Print head or ink jet printer with reduced solvent consumption

Abstract

The invention relates to a print head of a binary continuous jet printer comprising: means for producing a plurality of ink jets in a cavity, delimited by lateral walls, and by an upper wall and a lower wall, means for separating drops or sections of one or more of said jets intended for printing from drops or sections that do not serve for printing, a slot, which passes through the lower wall, enabling the exit of ink drops intended for printing, a gutter for recovering drops or sections not intended for printing, means for injecting gas into the cavity, and for making this gas circulate, in the cavity, to the means for producing a plurality of ink jets in said cavity, then to the gutter.

Claims

1. Print head of a binary continuous jet printer comprising: a cavity delimited by a first wall, a second wall facing the first wall, and side walls extending between the first wall and second wall, a plurality of nozzles for producing a plurality of ink jets in said cavity, at least one electrode for separating drops or sections of one or more of said ink jets intended for printing from drops or sections that do not serve for printing, the drops or sections starting separation at a point of separation along the one or more of said ink jets, a slot, which passes through the second wall, open on the outside of the cavity and enabling the exit of drops or sections of ink intended for printing, a gutter for recovering drops or sections not intended for printing, at least a conduit for injecting gas into the cavity, and for making the gas circulate in a first direction toward the first wall and the nozzles, and then in a second direction toward the gutter, wherein the drops or sections intended for printing follow a path that begins at the point of separation and extends downstream from the point of separation, wherein the cavity comprises a planar sectional area parallel to the first wall, the gas circulating in the first direction and then the second direction through the planar sectional area without any dividing structure in the planar sectional area that is between each direction of the circulating gas; and the path extends through the planar sectional area of the cavity.

2. Print head according to claim 1, said conduit for injecting gas into the cavity enabling an injection of gas along a direction at least in part perpendicular, or at least in part parallel, to a plane defined by the path of the drops or sections intended for printing.

3. Print head according to claim 1, further comprising at least one surface for deviating the gas introduced into the cavity.

4. Print head according to claim 1, wherein said conduit, which emerges in the cavity, at least in part faces the gutter or a wall that laterally delimits the gutter in the cavity, with respect to a plane defined by the path of the drops or sections intended for printing.

5. Print head according to claim 4, the distance (b) between the side walls being less than the distance between the first wall of the cavity and the point of the conduit the closest to this first wall.

6. Print head according to claim 1, said conduit emerging in the cavity while passing through the second wall.

7. Print head according to claim 1, the path of the gas, in the cavity, in a direction of the nozzles being longer than the path along a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the path of the drops or sections intended for printing.

8. Print head according to claim 1, the side walls being arranged on either side of a plane (P.sub.0) defined by the path of the drops or sections intended for printing, and arranged at least in part parallel thereto.

9. Print head according to claim 8, the at least one electrode being arranged in or against one of said side walls.

10. Print head according to claim 8, wherein: the at least one electrode is arranged in or against one of said side walls, said conduit is arranged, at least in part, under another one of said side walls that is opposite to the one of said side walls.

11. Print head according to claim 9, wherein an inlet slot of the gutter is arranged at a bottom of the one of said side walls.

12. Print head according to claim 9, wherein a distance between the plane (P.sub.0) and a part of the one of said side walls in or against which the at least one electrode is arranged increases in a downstream direction of the drops or sections intended for printing.

13. Print head according to claim 1, an edge of the gutter being situated directly in line with one of the edges of the slot.

14. Print head according to claim 1, wherein the gutter for recovering drops or sections not intended for printing comprises: a 1.sup.st part that comprises an inlet slot for drops in the gutter, the width of this 1.sup.st part diminishing in a direction of circulation of the drops in the gutter, and a surface of this 1.sup.st part forming an impact surface for the deviated drops; a restriction, wherein the impact surface of the 1.sup.st part slopes, with respect to a plane defined by the path of the drops or sections intended for printing, from the inlet slot for drops in the gutter toward the restriction; and a 2.sup.nd part, for evacuating a gas, or a gas and liquid mixture, from the restriction.

15. Print head according to claim 14, in which the 2.sup.nd part has a width that increases from the restriction.

16. Print head according to claim 14, wherein the impact surface of the 1.sup.st part is at least in part concave.

17. An ink-jet printer comprising a print head according to claim 1 and an ink circuit for supplying said head with ink.

18. Method for operating a print head according to claim 1, in which the drops or sections of ink intended for printing are sent to the slot, whereas the drops or sections that do not serve for printing are sent to the gutter where they are sucked up, while the gas circulates in the cavity to the nozzles for producing a plurality of ink jets in said cavity, then to the gutter.

