Ink jet nozzle arrangement with a segmented actuator nozzle chamber cover

• US 7,942,507 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• 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): Meier; Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Witkowski; Alexander C
• Application Number:
  US12/627,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20100073430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/63
• 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 comprises a nozzle chamber; an ink supply channel for supplying ink to the nozzle chamber; a cover for covering the nozzle chamber, the cover defining an ink ejection port through which ink is ejected; a plurality of thermal bend actuators radially arranged around the ink ejection port; and a plurality of heater elements each corresponding to one of the plurality of thermal bend actuators. Each heater element is provided at an end of a corresponding thermal bend actuator opposite the ink ejection port.

Claims

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

a nozzle chamber;

an ink supply channel for supplying ink to the nozzle chamber;

a cover for covering the nozzle chamber, the cover defining an ink ejection port through which ink is ejected;

a plurality of thermal bend actuators radially arranged around the ink ejection port; and

a plurality of heater elements each corresponding to one of the plurality of thermal bend actuators, each heater element provided at an end of a corresponding thermal bend actuator opposite the ink ejection port.

2. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each thermal bend actuator comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer.

3. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each heater element comprises an internal serpentine copper core connected to drive circuitry.

4. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermal bend actuators form a generally segmented annulus shape.

5. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each thermal bend actuator defines a well for collecting ink spatter from the rim.

6. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover is substantially planar when each thermal bend actuator is de-activated.

7. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the thermal bend actuators are adapted to bend into the nozzle chamber.