Printer formed from integrated circuit printhead

• US 7,147,305 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• 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:
  US11/329,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 347/54, 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 11/70 cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/04 Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
• 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 2/17503 : 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 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• 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 19/073 : Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• 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: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• 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 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 printer has an integrated circuit forming the printhead. A substrate includes drive circuitry and a nozzle structure operated by the drive circuitry. A nozzle actuator for ejecting ink is formed from a lever mechanism having an end disposed in a nozzle chamber. A signal from the drive circuitry causes lever movement of the lever mechanism to forcibly eject ink from the nozzle chamber.

Claims

1. A printer including at least one printhead for effecting printing, the printhead formed by an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate defining a plurality of ink inlet channels;

drive circuitry positioned on the substrate; and

a plurality of nozzle arrangements on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement comprising;

a nozzle chamber having an ink ejection port and an inlet for receiving ink from a respective inlet channel;

an ink ejection member positioned in the nozzle chamber, the ink ejection member being displaceable with respect to the substrate to eject ink from the nozzle opening;

an actuator connected to the drive circuitry, the actuator being reciprocally displaceable upon receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry; and

a lever mechanism interconnecting the ink ejection member and the actuator, the lever mechanism comprising;

(a) an effort end operatively connected to the actuator, said effort end being separate from the substrate;

(b) a load end operatively connected to the ink ejection member; and

(c) a fulcrum positioned between the effort end and the load end, the lever mechanism being pivotal with respect to the substrate about said fulcrum such that movement of the effort end due to said actuator imparts reciprocal movement to the load end, which reciprocal movement is imparted to the ink ejection member.

2. The printer of claim 1, in which the substrate is a silicon wafer substrate and the drive circuitry is a CMOS layer.

3. The printer of claim 2, in which each ink ejection member is displaceable towards and away from its associated ink ejection port.

4. The printer of claim 1, which includes a plurality of covering formations on the substrate so that the substrate and the covering formations define respective air chambers in which each actuator is located.