Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head utilizing ink bubbling by heating of an exothermic resistor to thereby eject ink and a method manufacturing the same, including the steps of: preparing a substrate provided with the exothermic resistor; applying such first resin on the substrate as to provide a first mold shape for forming the nozzle channel and the movable member; forming the first mold shape using the first resin; applying, on the substrate, second resin over the first mold shape for forming the nozzle channel and the movable member; and removing the first mold shape. By this method, the movable member is formed in the nozzle channel between the ink inlet and the exothermic resistor to thereby provide a high-density, high-accuracy ink jet recording head which can improve a frequency response while maintaining proper discharge performance.

Abstract: A base member for an ink jet head, the base member comprising a substrate, a heat generating resistor provided between electrodes which constitute a pair on the substrate an upper protection layer provided on an insulation layer which in turn is provided on the heat generating resistor, the upper protection layer having a contact surface contactable to ink, the improvement residing in that the upper protection layer is made of amorphous alloy having a following composition formula: Ta&agr;Fe&bgr;Ni&ggr;Cr&dgr;  where 10 atomic %≦&agr;≦30 atomic %, &agr;+&bgr;<80 atomic % &agr;<&bgr;, &dgr;>&ggr; and, &agr;+&bgr;+&ggr;+&dgr;=100 atomic %, and, at least the contact surface of the upper protection layer contains an oxide of a constituent component.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head has an element base plate provided with a plurality of heat generating members and electrode wiring formed by thin-filmed electrode and common thick-filmed electrode for applying driving signals to the heat generating members, and with the structure arranged to form a flow path structural member to constitute discharge ports and liquid flow paths corresponding to each of the heat generating members, the common thick-filmed electrode is covered and sealed by the flow path structural member, and then, the driving IC assembled on an IC assembling and others are sealed by use of sealant, hence making it possible to secure the sealing capability, while making the distance between the common thick-filmed electrode and the driving IC smaller for the effective utilization of the area of the base plate. Thus, the element base plate can be made smaller.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head that is capable of avoiding damages due to cavitation of an electrothermal converting element and thus extending its life is provided. The ink jet recording head comprises a plurality of ink discharge ports for discharging ink; a plurality of electrothermal converting elements provided to be associated with each of the ink discharge ports, respectively, for bubbling and discharging the ink; a plurality of pressure chambers for containing the electrothermal converting elements and providing spaces for heating and bubbling the ink; a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to the plurality of pressure chambers; and a plurality of ink flow paths for communicating the pressure chambers with the common liquid chamber. The ink flow paths are arranged such that central lines in a direction of ink supply to the pressure chambers are positioned offset from central lines of the electrothermal converting elements in the same direction.

Abstract: An jet recording apparatus, which records on a recording medium by discharging ink form a recording head, is provided with at least two electrothermal converting elements each having different amount of heat generation, and driven each individually, which are arranged in the ink flow path communicated with the discharge port of the recording head along the ink flow path each in different distance to the discharge port, and when the pre-discharge is performed without participating in recording, driving signals needed for discharging ink are supplied to the electrothermal converting element on the side near to the discharge port subsequent to being supplied to the electrothermal converting element on the side away from the discharge port.

Abstract: A high-density ink-jet printhead, in which a plurality of nozzles, through which ink is ejected, are arrayed on an ink supply manifold in a plurality of rows is provided, wherein the ink-jet printhead includes a substrate; hemispherical ink chambers at a surface of the substrate; a manifold for supplying ink to the ink chambers; ink channels to be in flow communication with the ink chambers and the manifold; a nozzle plate monolithically formed with the substrate; nozzles formed on the nozzle plate, each formed to correspond to a center of each of the ink chambers; heaters formed on the nozzle plate, each having a ring shape and encircling a corresponding nozzle; and electrodes, positioned on the nozzle plate and electrically connected to the heaters, for applying current to the heaters, wherein the nozzles are arrayed on the manifold in at least in three rows, and preferably in five rows.

Abstract: This present invention provides an ink jet printhead and method of delivering ink to the printhead. The printhead has a substrate, a nozzle layer, and a plurality of bubble generators. A plurality of first chambers and a plurality of second chambers are formed between the nozzle layer and the top of the substrate. A central ink flow channel and a periphery ink flow channel for delivering ink to the chambers are formed in the substrate. The characteristic of the present invention is positioning the central ink flow channel and the periphery ink flow channel together on the substrate so that the amount of the nozzles per unit area of the printhead is increased.

Abstract: A liquid discharge recording head comprising a recording head main body provided with a plurality of liquid flow paths communicated with a plurality of discharge ports for discharging liquid, respectively, and energy generating means for generating energy utilized for discharging the liquid filled in the liquid flow paths from the discharge ports, and an orifice plate provided with a discharge port array having the plurality of discharge ports aligned in one straight line, and bonded to the front face of the recording head main body having openings of the plurality of discharge ports formed therefor, wherein the orifice plate is provided with the extended portion in the alignment direction of the discharge port array or in the direction orthogonal to the alignment direction, being extended more than the width of the front face of the recording head main body, and the extended portion is fixed to the adjacent face of the front face of the recording head main body.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting method for ejecting liquid by generation of a bubble includes preparing a head comprising an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid, a bubble generation region for generating the bubble in the liquid, a movable member disposed faced to the bubble generation region and displaceable between a first position and a second position further from the bubble generation region than the first position; and displacing the movable member from the first position to the second position by pressure produced by the generation of the bubble in the bubble generating portion to permit expansion of the bubble more in a downstream side nearer to the ejection outlet than in an upstream side.

