Symmetric ink jet apparatus

• US 6,981,757 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• 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, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US09/854,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347 54- 56, 347 61- 63, 347 68- 72
• US Class Current: 347/47
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• 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 2/16 Production of nozzles
• 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 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49156 : with selective destruction of conductive paths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead includes a wafer substrate having a nozzle chamber defined therein. The nozzle arrangement has a nozzle chamber wall that defines an ink ejection port and a rim about the ink ejection port. A series of radially positioned actuators are connected to the wafer substrate and extend radially inwardly towards the rim. Each actuator is configured so that a radially inner edge of each actuator is displaceable, with respect to the nozzle rim, into the chamber, upon actuation of the actuator and so that, upon such displacement, a pressure within the nozzle chamber is increased, resulting in the ejection of ink from the ejection port.

Claims

1. An ink jet nozzle arrangement comprising:

a nozzle chamber defining means which defines a chamber and which includes a wall in which an ink ejection port is defined; and

an ink ejection means operatively arranged relative to said ink ejection port, the ink ejection means comprising a plurality of ink ejection elements disposed symmetrically relative to said ink ejection port, each ink ejection element having its own individual associated actuator.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 in which each ink ejection element is in the form of a paddle.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 in which each actuator includes a heater element at least partially embedded in its associated paddle.

4. The arrangement of claim 2 in which the ink ejection means is arranged in said wall of the nozzle chamber defining means.

5. The arrangement of claim 4 in which each paddle of the ink ejection means is cantilevered at one end to said wall.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 in which each paddle is cantilevered to said wall at its end remote from the ink ejection port.