19. Method according to claim 18, in which the flow rate of gas that circulates in the cavity is between 50 l/h and 500 l/h.

20. Print head according to claim 1, wherein the conduit has an outlet through which the gas enters the cavity, further wherein the outlet is arranged below the planar sectional area of the cavity through which the gas circulates.

21. Print head according to claim 1, wherein the first and second directions are substantially parallel to the drops or sections intended for printing.

22. Print head according to claim 1, wherein the gas circulates in a manner such that all the drops or sections intended for printing are deviated by the same amount.

23. Print head according to claim 1, further comprising at least one surface for deviating the gas toward the first wall before the gas crosses the path of the drops or sections intended for printing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An example of embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 represents a schematic cavalier view of a print head mainly showing the components of the print head situated downstream of the nozzles;

(3) FIG. 2A represents a schematic section of a cavity of a print head, according to an aspect of the invention, this section being taken along a plane parallel to the plane YZ and containing one of the axes Z of a nozzle.

(4) FIG. 2B represents a variant of the structure of FIG. 2A.

(5) FIG. 3 represents a sectional view of a cavity of a print head according to an aspect of the invention, the section being taken along a plane parallel to the plane YZ and containing one of the axes Z of a nozzle.

(6) FIG. 4 represents another embodiment of a print head according to the invention as well as a simulation of circulation of air in this print head.

(7) FIG. 5 represents a detail of a cavity of an embodiment of a print head according to the invention.

(8) FIG. 6 represents the main units of an ink jet printer.

(9) FIG. 7 represents a structure of an ink jet printer to which the present invention may be applied.

(10) In the figures, similar or identical technical elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(11) A general structure of print head is explained below, with reference to FIG. 1.

(12) The head includes a drop generator 1. This generator comprises a nozzle plate 2 on which are aligned, along an axis X (contained in the plane of the figure), a whole number n of nozzles 4, of which a first 4.sub.1 and a final nozzle 4.sub.n.

(13) The first and final nozzles (4.sub.1, 4n) are the nozzles the farthest away from each other.

(14) Each nozzle has an axis of emission of a jet parallel to a direction or an axis Z (situated in the plane of FIG. 1), perpendicular to the nozzle plate and to the axis X mentioned previously. A third axis, Y, is perpendicular to each of the two axes X and Z, the two axes X and Z extending in the plane of FIG. 1.

(15) In the figure may be seen the nozzle 4.sub.x. Each nozzle is in hydraulic communication with a pressurised stimulation chamber. The drop generator comprises as many stimulation chambers as nozzles. Each chamber is equipped with an actuator, for example a piezoelectric crystal. An example of design of a stimulation chamber is described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 7,192,121.

(16) Downstream of the nozzle plate are located means, or sorting unit, 6 that make it possible to separate drops intended for printing from drops or sections of jets that do not serve for printing.

(17) The drops emitted or sections of jets emitted by a nozzle and intended for printing, follow a trajectory along the axis Z of the nozzle and are going to hit a printing support 8, after having passed via an outlet slot 17. This slot is open on the outside of the cavity and enables the exit of drops of ink intended for printing; it is parallel to the direction X of alignment of the nozzles, the axes of direction Z of the nozzles passing through this slot, which is located on the face opposite to the nozzle plate 2. It has a length at least equal to the distance between the first and the final nozzle.

(18) In the remainder of the present application as well as in the claims, the term cavity designates the area of space in which ink circulates between the nozzle plate 2 and the outlet slot 17 for drops intended for printing or between the nozzle plate and the recovery gutter. The nozzle plate 2 in fact forms an upper wall of the cavity.

(19) The drops emitted or sections of jets emitted by a nozzle and not intended for printing are deviated by the means 6 and are recovered by a recovery gutter 7 then recycled. The gutter has, in the direction X, a length at least equal to the distance between the first and the final nozzle.

(20) Sectional views of various examples of print head structure, according to various aspects of the invention, are explained in a more detailed manner below, with reference to FIGS. 2A-4. Aspects common to these different embodiments will firstly be explained. These sections are taken along a plane parallel to the plane YZ, and containing the axis Z of a nozzle 4. The representation of each section keeps the same shape over the distance going, along the direction X (perpendicular to the plane of each of the FIGS. 2A-4), from the first nozzle 4.sub.1 to the final nozzle 4.sub.n. In these figures, only the cavity 5 in which the jets circulate is represented.

