Discharge Means Patents (Class 347/44)
  • Publication number: 20110285788
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a liquid discharge head substrate including a discharge port through which a liquid is discharged, and a plurality of energy generating elements that generate energy for discharging the liquid from the discharge port, and a circuit board having flexibility including a pair of differential transmission lines for transmitting differential transmission signals used as logical signals for driving the energy generating elements, to the liquid discharge head substrate, and a voltage supply line for supplying a voltage applied to the energy generating elements to obtain the energy, to the liquid discharge head substrate, wherein the pair of differential transmission lines is provided on one surface of the circuit board, and the voltage supply line is provided on the other surface of the circuit board, which is on a reverse side of the one surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kimiyuki Hayasaki, Takamitsu Tokuda, Kengo Umeda, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Takaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Tatsuo Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20110279545
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a liquid discharge substrate having a discharge port array, and a channel member having a mounted face on which the liquid discharge substrate is mounted, channels for supplying liquid to the discharge port array, and a low thermal conductivity portion, wherein the channels includes an opening for flowing liquid, which is provided at a part except for both ends of the discharge port array, a first channel for passing the liquid, and a second channel for passing the liquid in a direction opposite to the liquid flowing direction in the first channel, wherein the opening, the first channel, the low thermal conductivity portion, and the second channel are provided in this order to be vertical to the mounted face, and the opening and the low thermal conductivity portion are provided to be at least partially overlapped one above the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Osaki, Toshiaki Hirosawa, Hiroki Tajima, Akira Yamamoto, Kyota Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20110273513
    Abstract: A micro-fluid ejection device defines a print gap from an ejection head to a print media. An ejection zone of the head ejects fluid across the print gap during use. At least one wind baffle adjacent the ejection zone modifies airflow in the print gap as the head scans. In various designs, multiple wind baffles reside on either sides of the ejection zone to provide a cascading airflow effect from one wind baffle to the next. Baffle shapes, spacing and locations define multiple embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Sam Norasak, Adam Neal Chalin, David Weatherly, Eric Spenser Hall, Shirish Mulay
  • Publication number: 20110273514
    Abstract: Disclosed are an inkjet print head and a method of manufacturing the same. An inkjet print head according to an aspect of the invention may include: an inkjet board having an ink passage therein; a cutting portion provided outside the ink passage of the inkjet board and having a cutting surface created by separation into head chip units of the inkjet board; and an auxiliary cutting portion provided from one surface of the cutting portion inwardly in a thickness direction of the inkjet board, and assisting the separation into head chip units of the inkjet board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Kyung Lee, Jae Chang Lee, Hwa Sun Lee
  • Publication number: 20110267403
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head comprises a discharge port forming member that forms a discharge port used to discharge ink and a channel forming member that forms an ink channel communicating with the discharge port, at least either one of the channel forming member and the discharge port forming member comprising a substance having fluorine atoms and a rubber member composing a part of an ink passage continuous with the channel, the rubber member being cross-linked by an organic substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiko Shimomura, Toshihiko Ujita, Takashi Fukushima
  • Patent number: 8042269
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: XAAR Technology Limited
    Inventor: Paul R. Drury
  • Patent number: 8042908
    Abstract: A fluid ejector device, including: a fluid nozzle layer defining an orifice therein; and at least one epoxy resin layer established on the nozzle layer, the at least one epoxy resin layer having first and second opposed surfaces with a thickness there between and a fluorine gradient formed therein such that the gradient extends into at least a portion of the thickness of the at least one epoxy resin layer, wherein an amount of a fluorinated species present in the at least one epoxy resin layer at the first opposed surface is greater than an amount of the fluorinated species present in the at least one epoxy resin layer at the second opposed surface that is adjacent the fluid nozzle layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Benjamin Clark, Jeremy Harlan Donaldson, Mark Sanders Taylor, Joe E. Stout
  • Publication number: 20110254896
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead, in particular for sewing/embroidering machines, includes a support structure; a plurality of firing cells included in the support structure, each firing cell being adapted to eject ink through a respective nozzle for coloring a thread to be used in a sewing/embroidering machine; a guide element, provided on the support structure, for guiding the thread in a position facing said nozzles. Also disclosed are a sewing/embroidering machine including the printhead and a method for making the printhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: Telecom Italia S.P.A.
