INK JET PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

A jet printing apparatus is shown having a reservoir for storing printing medium. A perforate member having at least one surface which is exposed to the printing medium in the reservoir with the ink entering the perforations. A drive motor effects relative movement of the perforate member past a printing station having a fluid jet with a plurality of nozzles. Electrically controlled valves selectively supply air to the nozzles to eject printing medium from the perforate member onto a printing substrate. In one embodiment, the perforate member is a cylindrical mask having spaced columns of perforations which are successively aligned with the fluid jet nozzles at the printing station. In another embodiment, a mesh belt having perforations is moved between the fluid jet nozzles and an orifice plate which has orifices aligned with the nozzles of the fluid jet. Air from selected nozzles ejects ink from the perforations through an aligned orifice opening onto the printing substrate.