Inkjet printhead chip that incorporates micro-mechanical lever mechanisms

• US 7,004,566 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• 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
• Application Number:
  US10/949,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20050046674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/68, 347/69, 347/70, 347/71, 347/72, 347/50, 347/40, 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/27, 347/63, 399/261, 361/700, 310328-330, 298/901
• US Class Current: 347/54
• 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 11/70 cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/04 Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• 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 2/17503 : 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: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• 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 19/073 : Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• 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: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• 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 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

Abstract

An inkjet printhead chip includes a substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet channels. A drive circuitry layer is on the substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is on the substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes nozzle chamber walls and a roof on the substrate to define a nozzle chamber opening into a respective ink inlet channel, with the roof defining an ink ejection port opening into the nozzle chamber. An ink ejection member is in the nozzle chamber. The ink ejection member is displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject ink from the ink ejection port. An actuator is connected to the ink ejection member and to the drive circuitry layer. The actuator is displaceable upon receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry layer to displace the ink ejection member and thus eject ink from the ink ejection port. A lever mechanism interconnects the ink ejection member and the actuator. The lever mechanism is pivotal with respect to the substrate so that reciprocal movement of the actuator is imparted to the ink ejection member.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead chip that comprises

a substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet channels;

a drive circuitry layer on the substrate; and

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

nozzle chamber walls and a roof on the substrate to define a nozzle chamber opening into a respective ink inlet channel, with the roof defining an ink ejection port opening into the nozzle chamber;

an ink ejection member in the nozzle chamber, the ink ejection member being displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject ink from the ink ejection port;

an actuator connected to the drive circuitry layer, the actuator being reciprocally displaceable upon receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry layer; and

a lever mechanism that interconnects the ink ejection member and the actuator, the lever mechanism comprising an effort end, a load end and a fulcrum, the effort end being substantially free of the substrate and operatively connected to the actuator, the load end being operatively connected to the ink ejection member, the lever mechanism being pivotal with respect to the substrate about said fulcrum, said fulcrum being disposed between the effort end and the lever end such that movement of the effort end due to said actuator imparts reciprocal movement to the load end, which reciprocal movement is imparted to the ink ejection member.

2. An inkjet printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, which is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique.

3. An inkjet printhead chip as claimed in claim 2, in which the substrate is a silicon wafer substrate and the drive circuitry layer is a CMOS layer, an ink passivation layer being positioned on the CMOS layer.

4. An inkjet printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which each ink ejection member is displaceable towards and away from its associated ink ejection port.

5. An inkjet printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, which includes a plurality of covering formations on the substrate so that the substrate and the covering formations define respective air chambers in which each actuator is located.

6. An inkjet printhead chip as claimed in claim 5, in which each roof, lever mechanism and covering formation together define a protective structure that is positioned in a common plane.

7. An inkjet printhead chip as claimed in claim 6, in which each roof, work-transmitting structure and covering formation are configured so that the protective structure is unitary.