Laser welding methods and structures and control therefor including welded inkjet printheads

• US 6,974,207 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Whitney, Jon Brock, Phatak, Ganesh Vinayak, Drummond, James Paul, Kwan, Kin-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Feggins, K.
• Application Number:
  US10/299,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 347 85- 87, 347/49, 347/43, 347/108, 219/121.64, 219/121.66, 219/121.63, 219/121.6, 428/594, 298/901, 295/93, 298/32, 298/40, 156/272.8
• US Class Current: 347/49
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1606 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation, e.g. by ultraviolet excimer lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1616 Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1635 at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1654 scanning at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1664 making use of several radiators
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1667 at the same time, i.e. simultaneous laser welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1674 making use of laser diodes B29C65/167 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1687 making use of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/542 by injection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/114 Single butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1222 comprising at least a lapped joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1224 comprising at least a butt joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12449 being asymmetric B29C66/12445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1282 comprising at least one overlap joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12841 comprising at least two butt joint-segments
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/21 said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24244 forming a rectangle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30223 said melt initiators being rib-like
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/322 : Providing cavities in the joined article to collect the burr
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53461 : joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 : joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 : Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73161 : Roughness or rugosity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73321 : both parts to be joined being coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7352 : Thickness, e.g. very thin
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2009/00 : Use of rubber derived from conjugated dienes, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2009/06 : SB polymers, i.e. butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/06 : PS, i.e. polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/08 : Copolymers of styrene, e.g. AS or SAN, i.e. acrylonitrile styrene B29K2055/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 : ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 : PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/006 : PBT, i.e. polybutylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/04 : Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/12 : PPO, i.e. polyphenylene oxide; PPE, i.e. polyphenylene ether
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0025 : Opaque
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0027 : for light outside the visible spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0072 : Roughness, e.g. anti-slip
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/767 : Printing equipment or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 : Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17559 : Cartridge manufacturing

Abstract

In a system for laser welding work pieces along a collapsing weld interface, methods and apparatus include providing welding pads and/or stop projections on either or both of the work pieces to control the manner or amount of collapse. Preferably, the stop projections exist a separation distance from the weld interface while the welding pads exist at and form a portion of the weld interface. Buffers are taught between the weld interface and stop projection. The work pieces may comprise inkjet printhead lids and bodies. In another aspect, the invention teaches methods of laser welding inkjet printhead lids and bodies according to whether the inkjet printhead body embodies a mono or color ink body type and especially includes selective control of one or more laser light sources to illuminate the inkjet printhead lid in a specific pattern of light.

Claims

1. A method of laser welding an inkjet printhead lid and an inkjet printhead body, comprising:

providing a welding pad on one of the inkjet printhead lid and inkjet printhead body;

contacting the welding pad to the other of the inkjet printhead lid and inkjet printhead body to form a weld interface;

laser welding the inkjet printhead lid and inkjet printhead body at the weld interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further including providing a second welding pad on the other of the inkjet printhead lid and inkjet printhead body.

3. The method of claim 2, further including contacting the second welding pad to the welding pad thereby forming the weld interface.

4. The method of claim 2, further including providing a third welding pad on the one of the inkjet printhead lid and inkjet printhead body.

5. The method of claim 1, further including cooling the weld interface.

6. The method of claim 5, further including obtaining a weld joint at the weld interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing further includes integrally forming the welding pad together with the one of the inkjet printhead lid and inkjet printhead body.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the laser welding further includes controlling a laser light source to weld a perimeter of the inkjet printhead lid.

9. The method of claim 8, further including controlling the laser light source to weld an interior of the inkjet printhead lid.

10. The method of claim 1, further including providing a stop projection on either of the inkjet printhead lid and body to control a distance of collapse during the laser welding.

11. The method of claim 10, further including impacting the stop projection during the laser welding.

12. The method of claim 1, further including forcing the inkjet printhead lid into the body in the vicinity of the welding pad to collapse the welding pad during the laser welding.

13. In a system for laser welding an inkjet printhead lid and body together along a weld interface, the inkjet printhead lid being transparent to laser light and the body being laser light absorbent and the inkjet printhead lid is welded to the body at a weld interface, the improvement comprising a welding pad that extends from one of the inkjet printhead lid and body welded to a surface of an other of the inkjet printhead lid and body, the welding pad existing at the weld interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the welding pad extends from the inkjet printhead body and further including a second welding pad on the inkjet printhead lid.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the welding pad extends about 0.4 mm.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second welding pad extends from the inkjet printhead lid about 0.75 mm.

17. The system of claim 14, further including a third welding pad extending from the inkjet printhead body, the third welding pad having dimensions substantially similar to the welding pad and being vertically separated.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the inkjet printhead lid has a polyphenylene ether plus polystyrene composition.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the welding pad is mid-mounted on the one of the inkjet printhead lid and body.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the inkjet printhead body has a polyethylene terephthalate composition.