Micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device with actuator guide formations

• US 7,083,263 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• 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): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US11/185,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/54
• 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 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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

A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device includes a substrate containing drive circuitry. A nozzle chamber structure is positioned on the substrate and defines a nozzle chamber and a fluid ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. An elongate actuator is fast with the substrate at a fixed end. The elongate actuator has a laminated structure of at least two layers with one of the layers defining an electrical heating circuit in electrical contact with the drive circuitry to be heated and to expand on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry and to cool and contract on termination of the signal, thereby to generate reciprocal movement of the actuator. A fluid ejecting member is fast with an opposite end of the actuator and is positioned in the nozzle chamber to eject fluid from the fluid ejection port on said reciprocal movement of the actuator. The actuator extends through the nozzle chamber structure and the actuator and nozzle chamber structure define complementary guide formations which are shaped so that movement of the fluid ejecting member is substantially linear.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device which comprises a substrate containing drive circuitry;

a nozzle chamber structure positioned on the substrate and defining a nozzle chamber and a fluid ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber;

an elongate and cantilevered actuator that is fast with the substrate at a fixed end, the elongate actuator having a laminated structure of at least two layers with one of the layers defining an electrical heating circuit in electrical contact with the drive circuitry to be heated and to expand on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry and to cool and contract on termination of the signal, thereby to generate reciprocal movement of the actuator; and

a fluid ejecting member fast with a free end of the actuator and positioned in the nozzle chamber to eject fluid from the fluid ejection port on said reciprocal movement of the actuator, the actuator extending through the nozzle chamber structure and the actuator and nozzle chamber structure defining complementary guide formations which are shaped so that movement of the fluid ejecting member is substantially linear.

2. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device as claimed in claim 1, in which the actuator includes an inner layer and a pair of opposed, outer layers, the outer layers having substantially the same thermal expansion and elasticity characteristics.

3. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device as claimed in claim 2, in which the outer layers have substantially the same dimensional characteristics.

4. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device as claimed in claim 2, in which the outer layers have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the inner layer.

5. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device as claimed in claim 1, in which the actuating member is received at least through a wall of the nozzle chamber structure, the wall and the actuator defining said complementary guide formations.

6. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device as claimed in claim 5, in which the wall of the nozzle chamber structure is cylindrical and a roof is positioned on the wall and defines the fluid ejection port.

7. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device as claimed in claim 6, in which both the wall and the roof define slots and the actuator defines guide portions received through respective slots, thereby inhibiting excessive arcuate movement of the fluid ejecting member.

8. An inkjet printhead that comprises a plurality of micro-electromechanical fluid ejection devices as claimed in claim 1.