Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-12
2003-04-01
Gordon, Raquel Yvette (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
active
06540332
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a printhead chip. More particularly, this invention relates to a printhead chip that incorporates a plurality of nozzle arrangements that each include a motion transmitting structure.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of
U.S. Application No. 09/112,767 Filed Jul. 10, 1998. The
following patents/patent application are incorporated by reference.
6,227,652
6,213,588
6,213,589
6,231,163
6,247,795
09/113,099
6,244,691
6,257,704
09/112,778
6,220,694
6,257,705
6,247,794
6,234,610
6,247,793
6,264,306
6,241,342
6,247,792
6,264,307
6,254,220
6,234,611
09/112,808
09/112,809
6,239,821
09/113,083
6,247,796
09/113,122
09/112,793
09/112,794
09/113,128
09/113,127
6,227,653
6,234,609
6,238,040
6,188,415
6,227,654
6,209,989
6,247,791
09/112,764
6,217,153
09/112,767
6,243,113
09/112,807
6,247,790
6,260,953
6,267,469
09/425,419
09/425,418
09/425,194
09/425,193
09/422,892
09/422,806
09/425,420
09/422,893
09/693,703
09/693,706
09/693,313
09/693,279
09/693,727
09/693,708
09/575,141
09/113,053
09/855,094
09/854,762
09/854,715
09/854,830
09/854,714
09/854,703
09/855,093
09/854,815
09/854,825
09/864,377
09/864,380
09/900,178
09/864,379
09/864,378
09/864,334
09/864,332
09/864,343
09/864,342
09/866,786
09/874,757
09/900,174
09/900,160
09/900,175
09/900,177
09/900,159
09/900,176
09/922,274
09/922,275
09/922,158
09/922,159
09/922,036
09/922,047
09/922,029
09/922,207
09/922,112
09/922,105
09/942,549
09/942,605
09/942,548
09/942,603
09/942,604
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As set out in the above referenced applications/patents, the Applicant has spent a substantial amount of time and effort in developing printheads that incorporate micro electromechanical system (MEMS)—based components to achieve the ejection of ink necessary for printing.
As a result of the Applicant's research and development, the Applicant has been able to develop printheads having one or more printhead chips that together incorporate up to 84 000 nozzle arrangements. The Applicant has also developed suitable processor technology that is capable of controlling operation of such printheads. In particular, the processor technology and the printheads are capable of cooperating to generate resolutions of 1600 dpi and higher in some cases. Examples of suitable processor technology are provided in the above referenced patent applications/patents.
Common to most of the printhead chips that the Applicant has developed is a component that moves with respect to a substrate to eject ink from a nozzle chamber. This component can be in the form of an ink-ejecting member that is displaceable in a nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the nozzle chamber.
A particular difficulty that the Applicant has been faced with is to achieve a suitable interface between a prime mover in the form of an actuator and the moving component.
This interface is required to permit the moving component to be displaced in the nozzle chamber and to inhibit leakage of ink from the nozzle chamber.
As set out in the above referenced patents/patent applications, the printhead chip is manufactured using integrated circuit fabrication techniques. This is the usual manner in which MEMS-based devices are fabricated. Such forms of fabrication are subject to constraints since they involve successive deposition and etching techniques. It follows that MEMS-based devices are usually formed in layers and that components having relatively complex shapes are difficult and expensive to fabricate.
In
FIG. 1
, reference numeral
10
generally indicates part of a nozzle arrangement of a printhead chip. The part
10
shown illustrates an actuator
12
and an ink-ejecting member
14
. The actuator
12
includes an elongate actuator arm
16
that extends from an anchor
18
. The actuator arm
16
is configured so that, when it receives a drive signal, the actuator arm
16
bends towards a substrate
20
as indicated by an arrow
22
. A connecting formation
24
is interposed between the actuator arm
16
and the ink-ejecting member
14
. Thus, when the actuator arm
16
is bent towards the substrate
20
, the ink-ejecting member
14
is displaced in the direction of an arrow
26
to eject ink from the nozzle chamber.
It would be intuitive simply to use the arrangement
10
together with a suitable sealing structure to achieve effective ink ejection and sealing. The reason for this is that it would appear that the actuator arm
16
, the connecting formation
24
and the ink-ejecting member
14
could be in the form of a unitary structure. However, the Applicant has found that it is not possible to achieve a working configuration as shown by using MEMS-based fabrication techniques. In particular, it has been found by the Applicant that such a unitary structure does not lend itself to such fabrication techniques.
It follows that the Applicant has been led to conceive the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a printhead chip for an inkjet printhead, the printhead chip comprising
a substrate; and
a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement comprising
a nozzle chamber structure that defines a nozzle chamber in which ink is received;
an ink-ejecting member that is positioned in the nozzle chamber and is displaceable in the nozzle chamber to eject ink from the nozzle chamber;
at least one actuator that is positioned on the substrate, the, or each, actuator having a working portion that is displaceable with respect to the substrate when the actuator receives a driving signal;
a sealing structure that is positioned on the substrate and is interposed between the, or each, actuator and the ink-ejecting member to inhibit a passage of ink between the ink-ejecting member and the actuator; and
a motion transmitting structure that bridges the sealing structure, the motion transmitting structure interconnecting the working portion of the actuator and the ink-ejecting member so that displacement of the working portion relative to the substrate is transmitted to the ink-ejecting member.
The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is not intended to limit the) broad scope of the above summary.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6264850 (2001-07-01), Silverbrook
patent: 404001051 (1992-01-01), None
patent: WO 00/55089 (2000-09-01), None
Gordon Raquel Yvette
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
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