Printhead With Nozzle Face Recess To Contain Ink Floods

• US 20090244184A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• 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 7,942,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/44
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators

Abstract

An inkjet printhead that has a silicon wafer substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet channels and a plurality of replicated nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate to receive ink from the ink inlets and eject ink droplets onto a media substrate. Each of the nozzle arrangements has nozzle chamber walls, and a roof positioned on the nozzle chamber walls defining an ink ejection port. The roof defines a recess about the ink ejection port to inhibit ink spread from any nozzle face floods.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a silicon wafer substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet channels;

a plurality of replicated nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate to receive ink from the ink inlets and eject ink droplets onto a media substrate, each nozzle arrangement having nozzle chamber walls, a roof positioned on the nozzle chamber walls defining an ink ejection port;

wherein,

the roof defines a recess about the ink ejection port to inhibit ink spread.

2. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1, in which the nozzle arrangements are the product of a MEMS-based fabrication technique.

3. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electrical drive circuitry layer positioned on the silicon wafer substrate for connection to a suitable microprocessor, wherein the electrical drive circuitry layer incorporates an ink passivation layer.

4. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 3, in which the nozzle chamber walls and the roof of each nozzle arrangement are configured to define a nozzle chamber that is rectangular in plan.

5. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 4, in which the nozzle chamber walls of each nozzle chamber include a distal end wall, a proximal end wall and a pair of opposed sidewalls.

6. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 5, in which each nozzle arrangement includes a work-transmitting structure in the form of a lever mechanism, the lever mechanism including an effort formation, a fulcrum formation and a load formation, the fulcrum formation interposed between the effort formation and the load formation, an ink ejecting member being fast with the load formation.

7. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 6, in which each nozzle arrangement includes a thermal bend actuator that defines the effort formation and which is connected to the drive circuitry to bend on receipt of an electrical drive signal and thus displace the ink ejecting member.