(21) P.sub.0 designates the plane that goes through the nozzle 4x and which is parallel to the plane XZ. This plane is perpendicular to each of FIGS. 2A-4 and goes through all the nozzles, which are aligned along X. It also goes through the slot 17. A plot of this plane is represented in FIG. 3 in broken lines.

(22) The upper part of the cavity is delimited by the wall 2, which also forms, or comprises, the nozzle plate or comprises nozzles. The lower part of the cavity is delimited by a lower wall 21, traversed by the slot 17, and by a part of the gutter 7. Walls 9 and 10 limit the lateral extension, along the axis Y.

(23) The cavity comprises in addition, on one side of the plane P.sub.0, a lateral wall 9, preferably parallel to the plane P.sub.0 and contiguous with the nozzle plate 2. A wall 10, situated on the other side of the plane P.sub.0, faces the wall 9. The cavity is thus delimited, on either side of the plane P.sub.0, by these 2 walls 9 and 10. By convention, the side of the plane P.sub.0 where the wall 10 and the gutter 7 are located is called first side of this plane, the other side (where the wall 9 is located), is called second side.

(24) The wall 10 has ends, along the direction X, which are contiguous with the nozzle plate 2. In the part which is close to the nozzle plate 2 and over a length that is, preferably, slightly greater than the distance between the first 4.sub.1 and the final nozzle 4.sub.n, this wall may comprise a slot 14, which will make it possible to suck up ink that is deposited on the nozzle plate or in its vicinity.

(25) At the bottom of this wall 10 is located the inlet slot of the recovery gutter 7, 70 to make it possible to recover drops that are deviated in order that they do not pass through the slot 17.

(26) The gutter may be placed in hydraulic communication with the slot 14, by means of a conduit 13 that emerges in the gutter and which is situated to the rear of the wall 10 with respect to the plane P.sub.0.

(27) The means 6 for selecting and deviating drops not intended for printing are flush on the wall 10. These means mainly comprise electrodes. They are intended to be connected to powering up means, not represented in the figure.

(28) Preferably, the distance between the wall 10 and the plane P.sub.0, measured along the direction Y, perpendicular to the plane P.sub.0, is, going from the plate 2, firstly constant; this corresponds to a 1.sup.st part 10.sub.1 of the wall 10, which is substantially parallel to P.sub.0.

(29) Then, in a second part 10.sub.2, further from the plate 2 than the 1.sup.st part 10.sub.1, from a point 61 of incline of the wall 10, the distance between the wall 10 and the plane P.sub.0 increases with the moving away of the nozzle plate.

(30) This structure enables the wall 10 to be close to the plane P.sub.0, and parallel thereto, in a 1.sup.st part of the cavity situated in the vicinity of the nozzles 4.sub.x, in the place where the path of the drops is hardly modified, even when drops situated more downstream on this path are deviated to enter into the recovery gutter 7.

(31) This is what may be seen in FIGS. 2A-4, where a path of drops is deviated to the gutter 7, 70: the upper part of the jet is not, or is only very slightly, deviated, whereas, from a point 61 of inclination of the wall 10, the jet moves away more and more, almost linearly, from the plane P.sub.0. This could be termed a ballistic path of the jet downstream of the electrostatic field area.

(32) A lower part of the wall 10 and a wall 12, situated to the rear of the wall 10 with respect to the plane P.sub.0, defines, facing a wall 11, a conduit, or gutter 7, 70 for evacuating drops that will not be used for printing.

(33) The walls 10 and 12 are, preferably, contiguous with each other, the reference 18 designating the junction line of these two walls 10 and 12; this line is parallel, or substantially parallel, to the direction X. They form an upper wall of the gutter.

(34) The wall 11 forms a lower wall of the gutter. It comprises a 1.sup.st part 11.sub.1, the most upstream in the sense of circulation of the drops in the conduit 7, 70 and a second part 11.sub.2, the most downstream.

(35) The potential conduit 13 may emerge in the upper wall 12 and hydraulically connect the recovery gutter 7, 70 to a conduit 141 hydraulically connected to the slot 14.

(36) The reference 28 designates a junction line of the parts 11.sub.1 and 11.sub.2 of the wall 11; this line is parallel, or substantially parallel, to the direction X and to the line 18.

(37) The part 11.sub.1 the most upstream, at the inlet of the conduit 7, 70 of the lower wall 11, terminates by an end part 15, which, advantageously, constitutes its apex (or summit). It is the point of the surface 11 that is the closest to the plane P.sub.0.

