Motion transmitting structure for a nozzle arrangement of a printhead chip for an inkjet printhead

• US 7,246,883 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• 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): Do; An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/510,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/54
• 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 2202/21 : Line printing
• 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 printhead chip for an inkjet printhead includes a plurality of nozzle arrangements (100) positioned on a substrate (32). Each nozzle arrangement includes a chamber structure defining a nozzle chamber (106) that receives ink. An ink ejecting member (140) positioned in the nozzle chamber is displaceable in the nozzle chamber to eject ink from the nozzle chamber. Each nozzle actuator (148) is positioned on the substrate, the actuator having a working portion (156) displaceable with respect to the substrate when the actuator receives a driving signal. A sealing structure (130) is positioned on the substrate between the actuator and the ink-ejecting member inhibiting ink flow between the ink ejecting member and the actuator. A motion transmitting structure (122) pivotally bridges the sealing structure and interconnects the working portion (156) of the actuator and the ink-ejecting member (140) to transmit displacement of the working portion relative to the substrate to the ink ejecting member. Slotted openings (174) form a pair of opposed flexural connectors (178) between the outer structure (170) and the motion transmitting structures (122) allowing torsional deformation accommodating pivotal movement during operation of the nozzle arrangement.

Claims

1. A printhead chip for an inkjet printhead, the printhead chip comprising:

a substrate; and

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

a nozzle chamber structure that defines a nozzle chamber in which ink is received;

an ink-ejecting member that is positioned in the nozzle chamber and is displaceable in the nozzle chamber to eject ink from the nozzle chamber;

at least one actuator that is positioned on the substrate, the, or each, actuator having a working position that is displaceable with respect to the substrate when the actuator receives a drive signal;

a sealing structure that is positioned on the substrate and is interposed between the, or each, actuator and the ink-ejecting member to inhibit a passage of ink between the ink-ejecting member and the actuator; and

a motion transmitting structure that bridges the sealing structure, the motion transmitting structure comprising an effort formation that is connected to the working portion of the actuator, a load formation that is connected to the ink-ejecting member and a lever arm formation that interconnects the effort formation and the load formation, the lever arm formation being pivotal with respect to the nozzle chamber structure so that reciprocal movement of the working portion of the actuator is accommodated by pivotal movement of the lever arm formation with the result that the ink-ejecting member is reciprocally displaced towards and away from the ink ejection port.

2. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, which is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique.

3. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 2, in which the substrate includes a silicon wafer substrate and a CMOS drive circuitry layer positioned on the wafer substrate.

4. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 3, in which the nozzle chamber structure includes nozzle chamber walls that extend from the substrate and a roof that spans the nozzle chamber walls, the roof defining an ink ejection port from which ink is ejected, in use.

5. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 4, in which the nozzle chamber walls and the roof are configured so that the nozzle chamber is substantially rectangular in plan, with the nozzle chamber walls defining a distal end wall, a proximal end wall and a pair of opposed side walls.

6. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 5, in which the sealing structure and the motion transmitting structure of each nozzle arrangement define at least part of the proximal end wall.

7. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which each nozzle arrangement includes a thermal bend actuator that includes an elongate actuator arm having a fixed end that is fixed with respect to the substrate and a working end, defined by the working portion, that is displaceable with respect to the substrate, the thermal bend actuator being configured so that, when the actuator receives a signal from the drive circuitry layer, the elongate actuator arm bends towards the substrate, the working end being fixed to the effort formation of the motion transmitting structure so that, upon such movement of the actuator arm towards the substrate, the lever arm formation pivots and the load formation acts on the ink ejection member to drive the ink ejection member towards the ink ejection port.

8. A printhead chip as claimed in claim 1, in which the lever arm formation is mounted on the nozzle chamber walls with a pair of opposed, resiliently flexible connectors.

9. An inkjet printhead that includes at least one printhead chip as claimed in claim 1.