Ink jet printer having a thermal actuator comprising an external coil spring

• US 6,188,415 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,811
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 347/44, 347/54, 347/20, 347/47
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• 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 2/1629 wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1645 thin film formation by spincoating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 : in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 : Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 : Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 : by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 : multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 : Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 : 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal actuator activated by conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, the actuator including: a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of the strip and adapted to apply a force to a load at a second end of the strip; a second conductive strip of material formed along one side of the first strip, the second conductive strip including a first wire strip running from substantially the first end to the second end and a second wire strip running from substantially the second end to the fist end, the wire strips being joined together at the second end so as to form a circuit, the wire strips being further connected to a controlled power supply at the first end such that activation of the controlled power supply causes heating of the conductive material so as to actuate the thermal actuator thereby applying a force to the load. Preferably, the first strip is in the form of a coil and the second conductive material is formed along a radial inner surface.

Claims

1. A thermal actuator activated by means of conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, said actuator comprising:

a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of said strip and adapted to apply a force to a load at a second end of said strip;

a second conductive strip of material formed along one side of said first strip said second conductive strip including a first wire strip running from substantially said first end to said second end and a second wire strip running from substantially said second end to said first end, said wire strips being joined together at said second end so as to form a circuit, said wire strips being further connected to a controlled power supply at said first end such that activation of said controlled power supply causes heating of said conductive material so as to actuate said thermal actuator thereby applying a force to said load.

2. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first strip is in a form of a coil and said second conductive material is formed along a radially inner surface of said strip.

3. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first wire and said second wire are electrically insulated from one another by a layer of said first non-conductive material.

4. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second conductive material comprises a material having a high Young'"'"'s modulus.

5. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first non-conductive strip is substantially thicker than said second conductive material.

6. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises an electronic circuitry layer of a silicon wafer.

7. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second conductive material comprises substantially titanium diboride.

8. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first non-conductive material comprises substantially glass.

9. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator is interconnected through a slot in a nozzle chamber to a paddle type device, said nozzle chamber being filled with ink and said actuator being activated to eject ink from a port defined in one wall of said nozzle chamber.

10. An ink jet printer having a series of ink ejection nozzle chambers, each of said nozzle chambers containing:

an ink ejection port defined in one wall of the chamber for the ejection of ink therefrom;

a paddle within said chamber, actuated by an actuator for the ejection of ink from said nozzle chamber via said ink ejection port;

a slot defined in a second wall thereof for the communication with said paddle of an actuator device;

a thermal actuator activated by means of conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, said actuator comprising;

a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of said strip and adapted to apply a force to a load at a second end of said strip;

a second conductive material formed along one side of said first strip said second conductive strip including a first wire strip running from substantially said first end to said second end and a second wire strip running from substantially said second end to said first end, said wire strips being joined together at said second end so as to form a circuit, said wire strips being further connected to a controlled power supply at said first end such that activation of said controlled power supply causes heating of said conductive material so as to actuate said thermal actuator thereby applying a force to said load.

11. An ink jet printer as claimed in claim 10 wherein said nozzle chambers are formed on a silicon wafer and include a series of ink supply channels etched through said wafer for a supply of ink to said nozzle chambers.