Printhead nozzle arrangement having interleaved heater elements

• US 7,997,687 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• 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): Stephens; Juanita D
• Application Number:
  US12/772,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 347 92- 94
• 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 printhead nozzle arrangement is provided having a wafer defining a chamber for holding ejection fluid, an ejection port supported by a plurality of bridge members which extend from the ejection port to sides of the chamber, and a plurality of heater elements interleaved between the bridge members for causing ejection of fluid held in the chamber through the ejection port.

Claims

1. A printhead nozzle arrangement comprising:

a wafer defining a chamber for holding ejection fluid;

an ejection port supported by a plurality of bridge members which extend from the ejection port to sides of the chamber; and

a plurality of heater elements interleaved between the bridge members for causing ejection of fluid held in the chamber through the ejection port.

2. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater elements are arranged to be generally circular and comprises a plurality of spaced apart serpentine stations which extend radially inward.

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 elements terminate in a pair of vias which are connected to a metal layer of the wafer.

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

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

7. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each bridge member defines a fluid flow guide rail.