Nozzle for ejecting ink

• US 7,334,877 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, McAvoy, Gregory John
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; An H.
• Application Number:
  US11/442,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/56, 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

The present invention relates to a nozzle for ejecting ink. The nozzle includes an ink chamber in which the ink can be provided and a plurality of elements located adjacent the ink chamber. An actuator is provided for moving the elements into the chamber in a first direction so that ink can be ejected from the ink chamber in a second and opposite direction.

Claims

1. A nozzle for ejecting ink, the nozzle including:

an ink chamber in which the ink can be provided;

a plurality of radially positioned actuators located adjacent the ink chamber; and

an internal serpentine core in each actuator for moving the actuator into the chamber in a first direction upon heating of the serpentine cores so that ink can be ejected from the ink chamber in a second and opposite direction.

2. A nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ink chamber is tapered in shape.

3. A nozzle as claimed in claim 1, further including a fixed ring around which the actuators radially extend outwardly and through which the ink can be ejected.

4. A nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuators each include a generally tapered portion and the tapered portions collectively form an annulus.

5. A nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each actuator is bendable.

6. A nozzle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuator includes a plurality of heaters for each bending a respective element.

7. A nozzle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the actuator includes plurality of wires arranged in a serpentine manner for each being coupled to a respective heater.

8. A nozzle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each actuator is cantilevered.