Micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly with an arcuate actuator

• US 7,540,592 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• 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:
  US11/540,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 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 2/14314 Structure of ink jet print heads with electrostatically actuated membrane
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 : Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49172 : by molding of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly includes a substrate that defines an ink chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber on an ejection side of the substrate. A control circuitry layer is positioned on an ink ingress side of the substrate. An arcuate thermal actuator is fast with the control circuitry layer in a cantilever manner to be interposed between an ink reservoir and the ink chamber. The actuator is configured to straighten responsive to receipt of an electrical signal from the control circuitry layer so that ink within the ink chamber is ejected through the aperture.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly comprising

a substrate that defines an ink chamber and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber on an ejection side of the substrate;

a control circuitry layer positioned on an ink ingress side of the substrate; and

an arcuate thermal actuator which is fast with the control circuitry layer in a cantilever manner to be interposed between an ink reservoir and the ink chamber, the actuator being configured to straighten responsive to receipt of an electrical signal from the control circuitry layer so that ink within the ink chamber is ejected through the aperture.

2. A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ink chamber tapers inwardly towards the ink ejection port.

3. A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermal actuator includes a serpentine heating element which is electrically coupled to the control circuitry.

4. A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the actuator further comprises a pair of silicon layers, the heating element being interposed between the silicon layers.

5. A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the silicon layers comprises silicon dioxide material and the other silicon layer comprises silicon nitride.

6. A micro-electromechanical 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 circuitry.

7. A micro-electromechanical nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater element is of shape memory alloy (SMA) material and is fixed to one of the silicon layers, said one of the silicon layers being pre-stressed into an arcuate profile with the heater element being configured so that, when heated through its transition point, the heater element straightens the silicon layers such that the actuator is displaced towards the ink ejection port.