Ink jet nozzle having an actuator mechanism located about an ejection port

• US 6,672,708 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2002
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, McAvoy, Gregory John
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/303,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 409 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/40, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/55, 347/56, 347/63, 347/65, 347/68-72
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• 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 2/1637 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 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14346 Ejection by pressure produced by thermal deformation of ink chamber, e.g. buckling
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14435 Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14475 characterised by nozzle shapes or number of orifices per chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/15 Moving nozzle or nozzle plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49156 : with selective destruction of conductive paths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead includes a wafer substrate having a nozzle chamber defined therein. The nozzle arrangement has a nozzle chamber wall that defines an ink ejection port and a rim about the ink ejection port. A series of radially positioned actuators are connected to the wafer substrate and extend radially inwardly towards the rim. Each actuator is configured so that a radially inner edge of each actuator is displaceable, with respect to the nozzle rim, into the chamber, upon actuation of the actuator and so that, upon such displacement, a pressure within the nozzle chamber is increased, resulting in the ejection of ink from the ejection port.

Claims

1. An ink jet nozzle arrangement comprising:

a nozzle chamber including a first wall in which an ink ejection port is defined; and

an electrothermal bend actuator for effecting ejection of ink from the chamber through the ink ejection port on demand, the actuator being formed in the first wall of the nozzle chamber;

said actuator extending substantially from adjacent said ink ejection port to other walls defining the nozzle chamber.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 in which the actuator comprises at least one paddle which lies in said first wall substantially coplanar with the ink ejection port.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 in which said at least one paddle extends radially inwardly toward the ink ejection port to form a portion of the nozzle chamber, the at least one paddle configured so that a radially inner edge of said at least one paddle is displaceable with respect to the ink ejection port.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 in which a fluid seal is formed, in use, about a major part of a periphery of said at least one paddle.

5. The arrangement of claim 2 in which the actuator comprises a plurality of paddles disposed about the ink ejection port.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 in which said first wall is formed by at least one layer of material.

7. The arrangement of claim 6 in which said at least one layer is applied by deposition techniques.

8. The arrangement of claim 6 in which the ink ejection port and the actuator are formed simultaneously in said at least one layer.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 in which the ink ejection port and the actuator are formed simultaneously in said at least one layer by etching said at least one layer.