Inkjet printhead having paddled inkjet nozzles

• US 7,252,367 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• 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:
  US11/442,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/55, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 60527-529
• 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 2/17503 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 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 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 : Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 : Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An inkjet printhead is provided having a plurality of ink ejection nozzles. Each nozzle has a displaceable actuator arm, a paddle for ejecting ink through an aperture defined in a roof of the nozzle, and a motion-transmitting structure interconnecting the actuator arm and the paddle, the motion-transmitting structure comprising a lever arm formation interposed between effort and load formations.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead comprising a plurality of ink ejection nozzles, each nozzle comprising:

a displaceable actuator arm;

a paddle for ejecting ink through an aperture defined in a roof of the nozzle; and

a motion-transmitting structure interconnecting the actuator arm and the paddle, the motion-transmitting structure comprising a lever arm formation interposed between effort and load formations.

2. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein the effort formations extend from a working end of the actuator arms.

3. An inkjet printhead according to claim 2, whereby upon reciprocal movement of the working end of the actuator arms, the lever arm formations pivot.

4. An inkjet printhead according to claim 3, whereby the pivotal movement of the lever arm formations result in angular displacement of the paddles.

5. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein the load formations extend from an end portion of the paddles.

6. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein the lever arm formations are pivotally connected by connectors to sidewalls of the nozzles.

7. An inkjet printhead according to claim 6, wherein the connectors are opposed flexural connectors.

8. An inkjet printhead according to claim 7, wherein the flexural connectors are torsionally distorted upon pivotal movement of the lever arm formations.

9. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein the load formations form part of an end wall of the nozzles.

10. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein each of the load and effort formations are composite formations with a primary layer and secondary layer.

11. An inkjet printhead according to claim 10, wherein the primary layers are formed from TiAlN and the secondary layers are formed from titanium.

12. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein the paddles are fixed to the load formations.

13. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein the paddles extend towards a distal end wall of the nozzles.

14. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the paddles has corrugations.