Methods and apparatus for preventing clogging in ink jet printer nozzles

摘要

An impulse ink jet printer, comprising: at least one nozzle for ejecting droplets of ink in response to control signals having a predetermined parameter; an ink supply disposed in said nozzle, said ink comprising a chemical based solvent that evaporates at a rate that forms a viscosity barrier when exposed to air for a predetermined period of time such that ink disposed behind the barrier maintains a substantially constant predetermined viscosity; means for determining a quiescent period has occurred in which said ink was substantially stagnant; means in communication with said means for determining for generating control signals so as to remove the barrier from the nozzle before ej ecting droplets of ink after said means for determining determines that a quiescent period has occurred. <IMAGE>