    Inventors: Rinaldo Ferrarotti, Alberto Albertin
  • Publication number: 20110254894
    Abstract: A recording apparatus that can prevent a medium from dropping into an opening provided in a supporting member for supporting the other side of the medium, on one side of which recording is performed, without changing the shape of the opening is provided. A printer includes a recording head that performs recording on one side of a sheet P being transported in a transportation direction X; a platen having a fixed rib that is fixed and supports the other side of the sheet P, and an opening provided in a region facing the recording head; and a movable rib that moves in the opening in a width direction intersecting the transportation direction between a supporting position where it supports the other side of the sheet P and a position at a distance from the supporting position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto SATO
  • Patent number: 8037603
    Abstract: An ink jet head producing method includes forming a first flow path forming member in a portion constituting a flow path side wall, which constitutes at least a partitioning portion between flow paths on a substrate; forming a pattern as a mold for the flow path, the pattern being formed over the substrate and a portion of the first flow path forming member; forming a second flow path forming member on the first flow path forming member and the pattern, the second flow path forming member being formed of a material corresponding to the first flow path forming member; forming the discharge port in the second flow path forming member; and forming the flow path by removing the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Fujii, Junichi Kobayashi, Yoshinori Tagawa, Hideo Tamura, Hiroyuki Murayama, Keiji Watanabe, Taichi Yonemoto, Isamu Horiuchi, Aya Yoshihira, Masamichi Yoshinari, Jun Kawai, Tamaki Sato
  • Patent number: 8033643
    Abstract: A recyclable continuous ink jet print head is provided that includes a manifold formed from a metal such as stainless steel, a die having ink jet nozzles formed from a ceramic material such as silicon, a control circuit connected to the die via microwiring, and an interposing member disposed between the manifold and the die. The interposing member is formed from a composite material such as Al—SiC having a coefficient of thermal conductivity that is higher than that of the silicon die, and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is between that of the die and the manifold. During manufacture, the CTE value of the interposing member allows long-lasting, heat-cured epoxy compositions to be used to bond the die to the manifold and to encapsulate the microwiring between the die and a control circuit with while maintaining proper alignment of the die ink jet nozzles on the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Samuel Chen, Stephen C. Stoker, Giana M. Phelan
  • Publication number: 20110242214
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid jetting head which includes a cavity unit in which a plurality of nozzle rows is formed, a plurality of pressure chambers, and a plurality of common liquid chambers corresponding to the nozzle rows, and a pressure applying mechanism which applies a pressure to the liquid in the pressure chambers. The liquid is supplied to each common liquid chamber, from both end portions in a longitudinal direction of the common liquid chamber, toward a central portion of the common liquid chamber, and a position of an equilibrium point at which a channel resistance of both sides in the longitudinal direction is balanced, is shifted mutually in the longitudinal direction in one of the common liquid chambers and an adjacent common liquid chamber which is adjacent to the one of the common liquid chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: KEIJI KURA
  • Publication number: 20110242215
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head according to the present invention includes a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a first direction and a plurality of electro-thermal transducers for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings, the liquid ejection head and a printing medium being subjected to the relative movement, wherein an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming an end group located in the respective opposite end section along the first direction is longer than an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming a central group located in the central section along the first direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate white streaks which may generate in a solid printing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michinari Mizutani, Shuichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 8029860
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzle holes may include the step of forming a plurality of through-holes extending through a plate member in a thickness direction of the plate member. The manufacturing method may also include the step of forming a water repellant film in a region of one surface of the plate member where apertures of the through-holes are not positioned. The manufacturing method may further include the step of pressing individual regions on the one surface of the plate member, the individual regions respectively including the apertures of the through holes, to separate at least portions of the water repellant film formed in the individual regions from the water repellant film formed on the one surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8029105
    Abstract: A method of treating a printer component, a printhead, and a printer are provided. The method includes providing an electrode proximate to the printer component to be treated; introducing a plasma treatment gas in an area proximate to the printer component to be treated; and treating the printer component by applying power to the electrode thereby producing a micro-scale plasma at near atmospheric pressure, the micro-scale plasma acting on the printer component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kurt D. Sieber, Jeremy M. Grace, Gilbert A. Hawkins
  • Publication number: 20110234698
    Abstract: A liquid jet head including: an opening and closing mechanism for, in an open state, opening a wall portion release opening (24n) to expose nozzle holes to outside and for, in a closed state, closing the wall portion release opening to form closed space between a wall portion (24) and a nozzle plate (31); a suction flow path (15) having, on one end side thereof, a suction port (15a) which is open below a nozzle column while another end side thereof being connected to a suction pump (16) for, by sucking an inside of the closed space with the suction pump, causing the closed space to become a negative pressure chamber to supply ink I from an ink tank of the ink to the nozzle holes; and an atmosphere release flow path (33) which is switchable between communication of the closed space with the outside and interruption thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Akifumi Sakata, Kazuyoshi Tominaga, Ayako Kayama, Toshiaki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110234699
