Ink jet nozzle arrangement configuration

• US 6,682,174 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/183,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347/65, 347/68, 347/59, 216/27, 29/253.5
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04 generating single droplets or particles on demand
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/05 produced by the application of heat
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• 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 2/1645 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 2002/14435 Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/15 Moving nozzle or nozzle plate
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing

Abstract

An ink jet printhead chip includes a wafer substrate. Drive circuitry is positioned on the wafer substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is positioned on the wafer substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes nozzle chamber walls and a roof wall positioned on the wafer substrate to define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in the roof wall. A micro-electromechanical actuator is connected to the drive circuitry. The actuator includes a movable member that is displaceable on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry. The movable member defines a displacement surface that acts on ink in the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the ink ejection port. An area of the displacement surface is between half and twice a cross sectional area of the ink ejection port.

Claims

1. An ink jet printhead chip that comprises

a wafer substrate that incorporates drive circuitry,

a plurality of ink inlet channels defined through the wafer substrate, and

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

a static nozzle chamber structure that is positioned on the wafer substrate about a respective ink inlet channel to extend from the wafer substrate,

a displaceable nozzle chamber structure that is displaceable towards and away from the wafer substrate, the nozzle chamber structures defining a nozzle chamber, with the displaceable structure having a crown portion and a skirt portion depending from the crown portion, an ink ejection port being defined in the crown portion, and

a micro-electromechanical actuator that is connected to the drive circuitry, the actuator including a movable member that is displaceable on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry, the movable member being connected to the displaceable structure so that the crown portion defines an ink displacement surface that acts on ink in the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the ink ejection port, wherein

an area of the displacement surface is between half and twice a cross sectional area of the ink ejection port.

2. An ink jet printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which each actuator is thermal in the sense that it includes a heating circuit that is connected to the drive circuitry, the actuator being configured so that, upon heating, the actuator deflects with respect to the wafer substrate as a result of differential expansion, the deflection causing the necessary movement of the movable member to eject ink from the ink ejection port.

3. An ink jet printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the skirt portion and the static structure are shaped so that, when the nozzle chamber is filled with ink, the ink defines a meniscus between the skirt portion and the static structure, the meniscus forming a fluidic seal to inhibit egress of ink as the skirt portion is displaced relative to the static structure.