms a propellant stream that flows continuously during operation of the print head, the propellant stream traveling through each said channel to and through said exit orifice of each said channel, such that marking material provided to each said marking material receiving region enters said propellant stream, the marking material to receive sufficient energy from the propellant stream to travel to and through each said exit orifice. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of forming said first and second propellant ports in said material layer. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of forming first and second electrodes, said first electrode formed in said marking material receiving region of said first channel, so as to be proximate said first port, and said second electrode formed in said marking material receiving region of said second channel, so as to be proximate said second port. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein each said first and second channels are formed to include a cross sectional profile which is selected from the group consisting of:square, rectangular, oval, semi-oval, circular, semi-circular, and triangular. 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the propellant is a gas. 20. The method of claim 15 wherein the propellant is a dry gas. 21. The method of claim 15 wherein a width of said converging region and said diverging region formed between said propellant receiving region and said marking material receiving region of said channel varies continuously without the presence of a discontinuity in the width of the converging region and the diverging region. 22. A method of producing a print head, comprising the operations of:providing a body to receive a gas propellant from a gas propellant source coupled to the print head;forming in said body a first channel, said first channel having a propellant receiving region for receiving the gas propellant, a marking material receiving region, and an exit orifice, said exit orifice having a width greater than zero micrometers but not exceeding 250 micrometers;forming in said first channel a converging region and a diverging region, said converging region and said diverging region formed between said propellant receiving region and said marking material receiving region, said converging region shaped with a continuous decreasing width, said converging reason coupled to a diverging reason, said diverging reason including a region with continuous increasing width;forming in said body a first port, in communication with said marking material receiving region, for receiving marking material;forming in said body a second port, in communication with said propellant receiving region, for receiving the gas propellant;such that a gas propellant provided to said propellant receiving region forms a propellant stream traveling through said first channel to and through said exit orifice, the propellant stream flows continuously during operation of the print head such that marking material provided to said marking material receiving region enters said propellant stream, the marking material receiving sufficient energy from said propellant stream to travel to and through said exit orifice. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the diverging region is formed adjacent the converging region such that a gas flowing through the channel would immediately start expanding after passing into said converging region. 24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:coupling the marking material region to a source of marking material; and, adjusting the width of the converging and diverging regions to allow for propellant exiting said diverging region to exit at a higher velocity than when the gas entered said converging region. 25. The method of claim 22 wherein the width of the entrance of said converging region is wider than the width at the exit of said diverging region. 26. The method of claim 22 wherein the transition from the converging region to the diverging region includes an abrupt discontinuous change in slope.
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