Translation to rotation conversion in an inkjet printhead

• US 6,527,374 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• 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): Gordon, Raquel Yvette
• Application Number:
  US10/132,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/68, 347/69, 347/70, 347/71, 347/72, 347/50, 347/40, 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/27, 347/63, 399/261, 361/700, 310/328-330, 298/901
• 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 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial molding
• 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 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• 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

A printhead chip for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is positioned on the substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes nozzle chamber walls and a roof that define a nozzle chamber. The roof defines an ink ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. An actuator is displaceable, in a substantially rectilinear manner, with respect to the substrate. An ink-ejecting mechanism is angularly displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject ink from the ink ejection port. A translation to rotation conversion mechanism is interposed between the actuator and the ink-ejecting mechanism to convert rectilinear movement of the actuator into angular displacement of the ink-ejecting mechanism.

Claims

1. A printhead chip for an inkjet printhead, the printhead chip comprising

a substrate;

and

a plurality of nozzle arrangements that is positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement comprising

nozzle chamber walls and a roof that define a nozzle chamber with the roof defining an ink ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber;

an actuator that is displaceable, in a substantially rectilinear manner, with respect to the substrate;

an ink-ejecting mechanism that is angularly displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject ink from the ink ejection port; and

a translation to rotation conversion mechanism interposed between the actuator and the ink-ejecting mechanism to convert rectilinear movement of the actuator into angular displacement of the ink-ejecting mechanism.

2. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the ink-ejecting mechanism includes an ink ejection member that is positioned in the nozzle chamber and is angularly displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject ink from the ink ejection port.

3. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 2, in which the actuator has a fixed portion that is fixed to the substrate and a working portion that is capable of thermal expansion when heated to be displaced in said substantially rectilinear manner.

4. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which the translation to rotation conversion mechanism includes a pivot member that is pivotal with respect to the substrate, the pivot member being connected to the working portion of the thermal actuator to pivot upon displacement of the working portion, the ink ejection member being connected to the pivot member so that the ink ejection member is angularly displaced upon expansion of the working portion.

5. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 4, in which the nozzle chamber walls and the roof are dimensioned so that the nozzle chamber is elongate and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed in plan, so that the nozzle chamber walls include a distal end wall, a proximal end wall and a pair of opposed side walls, the pivot member being positioned adjacent the proximal end wall and the ink ejection port being positioned adjacent the distal end wall.

6. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 5, in which each ink ejection member is shaped to correspond generally with a plan profile of each nozzle chamber so that an end of the ink ejection member is positioned adjacent the ink ejection port.

7. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 6, in which each pivot member and each ink ejection member are configured so that the ink ejection member is between approximately 20 and 60 times longer than an effective lever arm defined by the pivot member.

8. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 7, in which each ink ejection member is approximately 40 times longer than the effective lever arm defined by the pivot member.

9. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the ink ejecting mechanism is in the form of an active ink-ejecting structure that at least partially defines the nozzle chamber and the roof that defines the ink ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, the active ink-ejecting structure being pivotally connected to the substrate, the actuator being connected to the active ink-ejecting structure so that the active ink-ejecting structure is angularly displaced with respect to the substrate upon displacement of the actuator, to eject ink from the ink ejection port.

10. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, which is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique.

11. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 10, in which the substrate includes a silicon wafer substrate and a CMOS layer positioned on the silicon wafer substrate, the CMOS layer being connected to the actuator of each nozzle arrangement to provide the actuator with electrical driving pulses.

12. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the substrate has a plurality of ink inlet channels defined therein, one inlet channel opening into each respective nozzle chamber.

13. An inkjet printhead that includes at least one printhead chip as claimed in claim 1.