Ink jet printhead incorporating a plurality of nozzle arrangement having backflow prevention mechanisms

• US 7,240,992 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• 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:
  US10/982,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 60427-529
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/055 Devices for absorbing or preventing back-pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14048 Movable member in the chamber
• 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 2202/15 : 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 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: 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

An ink jet printhead includes a substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlets. A drive circuitry layer is positioned on the substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is arranged on the substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle chamber structure positioned on the substrate and defining a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink inlet, and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. An actuator is connected to the drive circuitry layer and is displaceable with respect to the substrate on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry layer. An ink ejection member is operatively positioned with respect to the nozzle chamber and is displaceable when the actuator is displaced such that ink is ejected from the ink ejection port. The ink ejection member is configured so that the ink ejection member obstructs a flow of ink from the nozzle chamber into the inlet at a certain position in a displacement path of the ink ejection member.

Claims

1. An ink jet printhead which comprises

a substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlets;

a drive circuitry layer positioned on the substrate; and

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

a nozzle chamber structure positioned on the substrate and defining a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink inlet, and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber;

an actuator connected to the drive circuitry layer and displaceable with respect to the substrate on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry layer; and

an ink ejection member operatively positioned with respect to the nozzle chamber and displaceable when the actuator is displaced such that ink is ejected from the ink ejection port, wherein

the ink ejection member is configured so that the ink ejection member obstructs a flow of ink from the nozzle chamber into the inlet at a certain position in a displacement path of the ink ejection member.

2. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 1, in which the ink jet printhead is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique, the substrate being in the form of a wafer substrate and the nozzle arrangements being formed in a deposition and etching process.

3. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 1, in which the nozzle chamber structure includes side walls and a roof wall that defines the ink ejection port.

4. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 1, in which each ink ejection member is positioned in a respective nozzle chamber between the ink ejection port and the inlet.

5. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 4, in which each ink ejection member is substantially planar and is dimensioned to span the inlet.

6. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 5, in which each ink ejection member is dimensioned to correspond generally with cross sectional dimensions of the nozzle chamber.

7. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 5, in which each ink ejection member is mounted on the substrate and defines a closure for the inlet, the ink ejection member being movable towards an operative position in which the ink ejection member both closes the inlet and ejects ink from the nozzle chamber and an inoperative position in which the inlet is open.