Inkjet printhead integrated circuit having an array of inkjet nozzles

• US 7,066,579 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/281,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/54
• 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 integrated circuit includes a substrate that defines a plurality of ink passages. An array of control and drive circuits is positioned on the substrate, each control and drive circuit having a drive transistor that includes a series of parallel traces. An array of inkjet nozzles is 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. Each of a plurality of elongate actuators is anchored to the substrate at a fixed end and overlies and is spaced from, an associated control and drive circuit. Each actuator includes a heater element for differential thermal expansion and contraction and thus displacement of the actuator. Each heater element has a series of corrugations corresponding with respective traces of the drive transistor. A plurality of ink displacement members is received in respective nozzle chambers. Each ink displacement member is movable to eject ink from the ink ejection ports. The ink displacement members are connected to respective actuators at opposite free ends.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit that comprises a substrate that defines a plurality of ink passages;

an array of control and drive circuits positioned on the substrate, each control and drive circuit having a drive transistor that includes a series of parallel traces;

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

a plurality of elongate actuators, each actuator anchored to the substrate at a fixed end and overlying and spaced from, an associated control and drive circuit, and including a heater element for differential thermal expansion and contraction and thus displacement of the actuator, the heater element having a series of corrugations corresponding with respective traces of the drive transistor; and

a plurality of ink displacement members received in respective nozzle chambers and movable to eject ink from the ink ejection ports, the ink displacement members being connected to respective actuators at opposite free ends.

2. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, in which each control and drive circuit includes a shift register, a transfer register and an enable gate to control operation of the drive transistor.

3. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, in which the array of inkjet nozzles and the associated elongate actuators are 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.

4. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, in which each heater element and the associated ink displacement member include a common metal layer with a discontinuity to insulate the ink displacement member electrically from the heater element.

5. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, in which a cross-sectional area of the heater elements is reduced proximate the fixed ends of the respective actuators so that a heating effect generated by the heater elements is amplified proximate said fixed ends.

6. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1, in which each actuator includes a structural layer to be heated by the heater element, the heater element being interposed between the structural layer and the substrate.

7. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 6, in which each actuator includes a further layer positioned on the structural layer, the further layer being similar to the heater element to impart stability to the actuator.