Ink jet printhead with circular cross section chamber

• US 20040113986A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/56
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1412 Shape
• 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 2/17513 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 2002/14475 : 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 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: 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

Abstract

A thermal ink jet printhead with an array of nozzles 3, each nozzle having heater elements 10 disposed in a bubble forming chamber 7. The bubble forming chambers 7 having circular cross sections. For example, the chambers 7 are cylindrical, spherical, barrel-shaped or truncated cone shaped. The circular cross sections have enhanced structural strength that better withstands the pressure transients in the bubble forming liquid during droplet ejection.

Claims

1. An ink jet printhead comprising:

a plurality of nozzles;

a bubble forming chamber corresponding to each of the nozzles respectively, the bubble forming chambers adapted to contain a bubble forming liquid; and

,

at least one heater element disposed in each of the bubble forming chambers respectively, the heater elements configured for thermal contact with the bubble forming liquid;

such that,

heating the heater element to a temperature above the boiling point of the bubble forming liquid forms a gas bubble that causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid through the nozzle corresponding to that heater element;

wherein,

the bubble forming chamber has a circular cross section.

2. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the bubble forming chamber is cylindrical.

3. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the bubble forming chamber is barrel-shaped.

4. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the bubble forming chamber is a truncated cone shape.

5. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the bubble forming chamber is spherical.

6. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the ejectable liquid is the same as the bubble forming liquid.

7. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a pagewidth printhead.

8. An ink jet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the bubble forming chamber is at least partially formed by an amorphous ceramic material.

9. An ink jet printhead according to claim 8 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon nitride.

10. An ink jet printhead according to claim 8 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon dioxide.

11. An ink jet printhead according to claim 8 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon oxynitride.

12. A printer system which incorporates a printhead, the printhead comprising:

a plurality of nozzles;

a bubble forming chamber corresponding to each of the nozzles respectively, the bubble forming chambers adapted to contain a bubble forming liquid; and

,

at least one heater element disposed in each of the bubble forming chambers respectively, the heater elements configured for thermal contact with the bubble forming liquid;

such that,

heating the heater element to a temperature above the boiling point of the bubble forming liquid forms a gas bubble that causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid through the nozzle corresponding to that heater element;

wherein,

the bubble forming chamber has a circular cross section.

13. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the bubble forming chamber is cylindrical.

14. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the bubble forming chamber is barrel-shaped.

15. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the bubble forming chamber is a truncated cone shape.

16. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the bubble forming chamber is spherical.

17. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the ejectable liquid is the same as the bubble forming liquid.

18. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the printhead is a pagewidth printhead.

19. A printer system according to claim 12 wherein the bubble forming chamber is at least partially formed by an amorphous ceramic material.

20. A printer system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon nitride.

21. A printer system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon dioxide.

22. A printer system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon oxynitride.

23. A method of ejecting drops of an ejectable liquid from a printhead, the printhead comprising a plurality of nozzles;

a bubble forming chamber corresponding to each of the nozzles respectively, the bubble forming chambers adapted to contain a bubble forming liquid; and

,

at least one heater element disposed in each of the bubble forming chambers respectively, the heater elements configured for thermal contact with the bubble forming liquid;

such that,

heating the heater element to a temperature above the boiling point of the bubble forming liquid forms a gas bubble that causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid through the nozzle corresponding to that heater element;

wherein,

the bubble forming chamber has a circular cross section;

the method comprising the steps of;

placing the ejectable liquid into contact with the drop ejection actuator; and

actuating the droplet ejection actuator such that a droplet of an ejectable liquid is ejected through the corresponding nozzle.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the bubble forming chamber is cylindrical.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein the bubble forming chamber is barrel-shaped.

26. A method according to claim 23 wherein the bubble forming chamber is a truncated cone shape.

27. A method according to claim 23 wherein the bubble forming chamber is spherical.

28. A method according to claim 23 wherein the ejectable liquid is the same as the bubble forming liquid.

29. A method according to claim 23 wherein the printhead is a pagewidth printhead.

30. A method according to claim 23 wherein the bubble forming chamber is at least partially formed by an amorphous ceramic material.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon nitride.

32. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon dioxide.

33. An ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 30 wherein the amorphous ceramic material is silicon oxynitride.