An inkjet printhead assembly includes a repositionable shutter mechanism adapted to block a slot through which drops of ink ejected from the array of nozzles pass before they impinge on the print medium. The shutter mechanism includes a frame, and a repositionable shutter blade extending in a cross-track direction having first and second tabs affixed to its ends. At least one of the first and second tabs includes a lever arm. The shutter blade is adapted to rotate around a pivot axis passing through the first and second tabs. An actuator is configured to apply a force to the lever arm, thereby pivoting the repositionable shutter blade about the pivot axis between a first pivot position where the shutter blade blocks the slot and a second pivot position where the shutter blade is moved away from the slot so that drops of ink can pass through the slot.

A continuous printhead drop deflector system includes a gas flow duct including a wall, the wall including a porous member having pores through which liquid can flow and a liquid flow channel, the flow channel being separated from the air flow duct by the porous member, the flow channel includes; a first port for extracting liquid from a first portion of the liquid flow channel; a second port for supplying liquid to a second portion of the liquid flow channel; one or more paths in the liquid channel permitting fluid to flow from the second portion to the first portion; wherein liquid, supplied through the second port to the second portion of the liquid channel and through the one or more paths to the first portion of the liquid channel, contacts and wicks into the porous member before being extracted through the first port.

A liquid jet printing apparatus is provided having a nozzle for emitting a stream of liquid droplets toward a substrate, a charging section for providing an electrical charge to liquid droplets and a pair of electrically conductive deflection plates for creating an electrical field capable of deflecting the liquid droplets to a desired location on the substrate, wherein a resistor is provided between a power source and the electrical field to limit current from the power source during electrical arcing between the deflection plates, thereby minimizing disruption to the electrical field and minimizing electromagnetic pulses.

A liquid jet printing apparatus is provided having a nozzle for emitting a stream of liquid droplets toward a substrate, a charging section for providing an electrical charge to liquid droplets and a pair of electrically conductive deflection plates for creating an electrical field capable of deflecting the liquid droplets to a desired location on the substrate, wherein a resistor is provided between a power source and the electrical field to limit current from the power source during electrical arcing between the deflection plates, thereby minimizing disruption to the electrical field and minimizing electromagnetic pulses.

A binary array ink jet printhead assembly includes a cavity for containing ink, nozzle orifices in fluid communication with the cavity for passing the ink from the cavity to form droplets, the nozzle orifices extending along a length of the cavity, and an electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes a front face configured to be disposed generally parallel to a plurality of droplet paths of droplets from the nozzle orifices. A plurality of charge electrodes are disposed on the front face, each charge electrode corresponding to a droplet path and disposed parallel to the droplet path. Circuitry is disposed on the electrode assembly, wherein each electrode is electrically connected to the circuitry. The circuitry is further in electrical connection to a connector for connecting the electrode assembly to a controller for the printhead.

Atomic-to-Nanoscale Matter Emission/Flow Regulation Devices, Systems and methods are set forth. An exemplary device can include a through-hole that has a top, and a nozzle configured to facilitate atomic-to-nanoscale matter emission/flow regulation formed in an etchable nozzle substrate. The nozzle can be configured at the smallest cross-section of the through-hole. A bottom can be formed in the nozzle substrate or selectively connected to the nozzle. Systems can include matter transportation/flow regulation columns, printing systems, etching systems and the like through which self-aligned nanodroplets or single-to-finite numbered ionic species/gas phase matter can flow under spontaneous or external excitation conditions (such as voltages) at atmospheric as well as regulated pressures.

An electrohydrodynamic printer has a self-cleaning extractor that can cleaning itself during printing. The extractor can be in the form of a metal block or a metal rod along which a layer of cleaning fluid flows from a source of cleaning fluid to a collector. The surface of the extractor along which the cleaning fluid flows can be adjustable between horizontal and any other angle. The self-cleaning extractor eliminates the need to interrupt e-jet printing cycles to clean stray printing fluid from the extractor by continuously keeping the extractor clean during ink extraction and printing.

An electrohydrodynamic printer has a self-cleaning extractor that can cleaning itself during printing. The extractor can be in the form of a metal block or a metal rod along which a layer of cleaning fluid flows from a source of cleaning fluid to a collector. The surface of the extractor along which the cleaning fluid flows can be adjustable between horizontal and any other angle. The self-cleaning extractor eliminates the need to interrupt e-jet printing cycles to clean stray printing fluid from the extractor by continuously keeping the extractor clean during ink extraction and printing.

The invention provides an inkjet marking apparatus and an inkjet marking system enabling it to remotely perform maintenance management including a print head cleaning process and the like. There is disclosed an inkjet marking apparatus equipped with a print head including a nozzle which spouts out ink while the ink turns into particles, a charging electrode which gives charge to ink particles spouted out, a deflecting electrode which deflects the charged ink particles, and a gutter which collects non-used ink; a main unit equipped with an ink supply path to supply ink in an ink container to the print head, an ink collection path to collect ink not used for printing into the ink container, a solvent supply path to supply a solvent in a solvent container to the ink container, and flow rate regulators which regulate flows of the ink and the solvent in these respective paths; a main unit controller which controls operation of the flow rate regulators in the main unit and the print head; and a head receptacle unit including a head holding part to set and hold the print head secured in place and a print head detector which detects that the print head has been set secured in place, wherein the main unit controller starts jetting of the ink from the nozzle when a preset start time comes, provided that it is detected that the print head has been set secured in the head receptacle unit.

The invention provides an inkjet marking apparatus and an inkjet marking system enabling it to remotely perform maintenance management including a print head cleaning process and the like. There is disclosed an inkjet marking apparatus equipped with a print head including a nozzle which spouts out ink while the ink turns into particles, a charging electrode which gives charge to ink particles spouted out, a deflecting electrode which deflects the charged ink particles, and a gutter which collects non-used ink; a main unit equipped with an ink supply path to supply ink in an ink container to the print head, an ink collection path to collect ink not used for printing into the ink container, a solvent supply path to supply a solvent in a solvent container to the ink container, and flow rate regulators which regulate flows of the ink and the solvent in these respective paths; a main unit controller which controls operation of the flow rate regulators in the main unit and the print head; and a head receptacle unit including a head holding part to set and hold the print head secured in place and a print head detector which detects that the print head has been set secured in place, wherein the main unit controller starts jetting of the ink from the nozzle when a preset start time comes, provided that it is detected that the print head has been set secured in the head receptacle unit.