(38) Preferably, this apex 15 also forms part of a wall 16 that is parallel to the plane P.sub.0 and which forms one of the walls surrounding or delimiting the outlet slot 17. In other words, the point the most upstream of the gutter is directly in line with the outlet slot 17 of the cavity. This makes it possible to optimise the recovery of drops: thanks to this configuration, any drop deviated, even slightly, will be recovered by the gutter.

(39) The slot 17 constitutes an opening of the cavity 5 through which pass drops intended for printing. In FIG. 3, a dotted line materialising the axis of the nozzle 4.sub.x has been represented. This axis goes through the centre of the slot 17.

(40) Another wall of the cavity is constituted by the wall 21: it is substantially parallel to the plate 2, but the furthest away therefrom in the cavity 5. In other words, it is situated on the side of the outlet slot 17. An end of this wall may form an inlet edge of the slot 17, facing the wall 16 already mentioned above.

(41) A wall 210, substantially perpendicular to the wall 21, delimits, with the wall 16, the outlet slot 17: the drops are going to circulate between these 2 walls, before exiting the slot 17 and being crushed on the printing support 8.

(42) In a variant, the walls 16 and 210 move away from each other, as represented in broken lines in FIG. 2A. This funnel shape makes it possible to avoid capturing or intercepting drops which could deviate slightly from their trajectory at the outlet of the cavity 5 but which could all the same be directed to the printing support. This shape of the walls 16 and 210 may be applied to the other modes or examples of embodiment of the cavity, described in the present application.

(43) Finally, the reference 211 designates the exterior surface of the cavity, into which the outlet of the slot 17 emerges.

(44) An example of operation of these cavities is as follows.

(45) A continuous ink jet is emitted by the print head. The deflection of this jet is commanded by electrodes 6 to create, as a function of the pattern to print and the position of the support 8, drops intended or not for printing.

(46) Drops intended for printing move along the axis Z (in the plane P.sub.0) and pass through the slot 17.

(47) Drops not intended for printing are deviated from the axis Z (or from the plane P.sub.0), and along a trajectory that brings them to strike the lower wall 11 of the gutter 7, 70.

(48) Since the gutter is connected to a low pressure source, the ink of these drops, which have stricken the wall 11, exit, with air, the cavity 5 via the gutter.

(49) Furthermore, the conduit 13 and the slot 14 can maintain a slight low pressure at the level of the nozzle plate 2. This low pressure makes it possible to absorb ink which, by capillarity, is deposited on the nozzle plate 2.

(50) In FIG. 2A is represented a particular aspect of an embodiment of the invention.

(51) The reference 70 designates a recovery gutter, for example of the type known from the prior art according to the teaching of document WO 2012/038520. Pumping means (not represented in the figure) may be connected to the gutter to suck up ink that enters into the latter.

(52) A lateral conduit 20 enables the cavity 5 to be placed in communication with a source of overpressure, not represented.

(53) One of the walls of this conduit 20 is the wall 21; a 2.sup.nd wall 22, which faces the 1.sup.st wall and which is parallel to it, re-joins the wall 9, in which an opening enables the conduit to emerge in the cavity 5. The conduit 20 is thus arranged laterally, at the bottom of the cavity, that is to say, along the axis Z, on the side opposite to the plate 2. It is also arranged, laterally, on the side opposite to that in which the gutter 70 emerges. This conduit 20 is going to make it possible to make circulate, in the direction of the cavity 5 and substantially parallel to the wall 21, a flow of air or gas, as represented by the arrow 200.sub.1.

(54) In the cavity are also provided means 27, which are going to make it possible to deviate, before it reaches the space above the slot 17, the flow 200.sub.1 from its initial trajectory, which is substantially parallel to the wall 21. Thus, this gaseous flow is going to rise to the upper part of the cavity, that is to say to the plate 2. In the embodiment illustrated, these means 27 comprise for example an obstacle, such as a plate or (here) a stud, which the flow 200.sub.1 is going to encounter and which is going to make it possible to be deviated as indicated above. The 1.sup.st wall 21 may be terminated, before the slot 17, by this obstacle.

(55) The stud 27 has, in the plane of the figure, a substantially rectangular or square shape. It is delimited, on the side of the conduit 20, by a face 24, parallel to the plane P.sub.0. D designates the distance between the plane of the wall 24 and the wall 9. This distance D is less than the distance separating the wall 9 from the plane P.sub.0.

(56) The upper part of the stud 27 is formed by a flat part 25, substantially parallel to the nozzle plate 2.

(57) Finally a part or wall 26, parallel to the plane P.sub.0 forms a wall of the slot 17 opposite to the wall 16. This wall 26 is situated in the extension of the wall 210, already described above. The jet circulates between these walls 16, 26, before exiting the slot 17 and being crushed on the printing support 8.

