Nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead chip that incorporates a nozzle chamber reduction mechanism

• US 7,520,593 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• 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:
  US11/706,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20070139472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/56, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/56
• 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

A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printer includes a wafer assembly defining a nozzle chamber into which ink can be fed. A nozzle chamber roof assembly is fast with the wafer assembly and covers the nozzle chamber. The nozzle chamber roof assembly defines an ink ejection port supported by a plurality of outwardly extending bridging members, and a plurality of cantilevered actuators interleaved between the bridging members and extending inwardly to terminate in free ends proximal to the ink ejection port. An elongate heater element extends through each actuator so that, in use, the heater element causes differential thermal expansion in the actuators and thus the free ends of the actuators subsequently to move into the nozzle chamber and force ink therein out through the ink ejection port.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printer, the nozzle arrangement comprising:

a wafer assembly defining a nozzle chamber into which ink can be fed;

a nozzle chamber roof assembly fast with the wafer assembly and covering the nozzle chamber, the nozzle chamber roof assembly defining an ink ejection port supported by a plurality of outwardly extending bridging members, and a plurality of cantilevered actuators interleaved between the bridging members and extending inwardly to terminate in free ends proximal to the ink ejection port; and

an elongate heater element which extends through each actuator so that, in use, the heater element causes differential thermal expansion in the actuators and thus the free ends of the actuators subsequently to move into the nozzle chamber and force ink therein out through the ink ejection port.

2. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater element is arranged to be generally circular and comprises a plurality of spaced apart serpentine stations extending radially inwardly.

3. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein each serpentine station is symmetric and comprises a mirrored pair of serpentine portions.

4. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of the heater element terminate in a pair of vias which are connected to a metal layer of the wafer assembly.

5. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle chamber is generally funnel-shaped and tapers inwardly away from the cover.

6. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wafer assembly further defines an ink supply inlet at an apex of the tapered nozzle chamber, the ink supply inlet being substantially aligned with the ink ejection port.

7. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each actuator comprises a stem containing the heater element and which terminates in an enlarged free end.

8. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each bridging member defines an ink flow guide rail to inhibit wicking of ink on the actuators.