Compact inkjet substrate with a minimal number of circuit interconnects located at the end thereof
First Claim
1. A printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a distance in a given longitudinal direction, comprising:
- a substrate having end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the substrate, a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink election chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each of said ink ejection chambers containing at least one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice;
a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers for supplying ink from the ink reservoir;
first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located only at said end-portions of the substrate; and
second circuitry on said printhead member and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying a plurality of actuation signals to said actuation elements,said second circuitry having transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions,wherein said substrate includes a given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said first circuitry includes demultiplexing means connected between said interconnect junctions and said actuation elements in said given number of ink ejection chambers, and wherein said given number of actuation lines is less than said given number of ink ejection chambers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inkjet printhead includes a compact substrate having transmission circuitry such as actuation signal lines and address circuitry and ground lines in connection with resistors in a plurality of vaporization chambers on the substrate, with a minimal number of interconnect junctions located at both ends of the substrate. A print cartridge holding the inkjet printhead has a flexible circuit member with conductive traces permanently bonded at one end to the interconnect junctions and terminating at the other end at cartridge interconnect pads.
49 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a distance in a given longitudinal direction, comprising:
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a substrate having end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the substrate, a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink election chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each of said ink ejection chambers containing at least one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers for supplying ink from the ink reservoir; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located only at said end-portions of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying a plurality of actuation signals to said actuation elements, said second circuitry having transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions, wherein said substrate includes a given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said first circuitry includes demultiplexing means connected between said interconnect junctions and said actuation elements in said given number of ink ejection chambers, and wherein said given number of actuation lines is less than said given number of ink ejection chambers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a distance in a given longitudinal direction, comprising:
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a substrate having end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the substrate, a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink ejection chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each of said ink ejection chambers containing at least one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers for supplying ink from the ink reservoir; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located only at said end-portions of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying a plurality of actuation signals to said actuation elements, wherein said second circuitry has transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines and address lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a distance in a given longitudinal direction, comprising:
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a substrate having end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the substrate, a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink ejection chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each of said ink ejection chambers containing at least one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers for supplying ink from the ink reservoir; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located only at said end-portions of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying a plurality of actuation signals to said actuation elements, wherein said second circuitry has transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines and address lines and ground lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a predetermined distance in a given longitudinal direction, comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink ejection chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each ink ejection chamber having one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink election chambers, to supply ink from the ink reservoir, through an ink passage from an underside of said substrate around at least one outer edge of said substrate to said ink ejection chambers; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located at an end of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying a plurality of actuation signals to predetermined ones of said actuation elements, wherein said substrate includes end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of said substrate, with said interconnect junctions located only on said end-portions of said substrate, said substrate including a given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said second circuitry has transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines, address lines and ground lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions on both end-portions of said substrate, wherein said first circuitry includes demultiplexing means connected between said interconnect junctions and said actuation elements in said given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said given number of actuation lines and address lines and ground lines is less than said given number of ink ejection chambers, and wherein said second circuitry includes a flex-circuit having a plurality of conductive traces which constitute said actuation lines and said address lines and said ground lines, said conductive traces connecting said interconnect junctions with an interconnect pad array on said flex-circuit for receiving signals from a carriage which removably holds the printhead member. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a distance in a given longitudinal direction, comprising:
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a substrate having end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the substrate, a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink ejection chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each of said ink ejection chambers containing at least one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers for supplying ink from the ink reservoir; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located only at said end-portions of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying a plurality of actuation signals to said actuation elements, wherein said array of inkjet nozzle orifices is arranged in a plurality of columns in said longitudinal direction and wherein said first circuitry is located between two of said columns.
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32. An inkjet printer comprising:
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a carriage for scanning across a medium, said carriage having printer electrodes for supplying printhead actuation signals; a print cartridge removably mounted in said carriage, said print cartridge including a printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a distance in a given longitudinal direction, said printhead member comprising; a substrate having end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the substrate, a plurality of actuation elements, and a plurality of ink ejection chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each of said ink ejection chambers containing at least one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers for supplying ink from the ink reservoir; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located only at said end-portions of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member connected to said printer electrodes and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying said actuation signals to said actuation elements, said second circuitry having transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions, wherein said substrate includes a given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said first circuitry includes demultiplexing means connected between said interconnect junctions and said actuation elements in said given number of ink ejection chambers, and wherein said given number of actuation lines is less than said given number of ink ejection chambers. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An inkjet printer comprising:
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a carriage for scanning across a medium, said carriage having printer electrodes for supplying printhead actuation signals; a print cartridge removably mounted in said carriage, said print cartridge including a printhead member having an array of inkjet nozzle orifices in fluid communication with an ink reservoir, with the array extending a predetermined distance in a given longitudinal direction, said printhead member comprising; a substrate having a plurality of actuation elements and a plurality of ink ejection chambers which are respectively aligned with the nozzle orifices, each ink ejection chamber having one of said actuation elements for propelling ink through its respective nozzle orifice; a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with said ink ejection chambers, to supply ink from the ink reservoir, through an ink passage from an underside of said substrate around at least one outer edge of said substrate to said ink ejection chambers; first circuitry on said substrate connected to said actuation elements and having a plurality of interconnect junctions located at an end of the substrate; and second circuitry on said printhead member connected to said printer electrodes and connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions for carrying said actuation signals to predetermined ones of said actuation elements, wherein said substrate includes end-portions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at opposite ends of said substrate, with said interconnect junctions located only on said end-portions of said substrate, said substrate including a given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said second circuitry has transmission circuitry including a given number of actuation lines, address lines and ground lines which are connected to said first circuitry through said interconnect junctions on both end-portions of said substrate, wherein said first circuitry includes demultiplexing means connected between said interconnect junctions and said actuation elements in said given number of ink ejection chambers, wherein said given number of actuation lines and address lines and ground lines is less than said given number of ink ejection chambers, and wherein said second circuitry includes a flex-circuit having a plurality of conductive traces which constitute said actuation lines and said address lines and said ground lines, said conductive traces connecting said interconnect junctions with an interconnect pad array on said flex-circuit for contacting said printer electrodes and receiving said actuation signals from said carriage. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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Specification