Patents Examined by Juanita D. Stephens
  • Patent number: 8113631
    Abstract: A head for ejecting a liquid from ejection holes, including: a first flow-passage member in which is formed a first liquid-supply passage; a second flow-passage member in which is formed a second liquid-supply passage connected to the first passage and which has outflow ports for dispensing the liquid from the second passage; a third flow-passage member in which are formed (a) at least one common liquid passage each communicating with at least one of the outflow ports and (b) individual liquid passages; and at least one energy giving member, wherein the first member, the second member, and the third member are superposed in this order on each other, and wherein the head further comprises a heater disposed between one surface of the first member that faces the second member and facing surface of the second member as one surface thereof that faces the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichiro Shimizu, Takao Hyakudome
  • Patent number: 8113629
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes a substrate; a drive circuitry layer positioned on the substrate, the substrate and the drive circuitry layer defining a plurality of ink inlet channels; nozzle chamber walls positioned on the substrate, the nozzle chamber walls supporting roof structures to define nozzle chambers in fluid communication with the ink inlet channels; ink ejection ports defined in the roof structures; ink ejection members positioned in respective nozzle chambers and displaceable with respect to the roof structures to eject ink from the ink ejection ports; fulcrum formations fast with the substrate, each fulcrum formation having an effort formation on one side and a load formation on an opposite side; and thermal actuators outside of and associated with respective nozzle chambers and connected to the drive circuitry layer to move with respect to the substrate on receipt of electrical signals from the drive circuitry layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8109614
    Abstract: An ink jet printhead, made of a silicon substrate and a plurality of metallic and dielectric layers deposited on said substrate. A plurality of chambers for ejection of ink droplets and a plurality of corresponding feeding ducts, connected to the chambers, are produced in a structural layer made of non-photosensitive epoxy or polyamide resin. The chambers and said ducts are delimited by at least one upper wall, the upper wall communicating with at least one nozzle for ejection of the ink droplets. The upper wall and an inner wall of the nozzle are coated with at least one metallic coating layer, suitable for increasing the resistance of the walls to chemically aggressive liquids, in contact with the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Lucia Giovanola, Renato Conta
  • Patent number: 8104875
    Abstract: A liquid jet recording head includes a substrate on which are formed recording elements that generate energy for ejecting liquid, and a flow passage forming member that is in contact with the substrate and in which are formed ejection ports that eject liquid and flow passages that supply liquid to the ejection ports. The flow passage forming member has a groove formed along the longitudinal direction of the flow passage forming member, and each end of the groove is located nearer to the middle in the width direction of the flow passage forming member than the other part of the groove is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushuiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shingo Nagata
  • Patent number: 8096642
    Abstract: An inkjet nozzle includes a first wafer having active drive circuitry together with an ink jet print nozzle formed therein; a second wafer having an ink channel formed therein; and a paddle layer sandwiched between the first and second wafers in a chamber complementarily defined by the wafers. The paddle layer is in signal communication with the active drive circuitry so that ink supplied via the ink channel is ejected via the print nozzle upon actuation of the paddle layer by the circuitry. The first wafer includes a silicon wafer upon which is fabricated an epitaxial boron doped layer, an epitaxial silicon layer, drive transistors and distribution circuitry forming a CMOS logic and drive transistor level, and a silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8091986
    Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes an ink inlet; a static ink ejecting member bounding the ink inlet; an active ink ejecting member having a roof defining an ink ejection port and sidewalls depending from the roof towards the substrate, the active ink ejecting member and the static ink ejecting member together defining a nozzle chamber; and an actuator arrangement configured to reciprocate the active ink ejection member relative to the static ink ejecting member to eject ink in the nozzle chamber out through the ink ejection port. The static ink ejecting member is located within bounds delimited by the sidewalls of the active ink ejecting member, the static ink ejecting member includes a sealing structure defined along an edge of the static ink ejecting member and spaced from the sidewall, and the sealing structure is shaped to facilitate a surface tension of a fluid in the variable-volume nozzle chamber to form a fluidic seal between the active and static ink ejecting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8087751
    Abstract: An ink jet printhead includes a plurality of nozzles each having a nozzle aperture; a plurality of bubble forming chambers, each corresponding respectively to one of the plurality of nozzles; an inlet for communicating printing fluid between the nozzle aperture and a printing fluid supply, the inlet and the nozzle aperture being aligned along a common central axis; and a heater element disposed in each of the bubble forming chambers. Each heater element has two bubble nucleation regions suspended within the bubble forming chamber in a plane parallel to that of the nozzle aperture. The two bubble nucleation regions are laterally offset from the central axis, such that the lateral offset of one of the bubble nucleation regions is equal and opposite to the lateral offset of the other bubble nucleation region. The bubble nucleation regions are spaced from each other such that bubbles nucleated at each will grow until they unite to form the gas bubble that causes the ejection of a drop of ejectable liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Angus John North, Gregory John McAvoy
  • Patent number: 8087759
    Abstract: The impact accuracy of ejected droplets, the quality of printed images, and print speed can be improved in a print head having an ink channel for which the width thereof in a direction orthogonal to an ink supply direction in which ink is supplied from an ink supply port to a pressure chamber is smaller than that of a pressure chamber. In the print head, the center of a heater along the ink supply direction is offset from the center of the pressure chamber along the ink supply direction, toward the side of the pressure chamber far from the ink supply port in the ink supply direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Oikawa, Keiji Tomizawa, Mikiya Umeyama, Toru Yamane, Yuichiro Akama, Chiaki Muraoka, Tomotsugu Kuroda, Shingo Nagata, Satoshi Kudo
  • Patent number: 8087755
    Abstract: A system for printing three-dimensional semiconductor products. The system includes printheads for printing various so as to create a three-dimensional structure including cavities, and a robot for incorporating semiconductor objects into the cavities created during the printing process. The robot incorporates the semiconductor objects into the cavities during printing of the three-dimensional structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8087757
