Ink jet printhead with nozzles

• US 6,918,655 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Raquel Yvette
• Application Number:
  US09/835,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20030025761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 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, 347/56, 347/55, 399/261, 361/700, 310328-330, 298/901, 430/311, 216/4
• 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 2/1623 : bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 : etching
• 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 2/164 : thin film formation
• 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: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An inkjet printhead has a series of ink ejection nozzles for the ejection of ink, each of the nozzles interconnecting a nozzle chamber with an external atmosphere. Each nozzle has a first meniscus rim around which an ink meniscus normally forms, and an extended ink flow prevention rim spaced outwardly from the first meniscus rim and substantially encircling the first meniscus rim, arranged to prevent the flow of ink across the surface of the inkjet printhead.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead having a series of ink ejection nozzles for the ejection of ink, each of said nozzles interconnecting a nozzle chamber with an external atmosphere, each said nozzle having a first meniscus rim around which an ink meniscus normally forms, and an extended ink flow prevention rim spaced outwardly from said first meniscus rim and substantially encircling said first meniscus rim, arranged to prevent the flow of ink across the surface of said inkjet printhead.

2. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first meniscus rim and said extended ink flow prevention rim are spaced apart by a pit arranged to contain ink.

3. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ink flow prevention rim is substantially co-planar with said first meniscus rim.

4. An inkjet printing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ink flow prevention rim is formed from the same material as said first meniscus rim.

5. An inkjet printing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ink flow prevention rim and said first meniscus rim are formed utilizing chemical mechanical planarization.

6. An inkjet printing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ink flow prevention rim and said first meniscus rim are formed from PECVD TEOS.

7. An inkjet printing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ink flow prevention rim and said first meniscus rim are formed from silicon nitride.