Bend actuator direct ink supply ink jet printing mechanism

• US 6,227,653 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/48, 347/20, 347/44, 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 2/1628 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 2/1639 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 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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 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

An ink jet nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle chamber having an ink ejection port for the ejection of ink. An actuator is located in the nozzle chamber. The actuator includes a heater encased within an expansive layer such that, upon activation, the actuator is caused to bend towards the ink ejection port to eject ink from said nozzle chamber.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead, the nozzle arrangement including:

a wafer substrate having an ink channel defined through the wafer substrate;

wall portions, which are formed on the wafer substrate and which define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port, the wall portions being formed so that the nozzle chamber can be supplied with ink via the ink channel; and

an actuator that is positioned within the nozzle chamber, between the ink ejection port and the ink channel, the actuator having a bottom surface and a top surface facing the ink ejection port, and the actuator comprising a heater positioned within an expansion material which expands up on heating the actuator being such that the bottom surface heats to a greater extent than the top surface so that, on operation of the heater, the expansion material at the bottom surface expands to a greater extent than the expansion material at the top surface resulting in displacement of the actuator towards the ink ejection port, and an ejection of ink.

2. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator includes a serpentine conductive heater layer which is capable of expansion encased within the expansion material.

3. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the actuator is hydrophobic, so that an air bubble is formed beneath the bottom surface, during operation.

4. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the heater is positioned adjacent the bottom surface to facilitate operation of the actuator.

5. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top surface is hydrophilic.

6. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wafer substrate includes aluminum portions for protection during etching processes.

7. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater is comprised substantially of gold.

8. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of the wall portions defining the ink chamber defines a plurality of small etchant holes provided so as to facilitate etching of sacrificial layers during fabrication.

9. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said expansion material is comprised substantially of polyetrafluoroethylene.