Inkjet printhead device having an array of inkjet nozzles arranged according to a heirarchical pattern

• US 6,991,318 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• 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): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/202,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 172 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/42
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04506 aiming at correcting manufacturing tolerances
• 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 2/04573 Timing; Delays
• 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 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• 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 2/1631 : photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 : machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 : laser 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 2/1646 : thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 : Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 : Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 : Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 : Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 : Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 : Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An inkjet printhead device includes a substrate that defines a plurality of ink passages. Drive circuitry is positioned on the substrate. An array of inkjet nozzles is arranged on the substrate. Each inkjet nozzle includes a nozzle chamber structure that defines a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. An elongate actuator extends from the nozzle chamber structure to be anchored to the substrate at one end. The array is arranged on the substrate according to a pattern that is defined by a replication hierarchy in which a first stage rotates an inkjet nozzle by an acute angle, a second stage replicates the inkjet nozzle without rotation a predetermined number of times and a third stage replicates the nozzles of the second stage a predetermined number of times with a rotation of substantially 180 degrees.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead device that comprises

a substrate that defines a plurality of ink passages;

drive circuitry positioned on the substrate; and

an array of inkjet nozzles arranged on the substrate, each inkjet nozzle including a nozzle chamber structure that defines a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, and an elongate actuator extending from the nozzle chamber structure to be anchored to the substrate at one end, the array being arranged on the substrate according to a pattern that is defined by a replication hierarchy in which a first stage rotates an inkjet nozzle by an acute angle with respect to an axis initially passing through the ink ejection port and the actuator, a second stage replicates the inkjet nozzle without rotation a predetermined number of times and a third stage replicates the nozzles of the second stage a predetermined number of times with a rotation of substantially 180 degrees.

2. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 1, in which the replication hierarchy includes a number of subsequent stages in which the nozzles of the second stage are consecutively replicated.

3. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 2, in which the inkjet nozzle is rotated by substantially 45 degrees in the first stage of the replication hierarchy.

4. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 3, in which the ink ejection ports of the inkjet nozzles of the second stage are substantially aligned and the ink ejection ports of the inkjet nozzles of the third stage are also substantially aligned, such that the ink ejection nozzles of the second and third stages define two rows of ink ejection ports.

5. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 4, in which the replication hierarchy includes a fourth stage in which the inkjet nozzles of the third stage are replicated without rotation a number of times that corresponds with a number of inks to be used by the printhead device, such that the inkjet nozzles of the fourth stage define sets of the rows of inkjet ports, each set corresponding with a respective ink.

6. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 5, in which the replication hierarchy includes a fifth stage in which the inkjet nozzles of the fourth stage are replicated a predetermined number of times to define a number of groups of the sets of rows.

7. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 6, in which the replication hierarchy includes a sixth stage in which the inkjet nozzles of the fifth stage are replicated a predetermined number of times to form fire groups of inkjet nozzles, said predetermined number of times being selected such that inkjet nozzles from each fire group can be actuated simultaneously while maintaining stability of operation.

8. An inkjet printhead device as claimed in claim 7, in which the replication hierarchy includes a seventh stage in which the inkjet nozzles of the sixth stage are replicated a predetermined number of times to form a discrete printhead segment of the device.