Printhead micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement with a motion-transmitting structure

• US 7,641,314 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• 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:
  US12/015,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347/65
• US Class Current: 347/54
• 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 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• 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 2002/14435 : 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 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 19/073 : Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 : Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 : Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

Provided is a micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement for a printhead integrated circuit. The arrangement includes a nozzle chamber defined in a substrate with a roof that defines an ink ejection port. The nozzle arrangement further includes a paddle located inside the chamber below the ink ejection port, said paddle operatively ejecting ink from the chamber through the port. Also included is an actuator arm having a fixed end fixed to the substrate and a working end that is displaceable towards and away from the substrate upon receipt of a drive signal in the form of a current pulse emanating from a drive circuitry layer on the substrate. The arrangement further has a motion transmitting structure interconnecting the working end of the actuator arm and a proximal end of the paddle.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement for a printhead integrated circuit, said arrangement having a nozzle chamber defined in a substrate with a roof that defines an ink ejection port, the nozzle arrangement comprising:

a paddle located inside the chamber below the ink ejection port, said paddle operatively ejecting ink from the chamber through the port;

an actuator arm having a fixed end fixed to the substrate and a working end that is displaceable towards and away from the substrate upon receipt of a drive signal in the form of a current pulse emanating from a drive circuitry layer on the substrate; and

a motion transmitting structure interconnecting the working end of the actuator arm and a proximal end of the paddle.

2. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, which includes a sealing structure interposed between at least a portion of the motion-transmitting structure and said sealing structure so that the motion-transmitting structure bridges the sealing structure.

3. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the motion-transmitting structure includes an effort formation that extends from the working end of the actuator arm, and a load formation that extends from the proximal end portion of the paddle.

4. The nozzle arrangement of claim 3, which includes a lever arm formation that interconnects the effort and load formations, the lever arm formation pivotally connected between sidewalls of the chamber via opposed flexural connections configured to experience torsional distortion upon pivotal movement of the lever arm formation.

5. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the motion-transmitting structure and the roof define a slotted opening that accommodates relative movement of the motion transmitting structure and the roof.

6. The nozzle arrangement of claim 5, wherein the slotted opening is interposed between a pair of ridges that extends from the motion-transmitting structure and the roof, said ridges dimensioned so that, when the nozzle chamber is filled with ink, a fluidic seal is defined between the ridges.

7. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2, wherein the sealing structure and the proximal end portion of the paddle are configured so that a fluidic seal is defined between the proximal end portion and the sealing structure.