One example includes a device that includes an insulator panel, a plurality of electrical inputs, and a plurality of electrodes. The plurality of electrical inputs may be disposed on the insulator panel and individually receive an actuation voltage. The plurality of electrodes may be disposed on the insulator panel and are coupled to the plurality of electrical inputs. Two or more of the plurality of electrodes may be coupled to a single one of the plurality of electrical inputs for each of the plurality of electrical inputs. The plurality of electrodes may be actuated with the actuation voltage individually received at a respective electrical input to create an electric field over associated electrodes to subject a droplet proximate to the associated electrodes actuated with the actuation voltage to an electrowetting force.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device capable of adjusting a clearance between prints formed by two nozzles (114, 115), and capable of printing a print content at a high speed. In order to achieve the object, there is provided an inkjet recording device which has two sub-print heads including nozzles (114, 115), charging electrodes (116, 117), deflection electrodes (118, 119), and gutters (120, 121), in which the two nozzles are disposed in a deflection direction of ink particles, and which performs printing on a printed object (124) while moving the printed object (124) relative to the ink particles in a direction substantially perpendicular to the deflection direction of the ink particles, the inkjet recording device having a function for reducing a clearance between print results (125, 126), printed by the two nozzles (114, 115), by controlling a voltage applied to the charging electrodes (116, 117) and a voltage applied to the deflection electrode (118, 119).

An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device capable of adjusting a clearance between prints formed by two nozzles (114, 115), and capable of printing a print content at a high speed. In order to achieve the object, there is provided an inkjet recording device which has two sub-print heads including nozzles (114, 115), charging electrodes (116, 117), deflection electrodes (118, 119), and gutters (120, 121), in which the two nozzles are disposed in a deflection direction of ink particles, and which performs printing on a printed object (124) while moving the printed object (124) relative to the ink particles in a direction substantially perpendicular to the deflection direction of the ink particles, the inkjet recording device having a function for reducing a clearance between print results (125, 126), printed by the two nozzles (114, 115), by controlling a voltage applied to the charging electrodes (116, 117) and a voltage applied to the deflection electrode (118, 119).

A three dimensional (3D) printing system includes an ink cartridge providing ink to a printhead and a controller. The ink cartridge also includes a flag material and a sensor component. The ink has a low dielectric constant and defines an upper surface having a vertical position defining an ink level. The flag material has a high dielectric constant and is disposed upon the upper surface of the ink. The sensor component includes a vertical arrangement of electrodes proximate to the ink. The controller is coupled to the sensor electrodes and is configured to: (1) scan sensor electrodes to determine a capacitance between adjacent pairs of electrodes, (2) identify at least one pair of electrodes having a peak capacitance value relative to capacitance values of remaining pairs of electrodes, and (3) estimate the ink level based upon the identification.

A three dimensional (3D) printing system includes an ink cartridge providing ink to a printhead and a controller. The ink cartridge also includes a flag material and a sensor component. The ink has a low dielectric constant and defines an upper surface having a vertical position defining an ink level. The flag material has a high dielectric constant and is disposed upon the upper surface of the ink. The sensor component includes a vertical arrangement of electrodes proximate to the ink. The controller is coupled to the sensor electrodes and is configured to: (1) scan sensor electrodes to determine a capacitance between adjacent pairs of electrodes, (2) identify at least one pair of electrodes having a peak capacitance value relative to capacitance values of remaining pairs of electrodes, and (3) estimate the ink level based upon the identification.

A printing apparatus is provided and includes: a platen that supports a medium; an inkjet head provided to face the medium, the inkjet head ejecting an ink containing a charge controlling agent toward the medium by driving a drive element to land the charged ink droplet, which becomes a polarity of one of the positive polarity and the negative polarity, on the medium; and a voltage applying part that applies to at least one of the platen and the medium to have the other polarity of the positive polarity and the negative polarity.

A print head for an inkjet printer includes a nozzle, a first electrode positioned to receive an ink droplet from the nozzle, a second electrode positioned to receive the ink droplet from the first electrode, and a controller configured to operate the first electrode to ionize the ink droplet and set a flight speed of the ink droplet. The controller is further configured to selectively activate the second electrode to deflect the ink droplet in response to the print head changing from a horizontal printing orientation to a vertical printing orientation.

A print head for an inkjet printer includes a nozzle, a first electrode positioned to receive an ink droplet from the nozzle, a second electrode positioned to receive the ink droplet from the first electrode, and a controller configured to operate the first electrode to ionize the ink droplet and set a flight speed of the ink droplet. The controller is further configured to selectively activate the second electrode to deflect the ink droplet in response to the print head changing from a horizontal printing orientation to a vertical printing orientation.

A novel inkjet recording device that allows occurrence of scattering to be suppressed without limiting the size of a printed character (font size) is provided. The novel inkjet recording device is so configured that a deflection positive electrode, a deflection negative electrode, or both the deflection positive electrode and the deflection negative electrode constituting a print head can be moved along a direction of ejection of ink droplets in correspondence with the size of a printed character.

A novel inkjet recording device that allows occurrence of scattering to be suppressed without limiting the size of a printed character (font size) is provided. The novel inkjet recording device is so configured that a deflection positive electrode, a deflection negative electrode, or both the deflection positive electrode and the deflection negative electrode constituting a print head can be moved along a direction of ejection of ink droplets in correspondence with the size of a printed character.