Abstract: The described embodiments relate to a slotted substrate and methods of forming same. One exemplary method patterns a hardmask on a first substrate surface sufficient to expose a first area of the first surface and forms a slot portion in the substrate through less than an entirety of the first area of the first surface. The slot portion has a cross-sectional area at the first surface that is less than a cross-sectional area of the first area.

Abstract: An ink supply level sensing system for a solid ink loader having a channel for holding ink sticks, the channel having a push block therein, wherein the push block pushes ink sticks towards an end of the channel, and wherein the push block moves down the channel as it pushes the ink sticks. The sensing system includes a vane, an arm connected to the vane, the arm extending into the channel such that it is moved by the push block, thereby moving the vane, a first optical sensor having a first optical transmitter and a first optical receiver, wherein the first optical sensor provides a signal indicating a low ink supply when the vane passes between the first optical transmitter and first optical receiver; and a second optical sensor having a second optical transmitter and a second optical receiver, wherein the second optical sensor provides a signal indicating no ink supply when the vane passes between the second optical transmitter and second optical receiver.

Abstract: A thermal ink jet printhead for a printer has a temperature sensor attached thereto for monitoring the operating temperature thereof. A maximum printhead operating temperature is stored in a memory of the printer's control circuitry and, if the printhead temperature sensed by the temperature sensor during a printing operation exceeds the maximum operating temperature stored is the memory, a signal is generated indicating that the printhead has stopped ejecting ink droplets and must be checked for depriming or a depleted ink supply.

Abstract: A printhead for use in an ink jet printing device includes a nozzle plate which defines a plurality of droplet-emitting nozzles and a printhead housing bonded to the nozzle plate. A heater substrate is attached and oriented substantially perpendicular to the nozzle plate. An intermediate layer, along with a channel cap plate are attached to the heater substrate and define a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with the nozzles. The printhead housing includes an internal wall, which defines an ink flow path around the heater substrate such that heat is transferred progressively and conductively to the flowing ink, thereby removing heat from the heater substrate and cooling the entire printhead. The printhead housing includes an air bubble accumulation chamber adjacent the top portion of the printhead housing to capture air bubble emitted due to the heating of the ink.

Abstract: A printhead assembly for an A4 pagewidth drop on demand printer includes a number of printhead modules situated along a metal channel. The metal channel is typically of a special alloy called “Invar 36”. Preferably the channel is nickel plated to help match it to the coefficient of thermal expansion of silicon, being the major component of each individual printhead module. The channel captures the printhead modules in a precise alignment relative to each other and the similar coefficient of thermal expansion of the “Invar” channel to the silicon chips allows similar relative movement during temperature changes.

Abstract: A circuit board for an ink-jet recording head which ejects ink includes a plurality of electrothermal transducers for generating thermal energy which is used for ejecting ink; and a plurality of wiring electrodes for supplying electric power to the plurality of electrothermal transducers, the plurality of wiring electrodes each having a thickness of one of at least two values according to the length of each wiring electrode, whereby the resistance of the wiring electrodes are made uniform between each wiring electrode without significantly increasing the width of the wiring electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head records by generating thermal energy to discharge ink from a discharge port onto a recording medium. The head is provided with a heat dissipating substrate positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to a discharge portion substrate, and a space, which communicates with the outside air, positioned at a surface of the heat dissipating substrate which is opposite the surface of the heat dissipating substrate facing the discharge portion substrate. The space extends in the scanning direction so as to facilitate air flow through the head during carriage movement in order to dissipate heat generated by the head during recording. A cooling fan may be provided to increase the air flow and the consequent heat dissipation.

Abstract: To suitably electrically interconnect a recording element substrate, on which power supply paths are formed in a high density, and an electric wiring substrate, on which wiring lines for supplying power to these paths are formed, bumps are formed and arranged on the recording element substrate at a predetermined pitch therebetween so as to protrude by a predetermined distance t1 from this substrate. On the electric wiring substrate, on the other hand, connecting terminals are formed and arranged with the same pitch as that of the bumps. Between each two of the bumps is formed an insulating film which protrudes in the protrusion direction of the bumps by a predetermined distance t2, where t1<t2. By fitting the connecting terminals between respective pairs of the insulating films, each connecting terminal comes in contact with a corresponding bump with a sufficient contact area provided therebetween so as not to give rise to short-circuiting or open-circuiting.

Abstract: Techniques are described for constructing filter type features capable of entrapping particle contaminants to eliminate printing defects. These techniques utilize photo-imageable barrier material to fabricate various shapes and forms to reduce feature sizes. Several of these techniques utilize barrier material of height less than barrier materials used to fabricate ink feed channels and firing chamber walls. Another variation describes creation of a filter mesh from two layers of reduced height barrier materials.

Abstract: A printhead including a printhead substrate having at least one opening formed in a first surface to provide a fluid path through the substrate. The printhead further includes a thin film membrane formed on a second surface of the substrate. The thin film membrane includes a plurality of fluid ejection elements and has a floating section and a cantilevered section, which are detached and separated from one another by a gap.

Abstract: An improved TAB circuit is provided for use with ink jet printer cartridges, which carries electrical signals to an array of nozzles on a heater chip. The TAB circuit eliminates bent or broken electrical circuit traces before being bonded to the heater chip by creating a chip window that partially overlaps the edges of the heater chip, and by bringing the electrical circuit traces to the chip window and terminating these circuit traces at a PI (polyimide) edge, which defines the inner perimeter of the chip window. The circuit traces thus are not unsupported at their ends before being assembled to the heater chip, and are automatically correctly positioned to make contact with bond pads of the heater chip when the overall TAB circuit is in correct registration therewith. The TAB circuit also provides an improved tolerance for a covercoat placement that will tend to prevent corrosive ink from coming into contact with these metal traces.