1. A method of making edible substrates having consistent registration of images disposed thereon, wherein said method comprises:
(a) providing an edible substrate sheet;
(b) providing an image source, wherein said image source comprises at least one image;
(c) providing a trigger pulse signal, wherein said trigger pulse signal relays the frequency of a process element;
(d) providing at least one status signal, wherein said status signal communicates the status of at least a portion of the system;
(e) providing a time delay;
(f) communicating the combination of the trigger pulse signal, status signal, and time delay to a signal processing unit to produce an adjusted trigger pulse signal;
(g) communicating the adjusted trigger pulse signal to an image disposal device ink jet printer,
wherein the ink jet printer uses the adjusted trigger pulse signal to determine when to dispose an image from said image source;
(h) disposing an image on said edible substrate sheet with said ink jet printer to form an image-disposed edible substrate sheet;
(i) separating a portion of the edible substrate sheet that comprises an image disposed thereon into an individual piece.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said time delay is either positive or negative.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said process element is selected from the group consisting of cutter mold, carrier mold, forming device, cutting device, forming mold, cooking mold, and conveying device.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger pulse is combined with a status signal or a delay signal.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein an encoder instructs the ink jet printer to dispose an image at a speed such that proper registration is achieved.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said delay signal comprises an automatic sensor.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said delay signal comprises a manual adjustment device.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) comprises a calibration step, wherein said calibration step adjusts the delay applied to each trigger pulse such that proper registration is achieved.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (g) comprises a calibration step, wherein said calibration step adjusts the location of the print head such that proper registration is achieved.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a capillary channel;
an electrically conductive fluid within the capillary channel;
a meniscus formed by the electrically conductive fluid;
a conductive capillary seal electrically coupled to the meniscus; and
a spindle electrically coupled to the meniscus.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an annular chamber includes the capillary channel.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the capillary channel is radially configured.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the annular chamber comprises an electrically conductive material.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conductive fluid comprises an electrically non-conductive lubricant and an electrically conductive, non-metallic, non-magnetic additive.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conductive fluid comprises an electrically non-conductive lubricant.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conductive fluid comprises an electrically conductive, non-metallic, non-magnetic additive.
8. A method comprising:
forming a meniscus from an electrically conductive fluid within a capillary channel;
electrically contacting the meniscus to a spindle during rotation of the spindle; and
electrically contacting the meniscus to a conductive capillary seal.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive fluid includes an electrically non-conductive lubricant and an electrically conductive, non-metallic, non-magnetic additive.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive fluid includes an electrically non-conductive lubricant.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive fluid includes an electrically conductive additive.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive fluid includes a non-metallic additive.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein the electrically conductive fluid includes a non-magnetic additive.
14. A method comprising:
electrically contacting a meniscus formed by an electrically conductive fluid contained within a capillary channel defined within a capsule, formed at least in part of an electrically conductive material, wherein the capsule is in electrical contact with a hub, wherein the capsule defines a conductive capillary seal, the meniscus electrically coupled to the conductive capillary seal and a spindle.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising electrically contacting the hub with the capsule and electrically contacting the meniscus with the spindle while the hub rotates about the spindle.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the conductive fluid comprises an electrically non-conductive lubricant and an electrically conductive, non-metallic, non-magnetic additive.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the conductive fluid includes an electrically non-conductive lubricant.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein the conductive fluid includes an electrically conductive additive.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein the conductive fluid includes a non-metallic additive.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein the conductive fluid includes a non-magnetic additive.