Patent ID: 7559627

Claim:
An apparatus for electrorheological printing, the apparatus comprising: a pressurized ink chamber in fluid communication with a nozzle and configured to contain an electrorheological ink, wherein the nozzle includes electrodes for controlling a discharge of the electrorheological ink; an electrode arrangement configured to create an electric field within the nozzle using a first circular electrode at an inlet to the nozzle and a second circular electrode at an outlet of the nozzle to control a rate of discharge of the electrorheological ink through the nozzle, wherein the electrode arrangement is further configured to create a first magnitude electric field within the nozzle sufficient to stop the discharge of the electrorheological ink through the nozzle and configured to create, within the nozzle, a second magnitude electric field lower than the first magnitude electric field to permit electrorheological ink to discharge through the nozzle; a stimulator configured to generate a synchronization signal to increase the pressure in the pressurized ink chamber to: allow the discharge of the electrorheological ink through the nozzle when the electric field created within the nozzle is less than or equal to the second magnitude electric field; and prevent the discharge of the electrorheological ink through the nozzle when the electric field created within the nozzle is greater than or equal to the first magnitude electric field; and a pair of conductive plates aligned in parallel with a path of the electrorheological ink from the outlet of the nozzle to modify the path of the electrorheological ink from the outlet of the nozzle.