Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element extending from the base element and normally residing at a first position before activation. The cantilevered element includes a first layer constructed of an electrically resistive material, such as titanium aluminide, patterned to have a first resistor segment and a second resistor segment each extending from the base element; a coupling device that conducts electrical current serially between the first and second resistor segments; and a second layer constructed of a dielectric material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and attached to the first layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of operating a liquid drop emitter, such as an ink jet device, for emitting liquid drops of different volumes. The liquid drop emitter comprises a chamber, filled with a liquid, having a nozzle for emitting drops of the liquid, a thermo-mechanical actuator having a moveable portion within the chamber for applying pressure to the liquid at the nozzle, and apparatus adapted to apply heat pulses to the thermo-mechanical actuator.

Abstract: A recoil device (100) having a mounting member (101), a recoiling member (108), and a stopping member (117) is mounted onto an attachment surface (131) of an existing decoy (130) without compromising the structural integrity of the decoy (130). An anchor line (126) is operatively connected to the recoiling member (108) proximate the center (132) of the decoy (130) and is locked in place by the stopping member (117) proximate the front (133) of the decoy (130). The line (126) is locked in place when the stopping member (117) is in a first position, and the line (126) may be either drawn from the recoiling member (108) or automatically retracted by the recoiling member (108) when the stopping member (117) is in a second position (121b).

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of operating a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bender portion extending from the base element to a free end tip. The thermo-mechanical bender portion includes a barrier layer constructed of a dielectric material having low thermal conductivity, a first deflector layer constructed of a first electrically resistive material having a large coefficient of thermal expansion, and a second deflector layer constructed of a second electrically resistive material having a large coefficient of thermal expansion wherein the barrier layer is bonded between the first and second deflector layers.

Abstract: A system for mechanically tuning optical wavelengths emitted from an organic laser cavity device, that includes: a multi-layered film structure, wherein the multi-layered film structure is pumped by an incoherent source of photons; and a micro-electromechanical mirror assembly proximate to the multi-layered film structure, wherein the micro-electromechanical mirror assembly varies the cavity length of the organic laser cavity device.

Abstract: A display system for providing a user viewable visible image, includes a view screen for receiving organic laser light and having a diffusing optical element so that the view screen, in response to organic laser light, produces a viewable visible image, wherein the diffusing optical element includes a viewing angle greater than 160° in a first viewing direction and greater than 100° in a second viewing direction orthogonal to the first direction; one or more organic laser light sources arranged in an array with each such laser light source including a vertical cavity design and means for projecting and modulating the intensity of the organic laser light from the array onto the view screen in a pattern to cause a visual image to be produced by the view screen; and means associated with the view screen for reducing speckle in the organic laser light.

Abstract: A modulator for modulating an incident beam of light, includes a structure defining a cavity and having a base and side walls surrounding the base; a first plurality of equally spaced apart thermally deformable reflective members having opposing end edges integrally formed in the side walls of the structure above the cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of operating a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bender portion extending from the base element to a free end tip. The thermo-mechanical bender portion includes a barrier layer constructed of a dielectric material having low thermal conductivity, a first deflector layer constructed of a first electrically resistive material having a large coefficient of thermal expansion, and a second deflector layer constructed of a second electrically resistive material having a large coefficient of thermal expansion wherein the barrier layer is bonded between the first and second deflector layers. The thermo-mechanical bender portion further has a base end adjacent the base element and a free end adjacent the free end tip.

Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bending portion extending from the base element and a free end portion residing in a first position. The thermo-mechanical bending portion has a base end width, wb, adjacent the base element and a free end width, wf, adjacent the free end portion wherein the base end width is substantially greater than the free end width. The thermal actuator further comprises apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse directly to the thermo-mechanical bending portion causing the deflection of the free end portion of the cantilevered element to a second position. The width of the thermo-mechanical bending portion may reduce substantially quadratically or in an inverse power fashion as a function of the distance away from the base element or in at least one step reduction.

Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bending portion extending from the base element and a free end portion residing in a first position. The thermo-mechanical bending portion has a base end width, wb, adjacent the base element and a free end width, wf, adjacent the free end portion wherein the base end width is substantially greater than the free end width. The thermal actuator further comprises apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse directly to the thermo-mechanical bending portion causing the deflection of the free end portion of the cantilevered element to a second position. The width of the thermo-mechanical bending portion may reduce substantially monotonically as a function of the distance away from the base element or in at least one step reduction.

Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer in which a continuous ink stream is deflected at the printhead nozzle bore without the need for charged deflection plates or tunnels. The printhead includes a primary ink delivery channel which delivers a primary flow of pressurized ink through an ink staging chamber to the nozzle bore to create an undeflected ink stream from the printhead. A secondary ink delivery channel adjacent to the primary channel is controlled by a thermally actuated valve to selectively create a lateral flow of pressurized ink into the primary flow thereby causing the emitted ink stream to deflect in a direction opposite to the direction from which the secondary ink stream impinges the primary ink stream in the ink staging chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element extending from the base element and normally residing at a first position before activation. The cantilevered element includes a first layer constructed of an electrically resistive material, such as titanium aluminide, patterned to have a first resistor segment and a second resistor segment each extending from the base element; a coupling device that conducts electrical current serially between the first and second resistor segments; and a second layer constructed of a dielectric material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and attached to the first layer.

Abstract: A continuous color ink jet print head (40) for an electronic printing device is composed of a nozzle (42), pressurized ink sources (46, 48), and a print head surface (50) having channels (61, 62, 64, 66) disposed therein such that each channel (61, 62, 64, 66) is in communication with the nozzle (42). The continuous color ink jet print head (40) also includes a microvalve (52, 56) disposed within each of the channels (61, 62, 64, 66) such that each channel (61, 62, 64, 66) is connected through the microvalve (52, 56) to a pressurized ink source (46, 48), thereby permitting ink from the pressurized ink source (46, 48) to flow through the channel (61, 62, 64, 66) and thereafter be ejected from the nozzle (42) when the pressurized ink source (46, 48) has attained a particular threshold pressure.

Abstract: A laser emitting apparatus includes a substrate having on one side an incoherent light-emitting device having a light-emitting layer wherein an electric field is applied across the light-emitting layer to produce light which is transmitted out of the incoherent light-emitting device through an optically transparent layer into a vertical laser cavity structure disposed to receive light transmitted from the incoherent light-emitting device and produce laser light.

Abstract: An organic vertical cavity laser light producing device includes a bottom dielectric stack reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths; an organic active region for producing laser light; and a top dielectric stack spaced from the bottom dielectric stack and reflective to light over a predetermined range of wavelengths. The device also includes the active region in which is contained one or more periodic gain region(s) and organic spacer layers disposed on either side of the periodic gain region(s) and arranged so that the periodic gain region(s) is aligned with the antinodes of the device's standing wave electromagnetic field.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for fabricating page wide Drop-on-Demand and continuous ink printheads in which the nozzle array, the heaters, their drivers and data carrying circuits are all integrated on the same non-silicon and non-semiconducting substrate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a mechanical grating device, including the steps of: forming a spacer layer on a substrate; removing portions of the spacer layer to define an active region; forming a sacrificial layer in the active region; forming conductive reflective ribbon elements over the active region; annealing the mechanical grating device at an annealing temperature greater than 150° C.; and removing the sacrificial layer from the active region to release the conductive reflective ribbon elements.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a conformal grating device, that includes the steps of: forming a spacer layer on a substrate; removing portions of the spacer layer to define an active region with at least two channels and at least one intermediate support; forming a sacrificial layer in the active region; forming conductive reflective ribbon elements over the active region; and removing the sacrificial layer from the active region.

Abstract: A laser emitting apparatus includes an incoherent light-emitting device having a light-emitting layer wherein an electric field is applied across the light-emitting layer to produce light which is transmitted out of the incoherent light-emitting device and a vertical laser cavity structure disposed to receive light transmitted from the incoherent light-emitting device and produce laser light.

Abstract: A snap-through thermal actuator for a micro-electromechanical device such as a liquid drop emitter or a fluid control microvalve is disclosed. The snap-through actuator is comprised of a base element formed with a depression having opposing anchor edges which define a central plane. A deformable element, attached to the base element at the opposing anchor edges, is constructed as a planar lamination including a first layer of a first material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and a second layer of a second material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion. The deformable element is formed to have a residual shape bowing outward from the central plane in a first direction away from the second layer. The snap-through thermal actuator further comprises apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse to the deformable element which causes a sudden rise in the temperature of the deformable element.