(58) The walls 16 and 26 are situated on either side of the plane P.sub.0. It may be noted that the part 111, situated under the surface 11, may be laterally moveable, along the direction Y, in order to better position the apex 15 at the start of operation (which may also be the case for the configuration of FIG. 3). In all cases, in operation, the walls 16 and 26 are preferably situated at equal distance from the plane P.sub.0.

(59) The operation of this cavity may be as follows: a gaseous jet 200.sub.1 is sent via the conduit 20 to the cavity 5. The air that thus enters into the cavity 5 is deviated by the wall 24 of the means 27 and is directed to the upper part of the cavity, in the direction of the nozzle plate 2. The air firstly follows an ascending path, in the vicinity of the wall 9, then a descending path, downstream, inside the boundary layer that surrounds the jets.

(60) These effects are favoured for certain configurations of the cavity: if a designates the distance, measured along Z, between the point of intersection between the walls 9 and 20, and the nozzle plate 2 and b the distance measured along Y, between the walls 9 and 10, then the condition a>b favours the effects described above, while allowing a vortex to be established; if a<b, then, the vortex can only be established with greater difficulty (air risks directly impacting the jet curtain).

(61) In FIG. 2A is represented the circulation of gas, materialised by curved arrows, obtained in the cavity and which results from the means 20 for injecting gas and the means 27 for deviating the flow of gas. This representation illustrates the fact that the gas is going to describe, inside the cavity 5, a vortex which tends to concentrate air in the vicinity of the trajectory of the deviated jets.

(62) Thus, vapours that are located far from the trajectory of the jets deviated are brought back thereto, are then absorbed by the gutter 70 and are evacuated as illustrated in FIG. 2A by the arrow 200.sub.2.

(63) The gaseous vortex generated by the circulation of gas in the cavity 5 is stable, consequently all the drops intended for printing are deviated by the same amount with respect to the axis Z. The positions of the printing drops on the printing support with respect to each other will thus be independent of the deviation value. The potential deviation is sufficiently small so that drops continue to pass through the slot 17 without striking the walls 16 and 26.

(64) During the operation of the cavity, a suction is imposed at the outlet of the gutter 70 by pumping means (not represented in the figure). Furthermore, a positive pressure is imposed at the inlet of the conduit 20 (to make the flow of air 200.sub.1 circulate) by pumping means (not represented in the figure).

(65) It is thus possible to obtain a pressure equal to, or close to, the external pressure P.sub.ext, at a point or in a central area 5.sub.1 of the cavity. As a function of the pressure values imposed at the outlet of the gutter 70 and at the inlet of the conduit 20, the position and the volume of this central area 5.sub.1 can vary.

(66) The presence of this area is favourable, because, if the pressure in the cavity is less than the external pressure, air is going to enter into the cavity 5 and perturb the flow of the jets; if the pressure in the cavity is greater than the external pressure, air is going to exit the cavity 5 while carrying along solvent vapours.

(67) The flow of air in the cavity is going to circulate around the area 5.sub.1 of pressure close to the external pressure P.sub.ext.

(68) A variant of the structure of FIG. 2A is illustrated in FIG. 2B, where a conduit 213, which, for example, passes along the external surface 211, emerges in the cavity 5 via an orifice 201 produced in the wall 21. This conduit 213 enables the cavity 5 to be placed in communication with a source of overpressure, not represented.

(69) This conduit 213 is going to make it possible to circulate, in the direction of the cavity 5 and substantially parallel to the wall 9, a flow of air or gas, as represented by the arrow 214.

(70) The operation of this cavity may be as follows: a gaseous jet 214 is sent via the conduit 213 to the cavity 5. Air thus enters into the cavity 5 and is directed to the upper part of the cavity, in the direction of the nozzle plate 2. The air firstly follows an ascending path, in the vicinity of the wall 9, then a descending path, downstream, inside the boundary layer that surrounds the jets. The presence of means such as the means 27 (represented in broken lines in FIG. 2B) is not necessary, since the flow of gas circulates, as soon as it enters into the cavity, from the bottom thereof to the top.

(71) During the operation of the cavity, a suction is imposed at the outlet of the gutter 70 by pumping means (not represented in the figure). Furthermore, a positive pressure is imposed at the inlet of the conduit 213 (to make the flux 214 circulate) by pumping means (not represented in the figure).

(72) The other aspects described above with reference to FIG. 2A also apply to the structure of FIG. 2B (circulation of gas, gaseous vortex, pressure equal to, or close to, the external pressure P.sub.ext, at a point or in a central area 5.sub.1 of the cavity).

