Ink delivery system for an inkjet printhead

• US 5,278,584 A
• Filed: 04/02/1992
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Childers, Winthrop D., Steinfield, Steven W., Trueba, Kenneth E., McClelland, Paul H., Keefe, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grimley, A. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, THU A
• Application Number:
  US07/862,086
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 346/140 R, 346/1.1, 346/75, 346/107 R
• US Class Current: 347/63
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04546 Multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14024 Assembling head parts
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1404 Geometrical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14072 Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside...
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14129 Layer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14145 Structure of the manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14201 Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1603 of the front shooter type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 laser machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 : Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 : Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 : Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 : Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1753 : Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 : Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 : Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14387 : Front shooter
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/13 : Heads having an integrated circuit

Abstract

This invention provides an improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir and vaporization chambers in an inkjet printhead. In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer containing ink channels and vaporization chambers is located between a rectangular substrate and a nozzle member containing an array of orifices. The substrate contains two linear arrays of heater elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a vaporization chamber and heater element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edges of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the vaporization chambers.

Claims

1. A printhead for an ink printer comprising:

a substrate having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, and having a first outer edge along a periphery of said substrate;

a nozzle member having a plurality of ink orifices formed therein, said nozzle member being positioned to overlie said top surface of said substrate;

a plurality of heating means formed on said top surface of said substrate, each of said heating means being located proximate to an associated one of said orifices for vaporizing a portion of ink and expelling said ink from said associated orifice; and

a fluid channel, communicating with an ink reservoir, leading to each of said orifices and said heating means, said fluid channel allowing ink to flow from said ink reservoir, around said first outer edge of said substrate, and to said top surface of said substrate so as to be proximate to said orifices and said heating means.

2. The printhead of claim 1 wherein said fluid channel comprises a plurality of ink channels and a plurality of vaporization chambers, said ink channels communicating between said ink reservoir and said vaporization chambers, each of said vaporization chambers being associated with an ink orifice and a heating means.

3. The printhead of claim 2 wherein said substrate also has a second outer edge, and said fluid channel allows ink to flow around said first and second outer edges of said substrate and into said ink channels so as to deliver ink from said ink reservoir to said vaporization chambers.

4. The printhead of claim 1 wherein said fluid channel is formed in a barrier layer between said substrate and said nozzle member.

5. The printhead of claim 4 wherein said barrier layer is a patterned layer of insulating material formed on said substrate.

6. The printhead of claim 4 wherein said barrier layer is separate from said nozzle member and adhesively secured to a back surface of said nozzle member.

7. The printhead of claim 1 wherein said substrate is substantially rectangular.

8. The printhead of claim 1 further comprising a print cartridge body for housing said ink reservoir for providing said ink to said fluid channel.

9. The printhead of claim 8 wherein said ink reservoir contains two or more colors of ink, and further comprising:

a first fluid channel leading to selected ones of said orifices for communicating with a portion of said ink reservoir containing a first color of ink, said first fluid channel allowing said first color ink to flow around said first outer edge of said substrate and proximate to said selected ones of said orifices; and

a second fluid channel leading to other selected ones of said orifices for communicating with a portion of said ink reservoir containing a second color ink, said second fluid channel allowing said second color ink to flow around a second outer edge of said substrate and proximate to said other selected ones of said orifices.

10. A print cartridge for an ink printer comprising:

a substrate having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, and having a first outer edge along a periphery of said substrate;

an ink reservoir for containing an ink supply;

a nozzle member having a plurality of ink orifices formed therein;

a plurality of heating means formed on said top surface of said substrate, each of said heating means being located proximate to an associated one of said orifices for vaporizing a portion of ink and expelling said ink from said associated orifice; and

a fluid channel, communicating with said ink reservoir, leading to each of said orifices and said heating means, said fluid channel allowing ink from said ink reservoir to flow around said first outer edge of said substrate and to said top surface said substrate so as to be proximate to said orifices and said heating means, said fluid channel comprising a plurality of ink channels and a plurality of vaporization chambers, said ink channels communicating between said ink reservoir and said vaporization chambers, each of said vaporization chambers being associated with an ink orifice and a heating means.

11. The print cartridge of claim 10 wherein said substrate also has a second outer edge, and said fluid channel also allows ink to flow around said first and second outer edges of said substrate and into said ink channels so as to deliver ink from said ink reservoir to said vaporization chambers.

12. A method for printing comprising the steps of:

supplying ink from an ink reservoir around one or more edges of a substrate'"'"'s periphery and to a top surface of said substrate to allow ink, which has flowed around said one or more edges, to enter vaporization chambers, each vaporization chamber substantially surrounding a heating means formed on said top surface of said substrate; and

energizing a heating means to vaporize a portion of ink in an associated one of said vaporization chambers and expel said ink from an orifice.