Attachment of nozzle plate to flexible circuit for facilitating assembly of printhead
First Claim
1. A method for forming an inkjet printhead assembly comprising the steps of:
- providing a flexible insulating tape having a first set of conductive traces formed thereon, for conducting energization signals, and having securing traces formed thereon, portions of said first set of conductive traces and portions of said securing traces located proximate to an opening formed in said flexible insulating tape;
positioning a nozzle plate, having nozzles formed therein, within said opening;
bonding said portions of said securing traces to said nozzle plate;
aligning a substrate with said nozzle plate, said substrate having a plurality of ink ejection means formed thereon, each ink ejection means being paired with an associated one of said nozzles formed in said nozzle plate; and
bonding said portions of said first set of conductive traces to associated electrodes formed on said substrate.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a printhead assembly, a nozzle plate is bonded directly to special traces formed on a flexible tape automated bonding (TAB) circuit, using a commercially available automatic lead bonder, to retain the nozzle plate in place on the TAB circuit. The TAB circuit is handled in a reel-to-reel film format which is commonly used for electronic chip packaging. In a next step of the reel-to-reel process, an automatic bonder manipulates individual substrates, aligns each substrate to an associated nozzle plate, and bonds electrodes on the substrate to corresponding leads formed on the TAB circuit. In the process of the automated bonder aligning the substrate to the nozzle plate, the substrate is automatically aligned with respect to the leads on the TAB circuit. Commercially available automatic bonding equipment can be used to perform the alignment and bonding steps.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for forming an inkjet printhead assembly comprising the steps of:
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providing a flexible insulating tape having a first set of conductive traces formed thereon, for conducting energization signals, and having securing traces formed thereon, portions of said first set of conductive traces and portions of said securing traces located proximate to an opening formed in said flexible insulating tape; positioning a nozzle plate, having nozzles formed therein, within said opening; bonding said portions of said securing traces to said nozzle plate; aligning a substrate with said nozzle plate, said substrate having a plurality of ink ejection means formed thereon, each ink ejection means being paired with an associated one of said nozzles formed in said nozzle plate; and bonding said portions of said first set of conductive traces to associated electrodes formed on said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A printing structure comprising:
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a strip of flexible insulating tape having a first set of conductive traces formed thereon for conducting energization signals and having securing traces formed thereon, portions of said first set of conductive traces and portions of said securing traces located proximate to an opening formed in said tape; a nozzle plate, formed of a different material than said tape, being secured to said portions of said securing traces; and a substrate being aligned with and secured to said nozzle plate, said substrate having ink ejection means formed thereon, each ink ejection means being paired with a nozzle formed in said nozzle plate, said substrate having electrodes formed thereon bonded to said portions of said first set of conductive traces. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for forming an inkjet printhead assembly comprising the steps of:
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providing a flexible insulating tape having a set of conductive traces formed thereon, for conducting energization signals, said tape having an opening; positioning a nozzle plate, having nozzles formed therein, within said tape opening; bonding said nozzle plate to said tape proximate to said tape opening; aligning a substrate with said nozzle plate, said substrate having a plurality of ink ejection means formed thereon, each ink ejection means being paired with an associated one of said nozzles formed in said nozzle plate; and bonding portions of said set of conductive traces to associated electrodes formed on said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A printing structure comprising:
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a strip of flexible insulating tape having an opening and a set of conductive traces formed on the tape for conducting energization signals, portions of said set of conductive traces located proximate to the tape opening; a nozzle plate, formed of a different material than said tape, within said tape opening and being secured to portions of the tape surrounding the tape opening; and a substrate being aligned with and secured to said nozzle plate, said substrate having ink ejection means formed thereon, each ink ejection means being paired with a nozzle formed in said nozzle plate, said substrate having electrodes formed thereon bonded to said portions of said set of conductive traces. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification