Patent ID: 7222937

Claim:
A drop emitting device comprising: a first linear array of side by side substantially mutually parallel first columnar arrays of drop emitting nozzles, the first linear array extending along an X-axis, and the first columnar arrays being oblique to the X-axis; each first columnar array of drop emitting nozzles comprised of a first linear sub-column of N nozzles that is interleaved with and substantially parallel to an associated second linear sub-column of N nozzles so as to form N first pairs of nozzles, wherein each first pair of nozzles includes a nozzle from the first linear sub-column and an adjacent nozzle from the second linear sub-column, and wherein N is greater than 1; wherein the nozzles of each first pair of nozzles are aligned along the X-axis and substantially parallel to a Y-axis that is orthogonal to the X-axis; wherein the first linear sub-columns of nozzles emit drops of a first color and the second linear sub-columns of nozzles emit drops of a second color; a second linear array of side by side substantially mutually parallel second columnar arrays of drop emitting nozzles, the second linear array extending along the X-axis and being adjacent the first linear array along a Y-axis that is orthogonal to the X-axis, and the second columnar arrays being oblique to the X-axis; each second columnar array having an associated first columnar array displaced therefrom along the Y-axis; each second columnar array of drop emitting nozzles comprised of a third linear sub-column of N nozzles that is interleaved with and substantially parallel to an associated fourth linear sub-column of N nozzles so as to form N second pairs of nozzles, wherein each second pair of nozzles includes a nozzle from the third linear sub-column and an adjacent nozzle from the fourth linear sub-column; each second nozzle pair having an associated first nozzle pair displaced therefrom along the Y-axis; wherein the nozzles of each second pair of nozzles are offset along the X-axis; wherein the third linear sub-columns of nozzles emit drops of a third color and the fourth linear sub-columns of nozzles emit drops of a fourth color; and wherein each of the first through fourth linear sub-columns has a nozzle pitch XP inches along the X-axis.