Micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism that incorporates lever actuation

• US 7,216,957 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• 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:
  US11/501,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/45, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 60527-529
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 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 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 2002/14459 : Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• 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: 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 1/2154 : 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 ink ejection mechanism for a printer includes a substrate that defines an ink inlet. A drive circuitry layer is positioned on the substrate. An elongate thermal bend actuator is connected at a fixed end to the drive circuitry layer and is configured to be displaced reciprocally with respect to the substrate on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer. An ink ejection member spans the ink inlet and is operatively connected to the bend actuator to be reciprocally displaceable with respect to the substrate upon reciprocal displacement of the bend actuator. A motion transfer structure is interposed between the actuator and the ink ejection member to transfer movement of the actuator to the ink ejection member. A nozzle chamber structure is positioned on the substrate and defines an ink chamber in which the ink ejection member is positioned and a region in which the bend actuator is positioned, such that the motion transfer structure is interposed between the ink chamber and the region. The nozzle chamber structure further defines an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber such that said reciprocal movement of the ink ejection member serves to eject ink from the ink ejection port.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism for a printer, the ink ejection mechanism comprising:

a substrate that defines an ink inlet;

a drive circuitry layer positioned on the substrate;

an elongate thermal bend actuator connected at a fixed end to the drive circuitry layer and configured to be displaced reciprocally with respect to the substrate on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer;

an ink ejection member that spans the ink inlet and is operatively connected to the bend actuator to be reciprocally displaceable with respect to the substrate upon reciprocal displacement of the bend actuator;

a motion transfer structure interposed between the actuator and the ink ejection member to transfer movement of the actuator to the ink ejection member; and

a nozzle chamber structure positioned on the substrate and defining an ink chamber in which the ink ejection member is positioned and a region in which the bend actuator is positioned, such that the motion transfer structure is interposed between the ink chamber and said region, the nozzle chamber structure further defining an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber such that said reciprocal movement of the ink ejection member serves to eject ink from the ink ejection port.

2. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which the motion transfer structure is in the form of a lever structure with an effort portion being connected to the bend actuator and a work portion being connected to the ink ejection member.

3. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism as claimed in claim 2, in which a base extends from the substrate, the lever structure being mounted on the base.

4. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism as claimed in claim 3, in which the lever structure is connected to the nozzle chamber structure with opposed torsion members.

5. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism as claimed in claim 4, in which the nozzle chamber structure, the lever structure and the torsion members together define a roof structure that defines the ink ejection port and also overlies the thermal bend actuator.

6. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism as claimed in claim 5, in which the roof structure defines a raised rim surrounding the ink ejection port.

7. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism as claimed in claim 6, in which a plurality of radially extending recesses is defined in the roof structure about the rim to contain radial ink flow as a result of ink escaping past the nozzle rim.