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly for an inkjet printhead is disclosed. The nozzle assembly includes an inkjet nozzle having an actuator for ejecting an ink droplet from the inkjet nozzle when a resistive element of the actuator is heated by an electrical current. A drive transistor provides an energy pulse to the resistive element of the actuator upon receipt of a control pulse. Each energy pulse has energy of less than 200 nanojoule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8083325
    Abstract: A liquid ejection recording head includes an element substrate having plural ejection energy generating elements, an ejection outlet array of plural ejection outlets, and bubble generation chambers. The element substrate includes a first liquid supply port provided along an arrangement direction of the ejection outlets, and plural second ink supply ports disposed between a lateral end of the substrate and the chambers. Each bubble generation chamber communicates with the first and second liquid supply ports through first and second liquid supply passages, respectively. The element substrate has a thermal resistance against heat flowing from the ejection energy generating elements along a direction perpendicular to the array direction and parallel to a surface of the substrate. The thermal resistance, per unit length with respect to the array direction, at both end portions of the array is larger than that at a central portion of the ejection outlet array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Inoue, Ken Tsuchii, Masataka Sakurai, Akiko Saito
  • Patent number: 8079678
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead has an elongate chassis, an ink distribution unit for connection to an ink supply, and a plurality of printhead modules supported along the elongate chassis. The printhead modules each define an elongate array of ink ejection nozzles. During use, the printhead modules are each supplied with ink from apertures in the elongate chassis which are in turn supplied by the ink distribution unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8079670
    Abstract: A printhead is provided having a fluid ejection nozzles which each have a substrate, a layer of drive circuitry deposited on the substrate, and subsequent etchant layers deposited on the drive circuitry to define a nozzle chamber with walls and a roof structure defining a fluid ejection port. Each nozzle also has a stacked capacitive actuator arranged in the chamber. The actuator has alternate electrode plates sandwiched between a compressible polymer, wherein activation of the stacked actuator draws the electrode plates together to compress the polymer storing energy therein, with subsequent de-activation releasing the energy to eject fluid within the chamber from the ejection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8079673
    Abstract: A disclosed droplet discharging head includes: a common liquid chamber; a plurality of liquid flow paths branching from the common liquid chamber; a nozzle communicating with the liquid flow path; an actuator substrate having a heater disposed in the vicinity of the nozzle communicating with the liquid flow path; and an additional flow path on a surface above the liquid flow path in the vertical direction, the additional flow path communicating with the common liquid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kohzoh Urasaki
  • Patent number: 8079669
    Abstract: A printhead that has an array of ink ejection nozzles, an array of chambers adapted to store ink for ejection through each of the nozzles respectively, a silicon substrate for supporting the array of chambers and defining a plurality of ink inlet channels for feeding ink to the array of chambers, the silicon substrate having a planar structure with one surface that supports the chambers and an opposing surface from which the elongate ink feed channels extend, a plurality of actuators, one of the actuators being positioned in each of the chambers respectively for ejecting drops of ink through the nozzle, a plurality of ink inlet channels connecting the ink feed channels to the array of chambers and, layers of CMOS drive circuitry supported on the silicon substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8075102
    Abstract: A substrate for an ink jet head is provided with a plurality of energy generating members generating energy used for discharging an ink, an electrode pad which is arranged near a side of the substrate, and is for electrically connecting to an outside of the substrate, a plurality of electrode wirings for electrically connecting the plurality of energy generating members and the electrode pad, and a plurality of resistance elements which are respectively provided at the plurality of electrode wirings. Resistance values of the plurality of resistance elements differ from one another according to resistance values of the electrode wirings provided with the respective resistance elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Hatsui, Hirokazu Komuro, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 8075093
    Abstract: A pagewidth inkjet printhead assembly includes a printhead integrated circuit; an LCP ink manifold; and a flex PCB wire-bonded to bond pads on the printhead integrated circuit. The flex PCB wraps around the LCP ink manifold. The ink manifold includes an LCP lower micromolding having a plurality of ink inlets and an LCP upper micomolding having a plurality of ink outlets. The printhead integrated circuit is bonded to the LCP upper micromolding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King
  • Patent number: 8075110
    Abstract: A refill unit for refilling an ink storage compartment for a printhead assembly. The ink storage compartment is fluidically connected to the printhead assembly via an outlet valve. The refill unit a variable volume container for holding a quantity of ink and a valve actuator for closing the outlet valve as the refill unit engages the ink storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Akira Nakazawa, Christopher Hibbard, Paul Ian Mackey, Norman Micheal Berry, Garry Raymond Jackson
  • Patent number: 8075111
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead that has an elongate chassis, first groups of apertures spaced along the elongate chassis, an ink distribution unit defining a plurality of ink distribution passages and second groups of apertures in fluid communication with respective ink distribution passages, the ink distribution unit being mounted to the elongate chassis so that the first group of apertures and the second group of apertures coincide and, a plurality of printhead modules for ejecting ink supplied through the ink distribution passages and the aligned first and second groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Angus John North, Gregory John McAvoy
  • Patent number: 8075099
    Abstract: An inkjet printer that has a printhead IC an array of nozzles for ejecting drops of printing fluid onto a media substrate and drive circuitry for driving the array of nozzles and, a print engine controller (PEC) for sending print data to the printhead IC. The drive circuitry is configured to extract a clock signal from the data transmission from the PEC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: John Robert Sheahan, Mark Jackson Pulver, Brian Christopher Morahan, Alireza Moini, Timothy Peter Gillespie, Michael John Webb, Kia Silverbrook