A production system such as an inkjet printer system includes a plurality of communication distribution devices connected in a daisy chain arrangement. A plurality of secondary devices, such as printhead electronics boards for inkjet printheads, is connected to each of the communication distribution devices. A first communication distribution device which is connected to a system controller assigns a communication address to itself from a first set of communication address and assigns communication addresses to its connected secondary devices from a second set of communication addresses. It then communicates information to the next communication distribution device specifying the next available communication addresses. This process continues down the chain of communication distribution devices. The assigned communication addresses are then transmitted to the system controller. The assigned communication addresses enable the system controller to determine the relative physical locations of the communication distribution devices and secondary devices.

A liquid ejection head includes a support member extending in a first direction, a print element board having an ejection port through which liquid is ejected, and first and second members arranged in the support member adjacent to each other along the first direction, each having a supply path extending in the first direction. The print element board element generates energy used for ejection of the supply paths supplied liquid. The first member includes an outlet port through which the supplied liquid flows out. The second member includes an inlet port through which the liquid from the outlet port flows. The outlet port is provided near a first member supply path end portion on the support member side on which the second member is provided. The inlet port is provided near a second member supply path end portion on the support member side on which the first member is provided.

A print head of a continuous ink jet printer, including, in a cover: means for producing at least one ink jet; means for separating drops of jets intended for printing from those that do not serve for printing; a slot, enabling drops intended for printing to get out; a recovery gutter (7) for drops not intended for printing, the recovery gutter comprising an ink recovery volume (12); at least one detection conductor (20), arranged inside the head; means (16) for detecting a variation in impedance of at least one of the detection conductors when ink (21) is present in contact with the conductor or with a dielectric layer (22) in contact therewith.

A liquid ejection device includes an ejector configured to eject a liquid in a continuous flow, form the continuous flow into droplets, and cause a collision with an object in a form of the droplets, a liquid feeder includes a liquid reservoir, a displacement part, and a drive unit, the displacement part is placed to increase a volume of the liquid reservoir chamber when displaced to increase a volume of the first pressure chamber relative to the volume of the liquid reservoir, and decrease the volume of the liquid reservoir chamber when displaced to increase a volume of the second pressure chamber relative to the volume of the liquid reservoir, the displacement part is displaced to increase the volume of the first pressure chamber at a suction operation, and the displacement part is displaced to increase the volume of the second pressure chamber at an ejection operation.

A device for measuring the flow rate and viscosity of ink sent to a print head of an ink jet printer comprises: a restriction of the diameter of a conduit for the flow of ink arranged in the path thereof defined by the conduit; a sensor for measuring the pressure difference (P.sub.in-P.sub.out) between the pressure of fluid upstream of the restriction and the pressure of ink downstream of the restriction; a viscous leak, creating a pressure drop by friction loss, the viscous leak being in series with the restriction, in the path of the ink defined by the conduit; a sensor for measuring the pressure difference (P.sub.inV-P.sub.outV) between the pressure of fluid upstream of the viscous leak and the pressure of ink downstream of the viscous leak; and a circuit for calculating the flow rate and viscosity of ink as a function of: (P.sub.in-P.sub.out and (P.sub.inV-P.sub.outV).

An inkjet printer includes an m number of data setters ranging from a first data setter to an m-th data setter, and an m number of print controllers ranging from a first print controller to an m-th print controller, where m is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. Upon receiving data for ink dots, an n-th data setter sets an n-th dot group including some or all of the ink dots, where n is a natural number in a range of from 2 to m. An n-th print controller causes the n-th dot group to be formed over an (n1) dot group. The first to the m-th data setters set the first to the m-th dot groups so that at least some of ink dots belonging to the first to the m-th dot groups overlap each other.

A continuous ink jet print head (10), including: an ink droplet generator (116) configured to emit an ink droplet (158) along an undeflected droplet flight path (30); a charge electrode (118) configured to impart a charge to the ink droplet; deflector plates (120A, 120B) adjacent the undeflected droplet flight path, downstream from the charge electrode, and configured to deflect the ink droplet to a deflected droplet flight path that lies within a range of deflected flight paths bounded by at least deflected droplet flight path and a most deflected droplet flight path; a gutter (122) configured to receive an ink droplet traveling along the undeflected droplet flight path; and an ink buildup sensor (102) configured to detect an accumulation of ink (140) relative to a droplet flight path disposed within the range of deflected flight paths.

The invention firstly relates to a print head of a continuous ink jet printer, comprising a first reservoir (12) and a second reservoir (22), arranged on either side of least one jet ejection nozzle (30, 30.sub.1-30.sub.n) to which they are connected, and a first actuator (16, 16.sub.1-16.sub.n) for applying a 1.sup.st pressure to the ink of the, or coming from the, 1.sup.st reservoir, and a second actuator (26, 26.sub.1-26.sub.n) for applying a 2.sup.nd pressure to the ink of the, or coming from the, 2.sup.nd reservoir, and a controller for controlling these first and second actuators, said controller being programmed to apply a variable difference between these 2 pressures.

A device (20) for measuring the flow rate of ink sent to a print head of an ink jet printer, comprising: a restriction (22) of the diameter of the flow of ink, arranged in the path thereof, sensors (26, 28) for measuring the pressure difference (P.sub.inP.sub.out), between the pressure of fluid upstream of the restriction (P.sub.in) and the pressure of ink downstream of the restriction (P.sub.out).

A drop-on-demand printing method comprising performing the following steps in a printing head: discharging a first primary drop (x21A) of a first liquid to move along a first path; discharging a second primary drop (x21B) of a second liquid to move along a second path; controlling the flight of the first primary drop (x21A) and the second primary drop (x21B) to combine the first primary drop with the second primary drop into a combined drop (x22) at a connection point (x32) within a reaction chamber within the printing head so that a chemical reaction is initiated within a controlled environment of the reaction chamber between the first liquid of the first primary drop and the second liquid of the second primary drop; and controlling the flight of the combined drop (x22) at least by means of a stream of gas (x71A, x71B).