Inkjet printhead chip for use with a pulsating pressure ink supply

• US 6,929,352 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• 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): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/693,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/48, 347 54- 56, 347 61- 63, 347 68- 72, 347/5, 347/9, 347/11
• US Class Current: 347/65
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• 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 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• 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 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 : Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 : in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 : Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 : Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 : by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 : multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 : 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7458 : the modulator being an array of deformable mirrors, e.g. digital micromirror device [DMD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/932 : for electronic or optoelectronic application

Abstract

An ink jet printhead chip includes a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is positioned on the substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. The nozzle chamber is in fluid communication with an ink supply channel through the substrate for supplying the nozzle chamber with ink. A closure is operatively positioned with respect to the ink supply channel. The closure is displaceable between a closed position in which the closure closes the ink supply channel and an open position in which ink is permitted to flow into the nozzle chamber. An actuator is connected to the drive circuitry and the closure so that, on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry, the actuator can act to displace the closure between the closed and open positions. An ink reservoir is in fluid communication with each ink supply channel. A source of oscillating pressure imparts an oscillating pressure to ink in the reservoir, so that, when the closure is displaced into the open position, a drop of ink can be ejected from the ink ejection port.

Claims

1. An ink jet printhead chip which comprises:

a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry,

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

nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, the nozzle chamber being in fluid communication with an ink supply channel through the substrate for supplying the nozzle chamber with ink;

a closure that is operatively positioned with respect to the ink supply channel, the closure being displaceable between a closed position in which the closure closes the ink supply channel and an open position in which ink is permitted to flow into the nozzle chamber; and

an actuator that is connected to the drive circuitry and the closure so that, on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry, the actuator can act to displace the closure between the closed and open positions;

an ink reservoir in fluid communication with each ink supply channel; and

a source of oscillating pressure that imparts an oscillating pressure to ink in the reservoir, so that, when the closure is displaced into the open position, a drop of ink can be ejected from the ink ejection port.

2. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which each actuator is elongate and is anchored at one end to the substrate, the actuator being shaped so that, in a rest condition, the actuator encloses an arc, the actuator including a heating portion that is capable of being heated on receipt of an electrical signal to expand, the heating portion being configured so that, when the portion is heated, the resultant expansion of the portion causes the actuator to straighten at least partially and a subsequent cooling of the portion causes the actuator to return to its rest condition thereby displacing the closure between the closed and open positions.

3. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 2, in which each actuator includes a body portion that is of a resiliently flexible material having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is such that the material can expand to perform work when heated, the heating portion being positioned in the body portion and defining a heating circuit of a suitable metal.

4. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which the heating circuit includes a heater and a return trace, the heater being positioned proximate an inside edge of the body portion and the return trace being positioned outwardly of the heater, so that an inside region of the body portion is heated to a relatively greater extent with the result that the inside region expands to a greater extent than a remainder of the body portion.

5. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 4, in which a serpentine length of said suitable material defines the heater.

6. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which the body portion is of polytetrafluoroethylene and the heating circuit is of copper.

7. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which each actuator defines a coil that partially uncoils when the heating portion expands.

8. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the actuator and the closure are positioned within the nozzle chamber.