Appeal No. 1997-0758
Application No. 08/140,658
This is a decision on appeal from the final
rejection of claims 1 through 19, all claims pending in this
application. The invention relates to an
electrorheological acoustic print head. In particular,
referring to Figure 2, acoustic transducer 102 generates
acoustic energy that passes into a base plate 104, and
continues onward into a channel 112 that holds an
electrorheological fluid 114. Acoustic energy is transferred
to the fluid 114, resulting in droplet ejection suitable for
printing. This droplet ejection can be controlled through the
use of conductive electrodes 122 positioned adjacent to the
channel 112. The electrodes 122 promote an electric field
that greatly increases viscosity of the fluid 114. Since this
viscosity increase inhibits droplet ejection in response to
transfer of acoustic energy, it is possible to control droplet
ejection by modulating the electrical energy supplied to the
conductive electrodes 122, rather than modulating the power
supplied to the acoustic transducer 102.
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