Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-10
2001-05-08
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S020000, C347S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227654
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of ink jet printing and in particular, discloses an ink jet printing mechanism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many different types of printing have been invented, a large number of which are presently in use. The known forms of print have a variety of methods for marking the print media with a relevant marking media. Commonly used forms of printing include offset printing, laser printing and copying devices, dot matrix type impact printers, thermal paper printers, film recorders, thermal wax printers, dye sublimation printers and ink jet printers both of the drop-on-demand and continuous flow type. Each type of printer has its own advantages and problems when considering cost, speed, quality, reliability, simplicity of construction and operation etc.
In recent years, the field of ink jet printing, wherein each individual pixel of ink is derived from one or more ink nozzles has become increasingly popular primarily due to its inexpensive and versatile nature.
Many different techniques of ink jet printing have been invented. For a survey of the field, reference is made to an article by J Moore, “Non-Impact Printing: Introduction and Historical Perspective”, Output Hard Copy Devices, Editors R Dubeck and S Sherr, pages 207-220 (1988).
Ink Jet printers themselves come in many different forms. The utilization of a continuous stream of ink in ink jet printing appears to date back to at least 1929 wherein U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,001 by Hansell discloses a simple form of continuous stream electro-static ink jet printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,275 by Sweet also discloses a continuous ink jet printing process including a step wherein the ink jet stream is modulated by a high frequency electro-static field so as to cause drop separation. This technique is still utilized by several manufacturers including Elmjet and Scitex (see also U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,437 by Sweet et al).
Piezoelectric ink jet printers are also one form of commonly utilized ink jet printing device. Piezoelectric systems are disclosed by Kyser et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398 (1970) which utilizes a diaphragm mode of operation, by Zolten in U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,212 (1970) which discloses a squeeze mode of operation of a piezoelectric crystal, Stemme in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 (1972) discloses a bend mode of piezoelectric operation, Howkins in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,601 discloses a piezoelectric push mode actuation of the ink jet stream and Fischbeck in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,590 which discloses a shear mode type of piezoelectric transducer element.
Recently, thermal ink jet printing has become an extremely popular form of ink jet printing. The ink jet printing techniques include those disclosed by Endo et al in GB 2007162 (1979) and Vaught et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,728. Both the aforementioned references disclose ink jet printing techniques which rely upon the activation of an electrothermal actuator which results in the creation of a bubble in a constricted space, such as a nozzle, resulting in the ejection of ink from an aperture connected to the confined space onto a relevant print media. Printing devices utilizing the electro-thermal actuator are manufactured by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard.
As can be seen from the foregoing, many different types of printing technologies are available. Ideally, a printing technology should have a number of desirable attributes. These include inexpensive construction and operation, high speed operation, safe and continuous long term operation etc. Each technology may have its own advantages and disadvantages in the areas of cost, speed, quality, reliability, power usage, simplicity of construction, operation, durability and consumables.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink ejection arrangement which does not require a nozzle.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink ejection arrangement which includes a wafer substrate. Side walls are arranged on the wafer substrate. The side walls define an ink chamber. A paddle is positioned in the ink chamber and is displaceable towards one of the side walls. An actuator is attached to the paddle such that, upon activation of the actuator, the paddle is displaced towards the one wall, resulting in an increase in pressure on the ink between the one wall and the paddle and an ejection of ink from the chamber.
Ideally, the present invention can be utilized in an ink jet printing system.
The actuator may be interconnected to the paddle via an arm extending over one edge of the ink chamber. The actuator may comprise a coiled thermal actuator having a first conductive arm and a second substantially non-conductive arm, the conductive arm expanding upon electrical resistive heating to thereby cause the activation of the thermal actuator. The first conductive arm can comprise substantially titanium diboride and the second non-conductive arm can comprise substantially silicon nitride. The actuator can operate in ambient atmosphere.
Preferably, the ink chamber is formed within a silicon wafer and the arrangement further comprises an ink supply channel etched through the wafer and in fluid communication with the ink chamber for the supply of ink to the ink chamber.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5903380 (1999-05-01), Motamedi et al.
patent: 404001051 (1992-01-01), None
Barlow John
Do An H.
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
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