Patent ID: 6055004
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A microfluidic printing apparatus comprising:a) at least one ink reservoir;b) a moveable shutter plate defining a plurality of chambers arranged so that the chambers form an array with each chamber being arranged to form an ink pixel;c) a plurality of microchannels each microchannel connecting the reservoir to each chamber;d) a plurality of microfluidic pumps each being associated with each microchannel for supplying ink from the ink reservoir through each microchannel for delivery to a particular chamber said plurality of chambers;e) means coupled to the moveable shutter plate and effective for moving the plate between blocking and printing positions wherein the blocking position prevents the flow of ink from the microchannels to the chambers and the printing position aligns the chambers with the microchannels for permitting the flow of ink from the microchannels into the associated chambers to regulate the ink flow into the chambers; andf) control means for controlling the microfluidic pumps and the movement of the moveable shutter plate for causing the arrays to be in the printing position when the microfluidic pumps supply the ink through the microchannels to the chambers so that the correct amount of ink is delivered into each chamber and into the blocking position when the ink delivery to the chambers is not desired.