Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of improved separators for lead acid batteries, improved lead acid batteries incorporating the improved separators, and systems incorporating the same. A lead acid battery separator is provided with a porous membrane with a plurality of ribs extending from a surface thereon. The ribs are provided with a plurality of discontinuous peaks arranged such as to provide resilient support for the porous membrane in order to resist forces exerted by swelling NAM and thus mitigate the effects of acid starvation associated with NAM swelling. The separator is also provided to be capable utilizing any motion experienced by the battery housing such a separator in order to mitigate the effects of acid stratification by facilitating acid mixing. A lead acid battery is further provided that incorporates the provided separator.

Abstract: An inkjet cartridge having an ink container including a venting structure with an orifice through a wall of the ink container in direct communication with a meniscus baffle extending into the interior of the ink container. An inkjet cartridge lid including serpentine trenches and orifices formed within a top surface. At least one of the serpentine trenches intersects with at least one of the orifices. The venting structure includes a corridor interposing at least two separate ink reservoirs and including opposing first and second ends. The first end of the corridor resides in communication with an external environment while the second end is partitioned to establish a separate passage in communication with each of the at least two separate ink reservoirs, each passage including a hollow extending into an interior of the ink reservoir.

Abstract: An enhanced electrically-conductive trace on a flexible TAB circuit includes a main body section and an end section integrally connected with and extending from the main body section in a predetermined first direction. The main body section is supported on a substrate. The end section extends from the main body section past an edge of the substrate. The end section has an end portion attachable on a bond pad of an inkjet printhead chip and an interconnect portion spanning between the main body section and the end portion of the end section. The end portion has a predetermined width greater than that of the interconnect portion as measured in a second direction transverse to the predetermined first direction. The trace end portion may have different shapes, for example, square, circular and diamond as well as other shapes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a micro-fluid ejection head of an inkjet print cartridge. More specifically, disclosed is a thermally curable encapsulant composition for use in the micro-fluid ejection head of the inkjet print cartridge. The encapsulant composition includes from about 1.5 to about 95 percent by weight of one or more cross-linkable epoxy resins having a rigid backbone. Further, the encapsulant composition includes about 0.1 to about 35 percent by weight of one or more thermal curative agents. Further disclosed is a method for protecting the micro-fluid ejection head using the encapsulant composition.

Abstract: A compliant sealing structure suitable for sealing a micro-fluid ejection head, methods of sealing a micro-fluid ejection head, ejection heads sealed by the method and structure. The sealing structure includes an elastomeric pad suitable for sealing nozzles of the micro-fluid ejection head. A removable shrink wrap film is applied to the ejection bead and is configured for covering at least a portion of the elastomeric pad and for fixedly holding the elastomeric pad adjacent the nozzles.

Abstract: An inkjet cartridge comprising an ink container including a venting structure comprising an orifice through a wall of the ink container in direct communication with a meniscus baffle extending into the interior of the ink container. The instant invention also includes an inkjet cartridge lid comprising a lid structure including serpentine trenches and orifices formed within a top surface, at least one of the serpentine trenches intersecting with at least one of the orifices, the lid structure also comprising a venting structure that includes a corridor interposing at least two separate ink reservoirs and including opposing first and second ends, the first end of the corridor in communication with an external environment, the second end partitioned to establish a separate passage in communication with each of the at least two separate ink reservoirs, each passage including a hollow extending into an interior of the ink reservoir.

Abstract: Methods for processing wafers, wafer processing apparatus, micro-fluid ejection head substrates, and etching process are provided. One such method includes applying a clamping voltage to an electrostatic chuck sufficient to hold a wafer in a substantially planerized orientation adjacent to the electrostatic chuck. A heat transfer fluid flows through a three dimensional space between the wafer and the electrostatic chuck to cool the wafer by convective heat transfer during wafer processing.