(73) FIG. 3 represents a schematic section of a print head complying with another particular aspect of an embodiment of the invention. The embodiment of this FIG. 3 does not comprises a conduit 20, emerging in the cavity.

(74) In this figure it may be seen that the gutter 7 comprises a 1.sup.st part 7.sub.1, which begins at the inlet slot for drops in the gutter and of which the section, or the width, reduces, preferably progressively, on moving away from the plane P.sub.0 and the plate 2. This makes it possible to confer to the flow of air that circulates in the gutter a velocity that increases from the inlet of the gutter.

(75) This first part 7.sub.1 has the shape of a conduit sloping towards the bottom of the figure, or to a plane parallel to the plane XY and which passes through the outlet slot 17.

(76) A 2.sup.nd part 7.sub.2 follows on from the 1.sup.st part 7.sub.1, in the sense of circulation of drops recovered by the gutter 7. The section of this 2.sup.nd part, or its width, increases, preferably, on moving away from the plane P.sub.0 and on coming closer to the plate 2. This shape makes it possible to create a Venturi effect. The flow of air that circulates in this part of the gutter has a velocity that decreases. A constant section of this 2nd part, or its width, is possible within the scope of the invention, but then without creation of Venturi effect.

(77) The gutter has, in this second part 7.sub.2, the shape of a conduit sloping towards the top of the figure, or towards the plane of the nozzle plate, in order to reduce the size of the device: an incline of this second part 7.sub.2 towards the bottom of the figure would lead to an increased distance between the nozzle plate 2 and the external surface 211, in which the outlet of the slot 17 is produced. It is thus sought to have a mean angle, between the 2 parts 7.sub.1 and 7.sub.2, less than or equal to 90.

(78) The section or the width of the conduit 7 is for example measured in a plane perpendicular to the surface of one of the walls 10, 11, 12 that delimit the gutter. The sections of the different parts are calculated so that the gutter generates a pressure difference of around 150 mbars, or between 50 mbars and 500 mbars.

(79) In an area situated between the 1.sup.st part 7.sub.1 and the 2.sup.nd part 7.sub.2, and in the vicinity of this area, the conduit 7 forms a curved portion, or a restriction or a bend 38, which makes it possible to avoid a return of drops of ink to the cavity 5 and which is going to define an area of change of incline of the gutter, this restriction 38 forming the part of the gutter the farthest away from the plane of the plate 2.

(80) The progressive reduction in section of the 1.sup.st part 7.sub.1 is going to make it possible, firstly, to capture, with a good efficiency, drops in a section, forming the inlet and the part of widest section of the gutter. The drops are then taken along, in this 1.sup.st part, to the wall 11 on which they are going to be crushed, which is going to form a diphasic air-liquid mixture which is then sucked up to the restriction 38, which, through its curved shape and its narrowness (width between 50 m and 300 or 400 m), will not enable a return of this mixture to the 1.sup.st part 7.sub.1.

(81) Advantageously, the 1.sup.st part 11.sub.1 of the lower wall 11, is at a distance d from the plane of the nozzle plate 2, which decreases when the distance to the plane P.sub.0 decreases. The same applies to the portion of the wall 10 which is situated upstream of the line 18. In other words, the more a point, on the surface 11.sub.1 (respectively 10), is close to the plane P.sub.0, the closer it is, also, to the plane of the plate 2. This part 11.sub.1 delimits a volume that is situated above the surface 11.sub.1 and which the ink passes through before spreading on the wall 11.sub.1, This volume is preferably at least in part substantially concave, which is favourable to the capture of drops that are crushed on this surface 11.sub.1. The portion of the surface 10, that faces it, is firstly substantially flat, then is curved, to re-join the axis 18.

(82) The reference 11.sub.2 designates the most downstream part, in the conduit 7, of the lower wall 11. In the embodiment illustrated, the gutter has, as explained above, in a 2.sup.nd part, the shape of a conduit sloping towards the top of the figure, this part 11.sub.2 being at a distance d from the plane of the nozzle plate 2 which decreases when the distance to the plane P.sub.0 increases. The same applies to the portion of the wall 12 that is situated downstream of the line 18. In other words, the more a point, on the surface 11.sub.2 (respectively 12), is close to the plane P.sub.0, the further away it is, also, from the plane of the plate 2. Preferably, this part 11.sub.2 forms a substantially flat portion of the lower wall 11. The portion of the surface 12, that faces it, is firstly, in the vicinity of the line 18, slightly curved then substantially flat.

