Printhead chip incorporating double action shutter mechanisms

• US 7,004,568 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• 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): JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US11/026,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20050110841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 60527-529, 310306-307, 337139-141, 25112901-12902, 251/129.06
• 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 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 2/1626 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 2002/14346 : Ejection by pressure produced by thermal deformation of ink chamber, e.g. buckling
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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 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: 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 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• 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

A printhead chip includes a substrate that incorporates a drive circuitry layer and defines a plurality of ink inlet channels. A plurality of nozzle chamber structures is positioned on the substrate. Each nozzle chamber structure defines a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. The nozzle chambers are in fluid communication with respective ink inlet channels. A plurality of shutter members is positioned in respective nozzle chambers. Each shutter member is displaceable in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate between a closed position in which the shutter member closes the respective ink inlet channel and an open position in which ink is permitted to flow into the respective nozzle chamber. A plurality of actuating mechanisms is connected to the drive circuitry layer and the respective shutter members to displace the shutter members between the open and closed positions on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer.

Claims

1. A printhead chip which comprises

a substrate that incorporates a drive circuitry layer and defines a plurality of ink inlet channels;

a plurality of nozzle chamber structures positioned on the substrate, each nozzle chamber structure defining a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, the nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective ink inlet channels;

a plurality of shutter members that are positioned in respective nozzle chambers, each shutter member displaceable in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate between a closed position in which the shutter member closes the respective ink inlet channel and an open position in which ink is permitted to flow into the respective nozzle chamber; and

a plurality of actuating mechanisms connected to the drive circuitry layer and the respective shutter members to displace the shutter members between the open and closed positions on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer.

2. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the substrate defines a plurality of inlet opening defining structures interposed between respective ink inlet channels and respective shutter members to define inlet openings in fluid communication with respective inlet channels, the shutter members each defining a plurality of complementary openings so that, when the shutter members are in the open position the inlet openings and the shutter openings correspond to permit the ingress of ink into the respective nozzle chambers and when the shutter members are in the closed position, the inlet openings and the shutter openings are offset to inhibit ingress of ink into the respective nozzle chambers.

3. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 2, in which each actuator includes an elongate actuator arm capable of thermal expansion and contraction and a heater element positioned with respect to the actuator arm and connected to the drive circuitry layer to generate reciprocal movement of the actuator arm so that the arm can act on the respective shutter member, when an electrical pulse is received by the respective heater elements.

4. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which each actuator arm is spaced from, and anchored at both ends to the substrate to be oriented transversely to directions of travel of the respective shutter member, intermediate portions of the arms connected to the respective shutter members, the arms configured so that, as the arms experience thermal expansion and contraction, the arms bend to drive the respective shutter members in one direction and subsequently move towards a straightened condition to return the respective shutter members.

5. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 4, in which the actuator arms are of a resiliently flexible material to facilitate movement to the straightened condition subsequent to cooling of the respective heater elements.

6. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which each actuating mechanism includes a pair of opposed actuators, the shutter members interposed between respective pairs of actuators.

7. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which each nozzle chamber structure includes nozzle chamber walls and a roof that spans the walls, the roofs defining the respective ink ejection ports substantially aligned with the respective ink inlet channels.