Method of constructing inkjet printheads

• US 6,547,371 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Raquel Yvette
• Application Number:
  US09/835,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20030020786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 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 2/04505 aiming at correcting alignment
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04516 preventing formation of satellite drops
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04518 reducing costs
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0452 reducing demand in current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04553 detecting ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04565 detecting heater resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04571 detecting viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0459 Height of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04593 Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04598 Pre-pulse
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 : for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 : bonding and adhesion
• 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 2/1639 : sacrificial molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 : thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• 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 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/005 : for serial printing movements superimposed to character- or line-spacing movements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/102 : using ink jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A method of construction of an inkjet printhead having a large array of inkjet nozzle arrangements comprises defining a single inkjet nozzle arrangement for the ejection of ink from a single nozzle. A series of translations and rotations of the single inkjet nozzle arrangement is used to form all the inkjet nozzles of the inkjet printhead, this step including initially forming a plurality of nozzles in a pod; forming a group of pods, each group corresponding to a different colored ink dispensed from the printhead; forming a plurality of the groups of pods into a firing group; combining firing groups to form a segment of the printhead; and forming each segment together to form the printhead.

Claims

1. A method of construction of an inkjet printhead having a large array of inkjet nozzle arrangements said method comprising:

defining a single inkjet nozzle arrangement for the ejection of ink from a single nozzle;

utilizing a series of translations and rotations of said single inkjet nozzle arrangement to form all the inkjet nozzles of said inkjet print head;

said utilizing step including;

initially forming a plurality of nozzles in a pod;

forming a group of pods, each group corresponding to a different colored ink dispensed from said printhead;

forming a plurality of said groups of pods into a firing group;

combining firing groups forming a segment of said printhead; and

forming each segment together to form said printhead.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inkjet nozzle arrangements include a series of layers deposited and etched utilizing a mask.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said layers include conductive layers which are etched utilizing said mask so as to form a series of conductive interconnections.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said conductive interconnections include interconnections with adjacent versions of said inkjet nozzle arrangement which comprise translated and/or rotated copies of said inkjet nozzle arrangement.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said printhead is constructed from a series of segment replications.