Patent ID: 8087740

Claim:
A method for operating a continuous liquid drop emission apparatus comprising a liquid drop emitter containing a positively pressurized liquid in flow communication with a plurality of nozzles formed in a common nozzle member for emitting a plurality of continuous streams of liquid, a jet stimulation apparatus comprising a plurality of transducers corresponding to the plurality of nozzles and adapted to transfer energy to the liquid in corresponding flow communication with the plurality of nozzles, stream memory apparatus adapted to store a characteristic value for each of the plurality of streams of drops of predetermined volumes and control apparatus adapted to provide a plurality of break-off time setting signals to the jet stimulation apparatus, the method for operating comprised of: (a) storing into the stream memory apparatus a stored characteristic value for each of the plurality of streams of drops of predetermined volumes; (b) retrieving from the stream memory apparatus a first stored characteristic value of the first stream of drops of predetermined volumes; (c) determining a first break-off time setting signal based, at least, on the stored characteristic value of the first stream of drops of predetermined volumes; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for the remaining plurality of continuous streams of liquid thereby creating a plurality of break-off time setting signals corresponding to the plurality of continuous streams of liquid; (e) providing the plurality of break-off time setting signals to the plurality of transducers of the jet stimulation apparatus thereby causing the break-off of the plurality of continuous streams of liquid at a plurality of predetermined break-off times into a plurality of streams of drops of predetermined volumes, if the plurality of streams of drops of predetermined values have a plurality of stored characteristic values.