Inject printhead with outwarldy extending actuator tails

• US 7,556,352 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; An H
• Application Number:
  US11/730,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04505 aiming at correcting alignment
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04516 preventing formation of satellite drops
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04518 reducing costs
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0452 reducing demand in current or voltage
• 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 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0459 Height of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04593 Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04598 Pre-pulse
• 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 2/1601 : 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 2/1628 : 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 2/1646 : thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 : Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 : Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/005 : for serial printing movements superimposed to character- or line-spacing movements

Abstract

A printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes a wafer assembly defining spaced apart groups of ink supply channels. Groups of ink ejection nozzle arrangements extend from the wafer assembly and are in fluid communication with respective ink supply channel groups. Each group of nozzle arrangements includes a pair of rows of nozzle arrangements. Each nozzle arrangement includes an ink ejection head from which an actuator tail extends and is arranged so that the actuator tails collectively extend outwardly on either side of the ink ejection heads which, in turn, are centrally located.

Claims

1. A printhead for an inkjet printer, the printhead comprising:

a wafer assembly defining spaced apart groups of ink supply channels; and

groups of ink ejection nozzle arrangements extending from the wafer assembly and in fluid communication with respective ink supply channel groups, each group of nozzle arrangements comprising a pair of rows of nozzle arrangements, each nozzle arrangement comprising an ink ejection head from which an actuator tail extends and being arranged so that the actuator tails collectively extend outwardly on either side of the ink ejection heads which, in turn, are centrally located, wherein

each nozzle arrangement defines a pair of ink spread restriction pits extending between the rows.

2. A printhead as claimed in claim 1, wherein each nozzle arrangement comprises:

one of the ink ejection heads in the form of a nozzle chamber structure, the nozzle chamber structure mounted to the wafer assembly and defining a nozzle chamber for receiving ink from one of the ink supply channels and a raised nozzle rim through which ink in the nozzle chamber can be ejected;

an anchor extending from the wafer assembly in a location external to the nozzle chamber; and

one of the actuator tails in the form of an elongate thermal actuator mechanism, the thermal actuator mechanism extending from the anchor and into the nozzle chamber and comprising an elongate arm which terminates in a free end within the nozzle chamber and a pair of layers of conductive material located on either side of the elongate arm, one of the layers being connected to a current supply so that, in use, the free end of the arm can be moved to eject ink in the nozzle chamber through the nozzle rim as a result of differential thermal expansion.

3. A printhead as claimed in claim 2, wherein each row is staggered and comprises a plurality of linearly arranged sets of nozzle arrangements with adjacent sets being staggered relative to each other along the row.

4. A printhead as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sets form a plurality of ascending or descending steps.

5. A printhead as claimed in claim 3, wherein the layers of conductive material are located proximal to the anchor.

6. A printhead as claimed in claim 1, wherein actuator tails of one group of nozzle arrangements are interleaved with actuator tails of an adjacent group of nozzle arrangements.

7. A printhead as claimed in claim 1, wherein each group of nozzle arrangements comprises an ink spread restriction wall extending from the wafer assembly to border the pair of ink spread restriction pits.