| US 7,413,293 B2 | ||
| Deflected drop liquid pattern deposition apparatus and methods | ||
| David L. Jeanmaire, Brockport, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Filed on May 04, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/417,458. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0257971 A1, Nov. 08, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B41J 2/09 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 347—77 | 21 Claims |

| 1. A drop deflector apparatus for a continuous drop emission system that deposits a liquid pattern on a receiver, comprising:
(a) a plurality of drop nozzles emitting a plurality of continuous streams of a liquid that breaks up into streams of drops
of substantially uniform drop volume having nominal flight paths that are substantially parallel and substantially within
a nominal flight plane;
(b) a plurality of path selection elements corresponding to the plurality of continuous streams of drops operable to firstly
deflect individual drops from the corresponding continuous stream of drops along a first deflection flight path diverging
from the nominal flight path based on liquid pattern data; and
(c) a plurality of gas nozzles which generate a plurality of localized gas flows, positioned along one of the first deflection
flight paths or the nominal flight paths, wherein the localized gas flows are oriented so as to cause a substantial second
deflection of one of the firstly deflected drops or the nominal drops in a direction perpendicular to the nominal flight plane
without causing a substantial deflection of drops following the other of the first deflection flight paths or the nominal
flight paths.
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