Inkjet nozzle that incorporates volume-reduction actuation

• US 7,156,498 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, McAvoy, Gregory John
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; An H.
• Application Number:
  US11/450,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 204 Days
• Field of Search: 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• 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 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• 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 2002/14475 characterised by nozzle shapes or number of orifices per chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/15 Moving nozzle or nozzle plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49156 : with selective destruction of conductive paths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An inkjet nozzle includes a substrate defining an ink chamber. A cover is mounted to the substrate and covers the ink chamber. The cover includes a rim through which ink can be ejected. A plurality of fixed support arms supports the rim. A plurality of movable actuator arms are each located between an adjacent pair of fixed support arms. The actuator arms can move into the chamber to eject ink from the rim. The actuator arms extend radially outwardly from the rim and collectively have rotational symmetry.

Claims

1. An inkjet nozzle comprising:

a substrate defining an ink chamber; and

a cover mounted to the substrate and covering the ink chamber;

the cover comprising a rim that defines an ink ejection port through which ink can be ejected, a plurality of fixed support arms supporting the rim, and a plurality of movable actuator arms each located between an adjacent pair of fixed support arms and which can move into the chamber to eject ink from the ink ejection port;

the actuator arms extending radially outwardly from the rim and collectively having rotational symmetry.

2. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator arms have rotational symmetry of an order of six.

3. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a wafer, and a CMOS drive layer deposited upon the wafer which is configured to drive the movement of the actuator arms.

4. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ink chamber is tapered inwardly away from the cover.

5. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the substrate defines an ink inlet which is located at a tip of the tapered chamber, the inlet being aligned with the ink ejection port.

6. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each actuator arm includes a heater which can be activated to displace the arm.

7. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each actuator arm includes an enlarged free end located proximate the rim.

8. An inkjet nozzle as claimed in claim 7, wherein each free end is tapered.