Head assembly for a jet drop recorder

DETAILED DESCRIPTION This invention provides a binarily switched array recorder which produces a large number of rows of jets all from a single recording head.
Thus the invention makes it possible to achieve a high degree of printing resolution with simplicity and at a cost comparable to that afforded by the recorder disclosed in the above mentioned Mathis patent.
Such a result is achieved by arranging the orifices at a uniform spacing along placement lines which extend angularly relative to the main axis of the head and which are evenly spaced along the head.
For data handling purposes each jet is switched with the same time delay as corresponding jets in other placement lines, so that a line of jets comprising one jet in each placement line corresponds to a row of jets as taught by the prior art.
Drop charging for a recorder made in accordance with this invention is accomplished by use of a charge ring plate having charge rings in alignment with the array of jets but otherwise fabricated in accordance with the teachings of the prior art.
Below the charge ring plate, however, is placed a deflection electrode assembly which is novel in construction.
This assembly is fabricated preferably from an angularly slotted sheet of insulative material having deflection electrodes coated on the sides of the slots.
The lower portion of the sheet is milled to provide ink passages, which in turn are covered by a slotted bottom plate and a conductively coated side plate.
Drops which are charged by the charge rings are deflected by the above mentioned deflection electrodes for catching and removal by the ink passages.
In an alternative embodiment, however, the deflected drops are directed toward a print receiving medium, and the non-deflected drops are caught and removed.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a jet drop recording head which is relatively simple and economical to fabricate and yet capable of printing images with improved resolution.
Another object of the invention is to provide a jet drop recording head which produces an array of drop streams arranged along regularly spaced and angularly oriented placement lines