Double-action micro-electromechanical device

• US 7,097,284 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US11/272,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/48, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 60527-529
• 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 double-action micro-electromechanical device includes a substrate. Integrated drive circuitry is positioned on the substrate. An actuator having an elongate actuator arm has a fixed end fast with the substrate and a free end displaceable with respect to the substrate. A pair of heater elements is connected to the drive circuitry and fast with the actuator arm on respective opposite sides of the actuator arm to receive alternate heating currents. The actuator arm is of a material capable of thermal expansion to perform work such that the actuator arm can experience alternate thermal differential expansion and contraction and be reciprocally displaced.

Claims

1. A double-action micro-electromechanical device that comprises

a substrate;

integrated drive circuitry positioned on the substrate; and

an actuator having an elongate actuator arm with a fixed end fast with the substrate and a free end displaceable with respect to the substrate, and a pair of heater elements connected to the drive circuitry and fast with the actuator arm on respective opposite sides of the actuator arm to receive alternate heating currents, the actuator arm being of a material capable of thermal expansion to perform work such that the actuator arm can experience alternate thermal differential expansion and contraction and be reciprocally displaced.

2. A double-action micro-electromechanical device as claimed in claim 1, in which the heater elements are substantially identical.

3. A double-action micro-electromechanical device as claimed in claim 1, in which the substrate defines a liquid inlet channel, a nozzle chamber structure being positioned on the substrate, the nozzle chamber structure defining a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the liquid inlet channel and a pair of liquid ejection ports in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, and a liquid displacement member being positioned in the nozzle chamber and connected to the actuator arm such that said reciprocal displacement of the actuator arm results in ejection of liquid from the liquid ejection ports.

4. A double-action micro-electromechanical device as claimed in claim 3, in which one of the heater elements is interposed between the actuator arm and the substrate and the arm is interposed between the heater elements so that the arm is displaced reciprocally towards and away from the substrate.

5. A double-action micro-electromechanical device as claimed in claim 4, in which the nozzle chamber structure includes a nozzle chamber wall and a roof that defines the nozzle chamber, the actuator arm being connected to the liquid displacement member at the wall, such that the wall acts as a fulcrum, the actuator arm defining an effort member and the liquid ejecting member defining a working member.

6. A double-action micro-electromechanical device as claimed in claim 5, in which a partitioning wall depends from the roof, between the liquid ejection ports, so that the nozzle chamber is divided into a first part in fluid communication with one of the liquid ejection ports and a second part in fluid communication with the other liquid ejection port, the liquid displacement member being positioned in the first part so that when the liquid displacement member is displaced towards the roof, liquid is ejected from the first part and when the liquid displacement member is displaced away from the roof, liquid is ejected from the second part.

7. A double-action micro-electromechanical device as claimed in claim 6, in which the liquid inlet channel is in fluid communication with the first part of the nozzle chamber.