Inkjet printhead having compact inkjet nozzles

• US 7,066,578 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• 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:
  US11/165,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20050243133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 347/68, 347/70, 60527-529, 310306-307, 337137-141
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• 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 2/17513 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 2002/14435 : Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• 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 1/2154 : 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

An inkjet printhead having ink ejection nozzles arranged on a substrate is provided. Each ink ejection nozzle comprises an ink chamber, an ink ejection port arranged on the ink chamber, and a multiple-armed actuator arranged to be displaced relative to the ink chamber so as to cause ejection of ink from the ink ejection port. The actuator is displaced through actuation of at least one arm. A first arm of the actuator is anchored to the substrate via a first anchor which receives an actuation signal for actuating the first arm. A second arm of the actuator is anchored to the substrate via a second anchor. At one of the first and second anchors is positioned between the ink chamber and the respective first and second arm.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead having a plurality of ink ejection nozzles arranged on a substrate, each ink ejection nozzle comprising:

an ink chamber;

an ink ejection port arranged on the ink chamber; and

a multiple-armed actuator arranged to be displaced relative to the ink chamber so as to cause ejection of ink from the ink ejection port, the actuator being displaced through actuation of at least one arm, wherein;

a first arm of the actuator is anchored to the substrate via a first anchor, the first anchor receiving an actuation signal for actuating the first arm;

a second arm of the actuator is anchored to the substrate via a second anchor; and

at least one of the first and second anchors is positioned between the ink chamber and the respective first and second arm.

2. A printhead according to claim 1, wherein the actuation signal is an electrical current, and the first anchor is a thermal actuator configured to expand due to self-heating when the electrical current is passed therethrough.

3. A printhead according to claim 1, wherein the first anchor is a thermal bend actuator.

4. A printhead according to claim 1, wherein each actuator has at least two of the second arms and anchors.

5. A printhead according to claim 1, wherein each actuator has at least two of the first arms and anchors.

6. A printhead according to claim 1, wherein a first portion of the actuator is supported at least in part by the first and second anchors.

7. A printhead according to claim 6, wherein a second portion of the actuator contacts the ink in the ink chamber, the second portion being supported by way of surface tension and/or fluid pressure of the ink in the ink chamber.

8. A printhead according to claim 7, wherein the ink ejection port is defined in the second portion.

9. A printhead according to claim 7, wherein the second portion is configured to move towards the ink chamber upon actuation of the second anchor, thereby causing an increase in fluid pressure within the ink chamber and corresponding expulsion of ink from the ink chamber through the ink ejection port.

10. A printhead according to claim 7, wherein the ink ejection port is defined in a roof of the ink chamber from which the second portion is spaced prior to actuation, the second portion being displaced toward the roof upon actuation to cause ejection of ink through the ink ejection port.

11. A printhead according to claim 1, wherein the first and second anchors are configured to bend during actuation of the second anchor due to a change in relative lengths as a result of thermal expansion of the second anchor, the bending contributing to a rotational component of movement of the actuator.