Nozzle arrangement for a printhead

• US 7,467,850 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Seo; Justin
• Application Number:
  US11/874,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/44
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04506 aiming at correcting manufacturing tolerances
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04553 detecting ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04565 detecting heater resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04571 detecting viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04573 Timing; Delays
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• 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 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 : photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 : machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 : laser 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 2/1646 : thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 : Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 : Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 : Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 : Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 : Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 : Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for a printhead. The nozzle arrangement includes: a chamber having a nozzle, wherein the chamber is in fluid communication with an ink supply which provides ink to the chamber; an actuator arm having a first layer, a second layer and a central member located between the first and second layers; and a thermal energy supply in thermal communication with the second layer of the actuator arm, wherein when thermal energy is provided by the thermal energy supply to at least a portion of the second layer of the actuator arm, the actuator arm displaces, causing an ink meniscus located at the nozzle to expand.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement for a printhead, including:

a chamber having a nozzle, wherein the chamber is in fluid communication with an ink supply which provides ink to the chamber;

an actuator arm having a first layer, a second layer and a central member located between the first and second layers; and

a thermal energy supply in thermal communication with the second layer of the actuator arm, wherein when thermal energy is provided by the thermal energy supply to at least a portion of the second layer, wherein

the actuator arm is displaced upon the supply of thermal energy to at least a portion of the second layer, thereby causing an ink meniscus located at the nozzle to expand.

2. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermal energy supply is an electrical component in electrical communication with the second layer, wherein the electrical component provides an electrical current to the second layer in order to heat the bottom layer to cause the displacement of the actuator arm.

3. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the central layer extends from the first and second layer into the chamber, wherein the central layer displaces within the chamber in response to the actuation of the actuator arm.

4. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the central layer is a paddle which is in fluid contact with the ink supplied to the chamber.

5. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the central layer includes a circular portion.

6. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the actuator arm includes a thermally conductive post member which is interconnected to the second layer and is in thermal communication with the thermal energy supply.

7. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the second layer includes a thinned portion which adjoins the post member, wherein the thinned portion of the second layer heats in response to thermal energy conducted by the post to thereby cause the displacement of the actuator arm.

8. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the actuator arm displaces in a direction toward the nozzle.

9. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 8, wherein when the thermal energy supply ceases providing thermal energy to at least a portion of the second layer, the second layer dissipates the thermal energy and returns to a quiescent position, resulting in the actuator arm displacing in an opposite direction within the chamber.

10. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the displacement of the actuator arm in the opposite direction results the in the ink meniscus necking and breaking to form an ink drop which is ejected from the nozzle.

11. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 10, wherein when the ink drop is ejected from the nozzle, a pressure differential is created between the chamber and the ink supply resulting in the ink supply providing further ink to the chamber.

12. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle arrangement includes a cavity located adjacent the nozzle to receive therein ink that overflows from the nozzle.

13. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are made of the same material.

14. The nozzle arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the first and second layer are made from titanium nitride.