Inkjet nozzle assembly with pre-shaped actuator

• US 7,497,555 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US11/525,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 60527-529
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 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 2/1626 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 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 2002/14443 : Nozzle guard
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• 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 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: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• 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 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 inkjet nozzle assembly includes a multilayered substrate having control and drive circuitry and defining an ink passage and a tapered ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink passage and an ink ejection port through which ink supplied into the chamber through the ink passage can be ejected. An elongate, bent actuator is connected to the control and drive circuitry and is operatively fixed to the substrate at one end and terminates in a free end such that the ink passage is interposed between said free end and the ink chamber. The actuator is configured to straighten responsive to receiving an electrical signal from the control and drive circuitry so that ink within the ink chamber is ejected through the ink ejection port.

Claims

1. An inkjet nozzle assembly that comprises:

a multilayered substrate comprising control and drive circuitry, and defining an ink passage and a tapered ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink passage and an ink ejection port through which ink supplied into the chamber through the ink passage can be ejected; and

an elongate and bent actuator connected to the control and drive circuitry and operatively fixed to the substrate at one end and terminating in a free end such that the ink passage is interposed between said free end and the ink chamber, the actuator being configured to straighten responsive to receiving an electrical signal from the control and drive circuitry so that ink within the ink chamber is ejected through the ink ejection port.

2. An inkjet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is at least partially comprised of shape memory alloy (SMA) material so that the actuator straightens when heated by the control and drive circuitry and returns to a bent state upon deactivation of the control and drive circuitry and subsequent cooling.

3. An inkjet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a serpentine heating element which is electrically coupled to the control and drive circuitry.

4. An inkjet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the actuator further comprises a pair of silicon-based layers with the heating element interposed between the silicon-based layers.

5. An inkjet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the silicon-based layers comprises silicon dioxide material whereas the other silicon-based layer comprises silicon nitride.

6. An inkjet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein each silicon-based layer extends from a layer of corresponding material in the multi-layered substrate.

7. An inkjet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a pair of metal interconnects which each couple a respective end of the heating element to the control and drive circuitry.