Continuous ink jet printer with asymmetric heating drop deflection

摘要

Apparatus for controlling ink in a continuous ink jet printer includes an ink delivery channel; a source of pressurized ink communicating with the ink delivery channel; a nozzle bore which opens into the ink delivery channel to establish a continuous flow of ink in a stream, the nozzle bore defining a nozzle bore perimeter; and a heater which causes the stream to break up into a plurality of droplets at a position spaced from the nozzle bore. The heater having a selectively-actuated section associated with only a portion of the nozzle bore perimeter, whereby actuation of the heater section produces an asymmetric application of heat to the stream to control the direction of the stream between a print direction and a non-print direction.