Compact inkjet substrate with centrally located circuitry and edge feed ink channels

• US 5,648,804 A
• Filed: 10/06/1994
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Keefe, Brian J., Childers, Winthrop D., Steinfield, Steven W., Trueba, Kenneth E., McClelland, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Royer, William J.
• Application Number:
  US08/319,405
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 347/50, 347/47, 347/48
• US Class Current: 347/47
• 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

An inkjet printhead includes a compact substrate having a pair of elongated edge portions for ink channel architecture, a central interior for substrate circuitry, and a pair of truncated end portions for mounting and for electrical interconnects. The ink channel architecture includes a plurality of ink vaporization chambers each having a firing resistor therein, as well as ink feed channels communicating through an ink passage from an underside of the substrate around both edges of the substrate to the vaporization chambers. The central interior portion excludes any ink channel architecture thereby enhancing the structural stability

Claims

1. A printing device including an inkjet printhead, said printhead comprising:

a substrate including

an elongated edge portion including a plurality of ink firing chambers each having a firing element therein, as well as an ink feed channel;

a truncated end portion; and

a central interior portion having circuitry components for selectively actuating the firing elements in said firing chambers; and

mounting means for fixedly attaching said substrate to form said printhead;

wherein said elongated edge portion includes a first column of firing chambers extending in a longitudinal direction along a first edge of said substrate, and a second column of firing chambers extending in the longitudinal direction along a second edge of said substrate opposite said first edge;

wherein said ink feed channel includes a first ink feed slot communicating with said first column of firing chambers and a second ink feed slot communicating with said second column of firing chambers;

wherein said first and second ink feed slots extend from an underside of said substrate around said respective edges of said substrate to said first column and said second column of firing chambers, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said ink firing chambers include thermal inkjet firing chambers.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include multiplexing circuitry.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include actuation lines for said firing elements.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include address lines for said firing elements.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include ground lines.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include transistors.

8. The device of claim 1 which further includes a print cartridge having said mounting means thereon.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said print cartridge includes wall means for defining said ink feed channel.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said central interior portion of said substrate excludes any ink feed channels.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said printhead is mounted in a print cartridge, said device further comprising:

a carriage for traversing across media to be printed upon and for supporting said print cartridge.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include multiplexing circuitry.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include actuation lines for said firing elements.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include address lines for said firing elements.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include ground lines.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include transistors.

17. A printing device including an inkjet printhead, said printhead comprising:

a substrate including

an elongated edge portion including a plurality of ink firing chambers each having a firing element therein, as well as an ink feed channel;

a truncated end portion; and

a central interior portion having circuitry components for selectively actuating the firing elements in said firing chambers; and

mounting means for fixedly attaching said substrate to form said printhead;

wherein said truncated portion includes interconnects for said circuitry components to a printer.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said ink firing chambers include thermal inkjet firing chambers.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein said elongated edge portion includes a first column of firing chambers extending in a longitudinal direction along a first edge of said substrate, and a second column of firing chambers extending in the longitudinal direction along a second edge of said substrate opposite said first edge.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein said ink feed channel includes an ink feed slot from an underside of said substrate around at least one edge of said substrate to said firing chambers.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein said truncated portion includes electrostatic discharge devices.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein said interconnects are located adjacent a terminal end of said substrate.

23. The device of claim 17 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include multiplexing circuitry.

24. The device of claim 17 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include actuation lines for said firing elements.

25. The device of claim 17 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include address lines for said firing elements.

26. The device of claim 17 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include ground lines.

27. The device of claim 17 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include transistors.

28. The device of claim 17 which further includes a print cartridge having said mounting means thereon.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein said print cartridge includes wall means for defining said ink feed channel.

30. The device of claim 17 wherein said central interior portion of said substrate excludes any ink feed channels.

31. The device of claim 17 wherein said printhead is mounted in a print cartridge, said device further comprising:

a carriage for traversing across media to be printed upon and for supporting said print cartridge.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include multiplexing circuitry.

33. The device of claim 31 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include actuation lines for said firing elements.

34. The device of claim 31 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include address lines for said firing elements.

35. The device of claim 31 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include ground lines.

36. The device of claim 31 wherein said circuitry components of said central interior portion include transistors.

37. A printing device including an inkjet printhead having a plurality of firing chambers, said printhead comprising:

a substrate having elongated edge portions cut from a wafer, said edge portions defining ink feed channels for passing ink from an underside of the substrate around both edges of the substrate to said firing chambers, said substrate having a central interior portion excluding said ink feed channels and including multiplexing circuitry; and

interconnects on said substrate and connected to said multiplexing circuitry for receiving signal transmission from a printer to selectively activate individual firing elements in each firing chamber, wherein the number of interconnects is less than the number of firing chambers.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein said printhead is mounted in a print cartridge, said device further comprising:

a carriage for traversing across media to be printed upon and for supporting said print cartridge.

39. The device of claim 38 wherein said multiplexing circuitry of said central interior portion include actuation lines for said firing elements.

40. The device of claim 38 wherein said multiplexing circuitry of said central interior portion include address lines for said firing elements.

41. The device of claim 38 wherein said multiplexing circuitry of said central interior portion include ground lines.

42. The device of claim 38 wherein said multiplexing circuitry of said central interior portion include transistors.

43. A plurality of inkjet printhead substrates produced from a silicon wafer or the like, wherein an ink feed channel on each of said substrates is defined in part by an edge of each substrate, said edge being a portion of a peripheral boundary of a die cut from the wafer.

44. An inkjet printer comprising:

a carriage for traversing across media to be printed upon and supporting a print cartridge;

first circuitry for providing electrical signals to contact pads on said print cartridge;

a printhead contained within said print cartridge supported by said carriage, said printhead having a plurality of firing chambers and further comprising;

a substrate having elongated edge portions cut from a wafer, said edge portions defining ink feed channels for passing ink from an underside of the substrate around both edges of the substrate to said firing chambers, said substrate having a central interior portion excluding said ink feed channels and including multiplexing circuitry; and

interconnects on said substrate and connected to said multiplexing circuitry for receiving said electrical signals from said printer to selectively activate individual firing elements in each firing chamber, wherein the number of interconnects is less than the number of firing chambers.