Nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead incorporating a linear spring mechanism

• US 6,378,990 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• 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): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brooke, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US09/864,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer

Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead that is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique includes a substrate. An actuating mechanism is arranged on the substrate and includes an anchor member that is fast with the substrate. An effort member is displaceable with respect to the anchor member. A resiliently flexible connector is fixed between the anchor member and the effort member. The connector, the anchor member and the effort member define a linear spring so that a force applied to the effort member in a first direction relative to the anchor member results in constrained displacement of the effort member in a second direction relative to the substrate. The second direction has at least two vector components, one of which is in said first direction and another is in a third direction at right angles to said first direction with the displacement of the effort member incorporating substantially no rotational movement. An effort mechanism is arranged on the substrate and is operable on the effort member to apply force to the effort member in the first direction.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement for an ink jet printhead that is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique, the nozzle arrangement comprising

a substrate;

and

an actuating mechanism that is arranged on the substrate, the actuating mechanism comprising

an anchor member that is fast with the substrate;

an effort member that is displaceable with respect to the anchor member;

a resiliently flexible connector that is fixed between the anchor member and the effort member, the connector, the anchor member and the effort member defining a linear spring so that a force applied to the effort member in a first direction relative to the anchor member results in constrained displacement of the effort member in a second direction relative to the substrate, the second direction having at least two vector components, one of which is in said first direction and another is in a third direction at right angles to said first direction with the displacement of the effort member incorporating substantially no rotational movement; and

an effort mechanism that is arranged on the substrate and is operable on the effort member to apply said force to the effort member in said first direction.

2. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, which includes a load member that is mounted to the effort member so that, as the effort member is displaced in said second direction the load member can perform a task which requires motion in said third direction.

3. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the substrate is in the form of a wafer substrate, the actuating mechanism being the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique carried out on the wafer substrate.

4. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 3, in which a drive circuitry layer is positioned on the wafer substrate and a passivation layer is positioned on the drive circuitry layer.

5. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 4, which includes a nozzle chamber, a nozzle chamber inlet and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, defined in the wafer substrate, the nozzle chamber inlet being in fluid communication with an ink supply.

6. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 4, in which the effort mechanism is in the form of at least one electromagnet fast with the substrate and electrically connected to the drive circuitry layer, and the effort member is magnetic so that, when the, or each, electromagnet is activated, said effort member is attracted by the, or each, electromagnet.

7. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 6, in which the effort member is elongate, with the effort mechanism being in the form of a number of electromagnets positioned proximate the effort member, the connector being in the form of a pair of spaced, substantially parallel, flexure arms of substantially the same length connected between the effort member and the anchor member, the flexure arms being biased into a position in which an acute included angle is defined between each flexure arm and the effort member, the electromagnets being positioned so that, when the electromagnets are activated, a force in said first direction is applied to the effort member.

8. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 7, in which at least one closure member is attached to the effort member to extend from the effort member, to be displaceable between a closed and an open position in said third direction when the effort member is displaced towards and away from the electromagnets in said first direction, the, or each, closure member being dimensioned to cover the inlet when in the closed position and ink being permitted to flow through the inlet when the closure member is displaced into its open position.

9. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 8, in which the closure member is in the form of at least two shutter members that extend from the effort member, the inlet being defined by at least two inlet openings that correspond with the respective shutter members.

10. A nozzle arrangement as claimed in claim 8, in which the spring is of a generally planar construction to be displaceable in a plane substantially parallel to that of the wafer substrate, when the electromagnets are activated.

11. An ink jet printhead that is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique, the ink jet printhead comprising

a substrate;

and

a plurality of nozzle arrangements arranged on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement having an actuating mechanism that is arranged on the substrate, each actuating mechanism comprising

an anchor member that is fast with the substrate;

an effort member that is displaceable with respect to the anchor member;

a resiliently flexible connector that is fixed between the anchor member and the effort member, the connector, the anchor member and the effort member defining a linear spring so that a force applied to the effort member in a first direction relative to the anchor member results in constrained displacement of the effort member in a second direction relative to the substrate, the second direction having at least two vector components, one of which is in said first direction and another is in a third direction at right angles to said first direction with the displacement of the effort member incorporating substantially no rotational movement; and

an effort mechanism that is arranged on the substrate and is operable on the effort member to apply said force to the effort member in said first direction.