Ink jet nozzle assembly with linearly constrained actuator

• US 7,506,969 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• 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:
  US11/707,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20070139474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/56, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/56
• 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: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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: 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

Abstract

An ink jet nozzle assembly is provided for an inkjet printer. The nozzle assembly includes a wafer substrate arrangement defining an ink supply passage. A drive circuitry layer is formed on the wafer substrate arrangement. An ink chamber structure is formed on the drive circuitry layer. The ink chamber structure defines an ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink supply passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber. The ink chamber structure further defines an actuator guide slot. A support extends from the drive circuitry layer at a location external to the nozzle. An elongate, cantilevered thermal bend actuator extends from a fixed end at the support, through the guide slot and terminates in a free end within the ink chamber. The actuator is electrically coupled to the drive circuitry layer so that the drive circuitry layer can actuate bending of the actuator to move the free end, which is constrained to substantially linear motion by the guide slot, and thereby eject ink from the ink ejection port.

Claims

1. An ink jet nozzle assembly for an inkjet printer, the nozzle assembly comprising:

a wafer substrate arrangement defining an ink supply passage;

a drive circuitry layer formed on the wafer substrate arrangement;

an ink chamber structure on the drive circuitry layer, the ink chamber structure defining an ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink supply passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber, the ink chamber structure further defining an actuator guide slot;

a support extending from the drive circuitry layer at a location external to the nozzle; and

an elongate, cantilevered thermal bend actuator extending from a fixed end at the support, through the guide slot and terminating in a free end within the ink chamber;

the actuator comprising a first layer having a first co-efficient of thermal expansion, and a second layer deposited on the first layer which has a second co-efficient of thermal expansion different to said first co-efficient of thermal expansion;

the first layer being electrically coupled to the drive circuitry layer so that the drive circuitry layer can actuate bending of the thermal bend actuator to move the free end, which is constrained to substantially linear motion by the guide slot, and thereby eject ink from the ink ejection port.

2. An ink jet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal bend actuator comprises a third layer deposited on the second layer so that the second layer is located between the first and third layers, the third layer also having the first co-efficient of thermal expansion.

3. An ink jet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and third layers comprise titanium nitride or copper nickel alloy material.

4. An ink jet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises one of glass, amorphous silicon dioxide and any other like thermal insulating material.

5. An ink jet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free end is an enlarged paddle.

6. An ink jet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the paddle defines a raised lip extending along its periphery.

7. An ink jet nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ink chamber structure comprises a cylindrical wall and a cover that defines the ink ejection port.