Fluid ejector apparatus and methods

• US 20040241008A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James W. Ayres, John Stephen Dunfield
• Original Assignee: James W. Ayres, John Stephen Dunfield
• Inventors: Dunfield, John Stephen, Ayres, James W.
• Application Number:
  US10/884,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20040241008A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/182
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material

Abstract

A fluid ejector head, includes a fluid ejector body adapted to be inserted into an opening of an enclosing medium having an interior surface, and at least one nozzle disposed on the fluid ejector body. The fluid ejector head further includes, a fluid ejector actuator in fluid communication with the at least one nozzle, wherein activation of the fluid ejector actuator ejects a fluid through the at least one nozzle at controlled locations onto the interior surface of the enclosing medium.

Claims

1-46. -46. (Canceled).

47. A method of manufacturing a fluid ejector head, comprising:

creating a fluid ejector body adapted to be inserted into an opening of an enclosing medium, said medium having an interior surface;

forming at least one orifice on said fluid ejector body; and

creating a drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator in fluid communication with said at least one orifice, wherein activation of said drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator ejects a fluid onto a discrete location on said interior surface of said elongated enclosing medium.

48. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating a fluid ejector body further comprises creating a substrate having at least one active device electrically coupled to said drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator.

49. The method in accordance with claim 47, further comprising:

forming a chamber layer over a substrate within said fluid ejector body;

defining side walls of at least one fluid ejection chamber about said drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator, said side walls formed in said chamber layer; and

creating a nozzle layer over said chamber layer wherein said nozzle layer includes said at least one orifice.

50. The method in accordance with claim 49, wherein creating a nozzle layer further comprises creating a micromolded nozzle layer having said at least one orifice.

51. The method in accordance with claim 49, wherein forming a chamber layer further comprises forming a micromolded chamber layer having said sidewalls of said at least one fluid ejection chamber.

52. The method in accordance with claim 47, further comprising:

forming at least one fluid inlet channel in a substrate within said fluid ejector body fluidically coupled to said at least one orifice; and

forming a fluid channel within said fluid ejector body fluidically coupled to said at least one fluid inlet channel.

53. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator further comprises creating at least one fluid energy generating element.

54. The method in accordance with claim 53, wherein creating at least one fluid energy generating element further comprises creating at least one fluid energy generating element of a first type and at least one fluid energy generating element of a second type.

55. A fluid ejector head manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 53.

56. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating a fluid ejector body having a longitudinal axis, and wherein forming at least one orifice further comprises forming at least one orifice having an orifice ejection axis, wherein said longitudinal axis and said orifice ejection axis form a predetermined ejection angle.

57. The method in accordance with claim 56, wherein said predetermined angle is in the range from about minus sixty degrees to plus sixty degrees about a fluid body normal of said fluid body.

58. A fluid ejector head manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 47.

80. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating said fluid ejector body having a cylindrical portion including a diameter less than an inside diameter of said opening of said enclosing medium.

81. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating said fluid ejector body having cylindrical outer surface, said cylindrical outer surface having a longitudinal axis, wherein said cylindrical outer surface conforms to said interior surface of said enclosing medium.

82. The method in accordance with claim 47, further comprising creating a first fluid channel fluidically coupled to said at least one orifice.

83. The method in accordance with claim 82, further comprising:

forming at least one second fluid orifice disposed on said fluid ejector body;

creating a second fluid channel fluidically coupled to said at least one second fluid orifice; and

creating a second drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator in fluid communication with said at least one second fluid orifice, wherein activation of said second drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator ejects a second fluid onto said interior surface of said enclosing medium.

84. The method in accordance with claim 83, further comprising:

forming at least one third fluid orifice disposed on said fluid ejector body;

creating a third fluid channel fluidically coupled to said at least one third fluid orifice; and

creating a third drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator in fluid communication with said at least one third fluid orifice, wherein activation of said third drop-on-demand fluid ejector actuator ejects a third fluid material onto said interior surface of said enclosing medium.

85. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating said fluid ejector body having a curvilinear cross-sectional shape.

86. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating said fluid ejector body having a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

87. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein forming said at least one orifice further comprises forming multiple orifices.

88. The method in accordance with claim 87, wherein forming said multiple orifices further comprises forming said multiple orifices in a helical configuration.

89. The method in accordance with claim 87, wherein forming said multiple orifices further comprises forming said multiple orifices in a single helix configuration.

90. The method in accordance with claim 87, wherein forming said multiple orifices further comprises forming said multiple orifices in a straight configuration.

91. The method in accordance with claim 87, wherein forming said multiple orifices further comprises forming said multiple orifices in a staggered configuration.

92. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating said fluid ejector body having a conformal outer surface conforming to said interior surface.

93. The method in accordance with claim 47, wherein creating said fluid ejector body further comprises creating a fluid ejector body having a fluid ejecting area wherein said fluid ejecting area conforms to a deposition area of said interior surface of said enclosing medium over which fluid is to be deposited.

59-79. -79. (Canceled).