Patents by Inventor Lee Van Nice

Lee Van Nice has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Printhead structure and method for producing the same
    Patent number: 6155675
    Abstract: A high-durability printhead for an ink cartridge printing system. The printhead includes a substrate having ink ejectors (e.g. resistors) thereon and an orifice plate positioned above the substrate. The orifice plate (which preferably involves a non-metallic polymer film) has a top surface, bottom surface and a plurality of openings therethrough. To improve the durability of the orifice plate, a protective coating is applied to the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the plate. Representative coatings involve dielectric compositions (including diamond-like carbon) or at least one layer of metal. This approach improves the abrasion and deformation resistance of the plate and avoids "ruffling" and "dimpling" problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Lee Van Nice, Gerald E. Heppell, Neal W. Meyer, Donald L. Michael, Kit Baughman, Thach G. Troung, Rui Yang, Moses M. David, James R. White
  • Printhead for an inkjet cartridge and method for producing the same
    Patent number: 6062679
    Abstract: A high-durability printhead for an ink cartridge printing system includes a substrate having ink ejectors (e.g. resistors) thereon and an orifice plate positioned above the substrate. The orifice plate (which preferably involves a non-metallic polymer film) has a top surface, bottom surface and a plurality of openings therethrough. To improve the durability of the orifice plate, a protective coating is applied to the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the plate. Representative coatings involve dielectric compositions (including diamond-like carbon) or at least one layer of metal. This approach improves the abrasion and deformation resistance of the plate and avoids "dimpling" problems. Likewise, an intermediate barrier layer of diamond-like carbon is used between the orifice plate and the substrate. As result, an additional level of structural integrity is imparted to the orifice plate and printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Neal W. Meyer, Donald L. Michael, Lee Van Nice, Gerald E. Heppell, Kit Baughman