Patent ID: 8840229
Filing Date: 2014-09-23
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A continuous inkjet droplet generating method for selectively depositing liquid droplets upon a surface, the method comprising: producing a liquid jet through a nozzle; operating a stimulation device associated with the liquid jet to produce, in response to stimulation pulses provided during stimulation cycles, a modulation in the liquid jet having a wavelength λ and causing a first liquid droplet to break off from the liquid jet and travel along a path and causing a second liquid droplet to break off from the liquid jet and travel along the path, the first liquid droplet having a first break off length, the second liquid droplet having a second break off length longer than the first break off length, the first break off length and the second break off length having a difference of at least one wavelength λ; operating a deflection mechanism including a charge electrode associated with the path, the charge electrode producing a charge differential between the first liquid droplet and the second liquid droplet, and the deflection mechanism selectively attracting or repulsing ink droplets so that trajectories of the first liquid droplet and the second liquid droplet diverge so that a trajectory of one droplet of the first and second liquid droplets causes the one droplet to be directed for collection and prevented from depositing on the surface and a trajectory of the other droplet of said first and liquid droplets causes the other droplet to be directed for depositing on the surface; and identifying a transition in droplet creation between a stimulation cycle that is to produce a droplet having a second break off length and a stimulation cycle that is to produce a droplet having a first break off length and introducing a skip cycle between the stimulation cycle that is to produce the droplet having a second break off length and the stimulation cycle that is to produce the droplet having the first break off length.