Abstract: A nozzle in a nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead is formed by directing a laser beam at a nozzle plate. Accurate control of the divergence of the beam is achieved by splitting the beam into sub-beams, each sub-beam having divergence with an origin lying apart from the point at which the beam is created by splitting, and thereafter recombining the sub-beams. Greater accuracy in the taper and inlet shape of the manufactured nozzle is thereby obtained.

Abstract: A method of offset printing wherein a layer of varnish or similar coating material is deposited onto a print drum and an ink image pattern layer is printed upon the varnish layer using a technique such as inkjet printing; the print drum transfers the ink layer onto a print substrate with a portion of the varnish layer thereupon, thus acting as a covering layer for the printed image.

Abstract: A printhead assembly comprising the printhead and filters intended for use with the printhead is passivated by passing a gaseous coating such as Parylene through the assembly. In this way dirt particles created during manufacture of the printhead are encapsulated and thus prevented from blocking the nozzles. The printhead assembly is also prevented from interacting physically or chemically with ink flowing through the printhead.

Abstract: A component for a printhead is created by forming a PZT wafer forming a region of SU8 photoresist material on one side of the PZT wafer; sawing in a second side of said planar body, opposite said first side, actuator channels to a depth sufficient to expose an area of the photoresist material; forming a nozzle through the layer of photo-resist material in the exposed area such that then nozzle is in communication with the actuator channels. The region of photoresist material may be used to form a nozzle plate using photolithography.

Abstract: Plastic or other electronic devices are formed on a flexible substrate using inkjet printing techniques. To avoid registration difficulties arising from distortion of the substrate, deposition is conducted on a rigid substrate to which a release layer is applied. After application of a type layer which serves as the permanent, flexible substrate, the structure is released from the temporary rigid substrate.

Abstract: A component for a drop on demand printhead having three groups of actuators arranged on a surface forming a central group and two end groups. The electrical connections for the central group are split, one portion extending towards one edge of the surface in one direction, and the remaining portion extending towards an edge in a different direction. Such components can be butted together to form an array of such components providing improved actuator density along the module, and facilitating improved electrical connection.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for mounting a printer component to a support, using a foil including a number of mounting apertures, into which pins are inserted to provide alignment. The engagement of the pins in the aperture causes local deformation of the foil, the resulting forces acting to align the pins to an accuracy which can be greater than that to which the foil is manufactured.

Abstract: An actuator taking the form of a piezoelectric wall separating two chambers, which utilizes two actuation modes. Both actuation modes cause volume displacements in both chambers, but act to reinforce one another in one chamber and cancel one another in the other chamber. A fluid pump for droplet deposition having an array of channels separated by such actuators can be operated with each channel acting substantially independently of its neighbors.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of printers and printheads formed of a number of modules mounted on a chassis. The modules and chassis are formed with a number of alignment features which engage with one another to form elastic interference couplings. By arranging a number n of such couplings for each module, the variance in positional error of each module with respect to the chassis can be made significantly less than the alignment error of the alignment features themselves, by the process of Average Elastic Alignment. The elastic interference couplings can advantageously be made to form a sealed coupling for the supply of ink from the chassis to each module.

Abstract: Printed circuit board or other tracks are formed by the deposition of liquid to form dots on a substrate from nozzles mutually spaced by a distance s. A set of n dot diameters Di=2 s(1/2+i/n), is used to produce linear tracks at one or more directions with respect to an axis X; each track having a minimum track width Tw=s(n?2)/n; and the minimum spacing of tracks along the axis X being Ts=s/n.

Abstract: An ink jet printer with ink flowing through an ink chamber and over an ink ejection port leading to a nozzle has a deflection surface such as a chamfer at the junction of the chamber and the ejection port to inhibit debris from entering the port.

Abstract: Ink jet apparatus with two piezoelectric actuators arranged back-to-back on parallel thermal management surfaces of a water-cooled chassis. The chassis is formed by the bringing together of two concave plastic molded parts, having high thermal conductivity. A common nozzle plate attached to the two actuators helps to ensure accurate nozzle alignment.

Abstract: Inkjet printhead with an array of ejection chambers spaced in an array direction, each communicating with an ink orifice, inlet and outlet plenum chambers communicating with the ejection chambers, and inlet and outlet manifolds extending in the array direction and communicating with the plenum chambers through a porous sheet. While there are substantial net ink flows in the array direction in the inlet and the outlet manifolds, there is substantially no net flow in the array direction in the inlet or outlet plenum chamber. Ink pressure is therefore constant over the array of ejection chambers.

Abstract: A hollow cylindrical support for a plurality of flow-through inkjet print heads has two folded wall sections cooperating to define elongate inlet and outlet ink manifolds, one wall section being thermally conducting so as to promote heat transfer along the length of the support, the other wall section being thermally insulating so as to inhibit heat transfer between the inlet and outlet manifolds. The thermally insulating section serves to trap a boundary layer of fluid, for example in a cavity wall or cellular material.

Abstract: An ink supply system for a droplet deposition apparatus wherein the pressure at the nozzle is controlled by a remote point, said remote point being positioned in parallel with said print head. The flow restrictions in the printhead arm and the pressure control arm of the circuit being selected to achieve this.

Abstract: An injet printhead is formed by a multistage process: grooves are formed on the base of a block of piezoelectronic material, and a conductor is applied thereto. Conducting tracks are deposited on a substrate with matching spacing, such that the base and piezoelectric material can be joined giving a desired electrical connection. Channels are cut into the top of the piezoelectric block to intersect with the grooves, forming ink chambers, and these are provided with electrodes in electrical contact with the tracks. Cover plates are added to the assembly to provide a manifold and nozzles.

Abstract: A nozzle plate component manufactured by forming a layer of photoresist on a substrate and selectively exposing and removing material to define an array of distinct bodies. Nickel is then electroformed around the bodies to form a plate, with nozzles subsequently formed by ablation through the photoresist. The process can essentially be repeated to form a guard structure around each nozzle.

Abstract: Droplet deposition apparatus comprises an array of fluid chambers, each chamber communicating with an orifice for droplet ejection, a common fluid inlet manifold and a common fluid outlet manifold, and means for generating a fluid flow into the inlet manifold, through each chamber in the array and into the outlet manifold, the fluid flow through each chamber being sufficient to prevent foreign bodies in the fluid from lodging in the orifice. Each chamber is associated with means for effecting droplet ejection from the orifice simultaneously with the fluid flow through the chamber. The resistance to flow of one of the inlet and outlet manifolds is chosen such that the pressure at a fluid inlet to any chamber in the array varies between any two chambers by an amount less than that which would give rise to significant differences in droplet ejection properties between these two chambers.

Abstract: In a color printhead, print elements for different colors print swaths of pixels in different colors side by side in a first traverse; the printhead and the surface to be printed are indexed, and in the next traverse, further swaths are printed with each new swath overlapping a previous swath in a different color.

Abstract: A multi-channel array droplet deposition apparatus has a base sheet comprising a layer of piezo-electric material poled normal thereto, an array of parallel, open-topped droplet liquid channels provided by upstanding channel separating walls formed in the layer, electrodes on channel facing surfaces of the walls, a channel closure sheet bonded to the walls, nozzles respectively communicating with the channels and a droplet liquid supply connecting with the channels, the closure sheet having an array of parallel conductive tracks thereon paced at intervals corresponding with the channel spacing and located parallel to and opposite the channels and bonds, which preferably are solder bonds, mechanically and electrically connect each track to the electrodes of the channel facing walls of the channels opposite thereto and seal the closure sheet to the channels.