Abstract: A micro-fluid ejection head structure, methods for making micro-fluid ejection head structures, and methods for etching polymeric nozzle plates. One such micro-fluid ejection head structuring includes a substrate having a plurality of fluid ejection actuators. A thick film layer is attached adjacent the substrate. The thick film layer has a fluid chamber and a fluid flow channel capable of providing fluid to the fluid chamber. A polymeric nozzle plate is attached adjacent the thick film layer. The polymeric nozzle plate includes a nozzle capable of being in fluid communication with one or more of the fluid flow chambers. The nozzle is a plasma etched nozzle defined by a photoresist mask layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a fluid feed via in a semiconductor substrate chip for a micro-fluid ejection head. The method includes applying a photoresist planarization and protection layer to a first surface of the chip. The photoresist planarization and protection layer is patterned and developed to define at least one fluid feed via location. A strippable layer is applied to the photoresist planarization and protection layer on the chip. The strippable layer is patterned and developed with a photomask to define the at least one fluid feed via location in the strippable layer. The chip is then dry etched to form at least one fluid feed via in the defined feed via location. Before or after etching the chip, deprotection of the strippable layer is induced so that the strippable layer can be substantially removed with a solvent without substantially affecting the photoresist planarization and protection layer.

Abstract: A dual curable encapsulant is provided for use in protecting electrical components. The encapsulant contains from about 0 to about 20 percent by weight of a multifunctional epoxy material, from about 80 to about 95 percent by weight of a difunctional epoxy material, a catalytic amount of a photocurative catalyst and co-catalyst and a reactive diluent. Ink jet printer parts assembled and protected with the dual curable encapsulant exhibit enhanced ink corrosion protection.

Abstract: A dual curable encapsulant is provided for use in protecting electrical components. The encapsulant contains from about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of a multifunctional epoxy material, from about 70 to about 90 percent by weight of a di-functional epoxy material, a catalytic amount of photocurative catalyst and co-catalyst, a reactive diluent and a silica-based viscosity modifier. Ink jet printer parts assembled and protected with the dual curable encapsulant exhibit enhanced ink corrosion protection.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel adhesive compositions that resist chemical degradation from ink components, are not brittle and display excellent adhesion properties. The adhesive compositions contain a multifunctional compound, a non-acrylic silane coupling agent and a flexibility modifier.

Abstract: The invention provides an adhesive formulation for tacking and holding a nozzle plate in alignment on a semiconductor chip for an ink jet pen of an ink jet printer. The adhesive formulation includes a multifunctional epoxy material, a difunctional epoxy material, a fumed silica viscosity control agent, an imidazole-based thermal initiator and a mixed aryl sulfonium salt photoinitiator. Use of the adhesive formulation enables a nozzle plate to be assembled to a semiconductor chip with while substantially maintaining critical alignment between the nozzle plate and semiconductor chip.

Abstract: An article, specifically an inkjet printhead, having electrical leads in an aqueous environment in which the leads are encapsulated in a thoroughly cured mixture of 88 parts bis-phenol A epoxy oligomer, 11 parts epoxy novolac oligomer, and 1 part triarylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate salts. No special atmosphere is required during manufacture and the uncured mixture has a long pot life. The cured mixture has excellent resistance to an aqueous environment.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having ink passage ways formed in a radiation cured resin layer which is attached to a substrate and to a phenoxy butryal surface of a nozzle plate. The passageways are connected in fluid flow communication to an ink discharging outlet provided by an orifice plate. In order to form the passage ways in the resin layer, a resin composition is exposed to a radiation source in a predetermined pattern to cure certain regions of resin layer while other regions which provide the passage ways remain uncured. The uncured regions are removed from the resin layer leaving the desired passage ways. The resin composition to be used for forming the radiation curable layers is a resin composition including: a first difunctional epoxy compound; a second multifunctional crosslinking epoxy compound; a photoinitiator; a reactive silane, and a non-photoreactive.

Abstract: This invention relates to an ink jet print head having ink passage ways formed in a radiation cured resin layer which is attached to a substrate. The passageways are connected in fluid flow communication to an ink discharging outlet provided by an orifice plate. In order to form the passage ways in the resin layer, a resin composition is exposed to a radiation source in a predetermined pattern to cure certain regions of resin layer while other regions which provide the passage ways remain uncured. The uncured regions are removed from the resin layer leaving the desired passage ways. The resin composition to be used for forming the radiation curable layers is a resin composition comprising: a first multifunctional epoxy compound; a second multifunctional compound; a photoinitiator; and a non-photoreactive solvent.