(83) It is in a zone situated between the lines 18 and 28, and in the vicinity of this zone, that the conduit 7 forms the restriction 38, which is going to make it possible to avoid a return of drops of ink to the cavity 5. This restriction 38 results, in this example, from the restriction in width then the change in orientation of the direction of the slope of the gutter 7, which is firstly inclined downwards, in the 1.sup.st part 7.sub.1, then sloping upwards, in the 2.sup.nd part 7.sub.2. The lowest section or width, in the sense explained above, of the gutter is situated in this restriction 38.

(84) The operation of this cavity is that described above, but the restriction 38, formed in the vicinity of the lines 18 and 28, makes it possible to avoid a return of drops to the cavity 5. The other interests, in terms of operation, of the example of FIG. 3, have been mentioned above, with reference to the description of the structure.

(85) In a variant, the gutter is of the type that has just been described, with reference to FIG. 3, but with the structure described with reference to FIG. 2A, with a lateral conduit 20 for injecting gas. Such an embodiment is represented in FIG. 4.

(86) In a further variant (not represented), the gutter is of the type that has just been described, with reference to FIG. 3, but with the structure described with reference to FIG. 2B, with a conduit for injecting gas via the bottom of the cavity.

(87) In the case of a structure with lateral injection of gas, and with a gutter of the type described with reference to FIG. 3, the inventors have carried out a simulation. To do so they selected conditions of inlet of air in the cavity 5 in order to obtain a vortex and applied Comsol software. This software exploits a breakdown into finite elements of the cavity volume according to a certain meshing. A flow rate value and flow conditions inside the meshing elements in which one is interested are obtained. In the present case, a constraint relative to the direction of the vector-velocity at the level of the plane XZ has been added: this constraint is that the component of the vector-velocity of the gases in finite elements, containing a part of the plane XZ, is clearly greater than the component perpendicular to this plane. The direction of the printing drops is perturbed the least possible. In this way the flow of air along Y perturbs the least possible the path of the jets.

(88) FIG. 4 represents the result of such a simulation. It may be seen that the gas, at the outlet of the conduit 20, is deviated towards the upper part of the cavity, circulates along the wall 9, re-joins the nozzle plate 2, then is brought back to the gutter 7.

(89) The air circulates well around the point or the pressure area close to the external pressure (atmospheric pressure).

(90) As will be understood from FIGS. 2A and 4, the circulation of air created in the cavity makes it possible to bring back, to the gutter, with the deviated flow of ink, solvent vapours present in the cavity. The positioning of the conduit 20 at the bottom of the cavity, on the side of the slot 17, makes it possible to obtain a path of the injected gas, firstly ascending in the cavity, to the plate 2, then descending, to the gutter 7.

(91) As illustrated in FIG. 5, whatever the shape of the gutter, the apex thereof is advantageously situated at a distance L from the plane P.sub.0 less than or equal to the difference D in deviation of the jets, at the level of this apex (along the axis Z), reduced by the thickness of the boundary layer around the jets deviated at the level of this apex.

(92) A device according to the invention is supplied with ink by a reservoir of ink not represented in the figures. Various fluidic connection means may be implemented to connect this reservoir to a print head according to the invention, and to recover ink that comes from the recovery gutter. An example of complete circuit is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,192,121 and may be used in combination with the present invention.

(93) Whatever the embodiment envisaged, the instructions, for activating the means 4.sub.1-4.sub.n for producing ink jets and the pumping means of the gutter, and/or the means for sending a gas into the cavity are sent by control means (also called controller). It is also these instructions that are going to make it possible to make ink circulate under pressure in the direction of the means 4.sub.1-4.sub.n, then to generate jets as a function of the patterns to be printed on a support 8. These control means are for example realised in the form of a processor or a microprocessor, programmed to implement a method according to the invention.

(94) It is this controller that drives the means 4.sub.1-4.sub.n, the pumping means of the printer, and in particular the gutter, as well as the means for sending a gas into the cavity and/or the opening and the closing of valves in the path of the different fluids (ink, solvent, gas). The control means may also assure the memorisation of data, for example measurement data of ink levels in one or more reservoirs, and their potential processing.

(95) In FIG. 6 is represented the main units of an ink jet printer that can implement one or more of the embodiments described above. The printer comprises a console 300, a compartment 400 containing notably the circuits for conditioning the ink and solvents, as well as reservoirs for the ink and the solvents (in particular, the reservoir to which the ink recovered by the gutter is bought back). Generally, the compartment 400 is in the lower part of the console. The upper part of the console comprises the command and control electronics as well as visualisation means. The console is hydraulically and electrically connected to a print head 100 by an umbilical 203.

