Flexible wall driven inkjet printhead nozzle

• US 6,959,982 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• 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
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/636,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/54, 347/56, 347 47- 49, 347/61, 347/63, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/54
• 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 2/1623 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 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An ink jet printhead nozzle arrangement having an ink chamber and a flexible wall forming one of the walls of said chamber. The ink ejection port is formed substantially centrally on the flexible wall with a rim surrounding it. The flexible wall is adapted to move independently of said rim such that upon actuation the flexible wall moves into said ink chamber forcing ink therein out through the said ejection port.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead suitable for fabrication by MEMS techniques, the nozzle arrangement comprising:

an ink chamber;

a flexible wall forming wall of said chamber and forming part of an ink ejection surface of the printhead; and

an ink ejection port formed by a substantially centrally located rim on said flexible wall, whereby the flexible wall is adapted to move independently of said rim such that upon thermal actuation the flexible wall moves into said ink chamber forcing ink therein out through said ejection port.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the flexible wall is configured to bend into the ink chamber away from the centre of the ink chamber.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the flexible wall has at least a portion thereof which is made from material having a thermal expansion suitable to cause the flexible wall to move into said ink chamber upon uneven heating of the at least a portion of the flexible wall.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein an ink inlet channel is in communication with said ink chamber.

5. The arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the ink inlet channel entersj into said ink chamber opposite the flexible wall.