(96) A gantry, not represented, makes it possible to install the print head facing a printing support 8, which moves along a direction materialised by an arrow. This direction is perpendicular to an axis of alignment of the nozzles.

(97) The drop generator includes nozzles and a cavity of the type according to one of the embodiments described above.

(98) The invention is particularly interesting in applications where the air or gas flow rate, in the cavity, is high, because a high air flow rate leads to an all the greater risk of solvent escaping.

(99) For example, the flow rate may be of the order of several hundreds of l/h, again for example between 50 l/h or 100 l/h and 500 l/h, further for example around 300 l/h. These values apply notably to the case of a nozzle plate with 64 nozzles, but the invention also applies to the case of a nozzle plate with a fewer number of nozzles, for example 32, or in the case of a nozzle plate with a greater number of nozzles, for example 128. The velocity of the jets may be between 5 m/s and 20 m/s, for example it is around 15 m/s.

(100) An example of fluidic circuit 400 of a printer to which the invention may be applied is illustrated in FIG. 7. This fluidic circuit 400 comprises a plurality of means 410, 500, 110, 220, 310, each associated with a specific functionality. The head 1 and the umbilical 203 are also illustrated.

(101) With this circuit 400 are associated a removable ink cartridge 130 and a solvent cartridge 140, also removable.

(102) The reference 410 designates the main reservoir, which makes it possible to receive a mixture of solvent and ink.

(103) The reference 110 designates the set of means that make it possible to withdraw, and potentially to store, solvent from a solvent cartridge 140 and to provide the solvent thereby withdrawn to other parts of the printer, whether it involves supplying the main reservoir 410 with solvent, or cleaning or maintaining one or more of the other parts of the machine.

(104) The reference 310 designates the set of means that make it possible to withdraw ink from an ink cartridge 130 and to provide the ink thereby withdrawn to supply the main reservoir 410. As may be seen in this figure, according to the embodiment presented here, the sending, to the main reservoir 410 and from the means 110, of solvent, goes through these same means 310.

(105) At the outlet of the reservoir 410, a set of means, globally designated by the reference 220, makes it possible to pressurise the ink withdrawn from the main reservoir, and to send it to the print head 1. According to an embodiment, illustrated here by the arrow 250, it is also possible, by these means 220, to send ink to the means 310, then again to the reservoir 410, which enables a recirculation of ink inside the circuit. This circuit 220 also makes it possible to empty the reservoir in the cartridge 130 as well as to clean the connectors of the cartridge 130.

(106) The system represented in this figure also comprises means 500 for recovering fluids (ink and/or solvent) that return from the print head, more exactly from the gutter 7 of the print head or the rinsing circuit of the head. These means 500 are thus arranged downstream of the umbilical 203 (with respect to the sense of circulation of the fluids that return from the print head).

(107) As may be seen in FIG. 7, the means 110 may also make it possible to send solvent directly to these means 500, without going either through the umbilical 203 or through the print head 1 or through the recovery gutter.

(108) The means 110 may comprise at least 3 parallel solvent supplies, one to the head 1, the 2.sup.nd to the means 500 and the 3.sup.rd to the means 310.

(109) Each of the means described above is provided with means, such as valves, preferably electromagnetic valves, which make it possible to orient the fluid concerned to the chosen destination. Thus, from the means 110, it is possible to send the solvent exclusively to the head 1, or to the means 500 or to the means 310.

(110) Each of the means 500, 110, 210, 310 described above may be provided with a pump which makes it possible to treat the fluid concerned (respectively: 1.sup.st pump, 2.sup.nd pump, 3.sup.rd pump, 4.sup.th pump). These different pumps assure different functions (those of their respective means) and are thus different to each other, even if these different pumps may be of the same type or of similar types (in other words: none of these pumps assures 2 of these functions).

(111) In particular, the means 500 comprise a pump (1.sup.st pump) that makes it possible to pump fluid, recovered, as explained above, from the print head, and to send it to the main reservoir 410. This pump is dedicated to the recovery of fluid coming from the print head and is physically different to the 4.sup.th pumping means 310 dedicated to the transfer of ink or the 3.sup.rd pumping means 210 dedicated to the pressurisation of ink at the outlet of the reservoir 410.

(112) The means 110 comprise a pump (the 2.sup.nd pump) that makes it possible to pump solvent and to send it to the means 500 and/or to the means 310 and/or to the print head 1.

(113) Such a circuit 400 is controlled by the control means described above, these means are in general contained within the console 300 (FIG. 6).