    Abstract: A printer includes a printing head having nozzle rows formed from a plurality of nozzles, in which the nozzles for ejecting the ink in the Z-axis direction are discretely arranged in the Y-axis direction; a linear absorbing member which is spaced apart from the nozzles at a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction, is tensed in the Y-axis direction, and has a ink receiving region capable of receiving the ink with the predetermined width in the X-axis direction; and the moving mechanism which moves the absorbing member to the flushing position in which the nozzle row and the ink receiving region to be opposed to each other in the Z-axis direction, and in which the nozzle row and the center line of the absorbing member are differently positioned in the X-axis direction, when preliminary ejecting the ink from the nozzle rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji ITO
  • Patent number: 8025362
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head is arranged in a manner that in the cross-section of a discharge port in a liquid discharge direction, the discharge port includes at least one projection that is convex inside the discharge port; a first area, for holding a liquid surface connecting a pillar-shaped liquid that is elongated outside the discharge port; and second areas where a fluid resistance is lower than that in the first area so as to pull the liquid in the discharge port in a direction opposite to the liquid discharge direction. The first area is formed in the direction in which the projection is convex, and the second areas are formed on both sides of the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Murakami, Yasunori Takei
  • Publication number: 20110227992
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet ink composition including color material particles, a water soluble polymerizable compound, a water soluble silicate salt and water, which is excellent in ejection stability even in a case in which the ink composition is stopped from ejecting in the inkjet recording device and left alone for a certain period of time, and ejection of the ink composition is resumed thereafter, which has a good maintenance property, and in which abrasion resistance of images formed with the ink composition is excellent; an ink set including the inkjet ink composition; and an image forming method using the ink set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun MATSUMOTO, Masao IKOSHI
  • Publication number: 20110228003
    Abstract: After a gloss-based liquid is ejected from a liquid ejection head, which ejects liquid from nozzles of a nozzle row, to a predetermined position on a landing target to form a glossy layer, a white-based liquid is ejected onto the glossy layer to form a white layer, the ejection amount of the gloss-based liquid being greater than the ejection amount of the white-based liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kinya OZAWA
  • Publication number: 20110227996
    Abstract: An inkjet ink composition includes a water-soluble alkali-metal silicate salt, urea, a colorant and water. An ink set includes the inkjet ink composition, and a treatment liquid capable of forming an aggregate when contacting the inkjet ink composition. An inkjet image forming method includes an ink ejection process of ejecting the inkjet ink composition from an inkjet head equipped with a silicone nozzle plate onto a recording medium, to form an image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masao IKOSHI
  • Patent number: 8020967
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus which includes a liquid channel which connects a discharge port and a pressure chamber; a piezoelectric layer one surface of which facing the pressure chamber; a power feeding electrode which applies a voltage to the piezoelectric layer; and a liquid electroconductive material which electrically connects the other surface of the piezoelectric layer and the power feeding electrode, and in an area on the other surface, of the piezoelectric layer, overlapping with the pressure chamber, a contact area which is an electrical contact between the piezoelectric layer and the liquid electroconductive material is formed. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a liquid discharge apparatus which is capable of realizing a small size channel unit and an improvement in a resolution of an image which is formed by a discharging liquid, and to change appropriately a shape of the piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuhei Hiwada
  • Publication number: 20110221822
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus improved in printing quality by reducing the occurrence of chipping at an opening edge of a positioning hole by a positioning pin are provided. The liquid ejection head includes a head body having a nozzle opening that discharges ink, a base plate provided with the positioning pin, and a positioning plate formed of a silicon substrate and provided with the positioning hole, and the head body is arranged at a predetermined position on the base plate by inserting the positioning pin through the positioning hole, and the opening edge of the positioning hole on the side from which the positioning pin is inserted is chamfered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki HAGIWARA, Noriaki OKAZAWA, Sumio ARAI, Yohei NODA
  • Publication number: 20110221823
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head substrate includes an external terminal, a diode, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a third conductive layer. The external terminal is configured to connect to an external. The first conductive layer is connected to the external terminal for causing an input current to flow from the external terminal, and the diode includes an anode and a cathode. The second conductive layer is connected to the first conductive layer and one electrode of the anode and cathode, and causes a surge current generated when a surge voltage is applied from the external terminal, to flow from the first conductive layer to the one electrode. The third conductive layer is connected to the other electrode of the anode and the cathode and passes the surge current flowing from the one electrode to the other electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Koichi Omata, Toshio Negishi
  • Patent number: 8011757
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a plurality of inkjet nozzles arranged in nozzle rows. Each nozzle row has a respective row of drive transistors. Drive transistors corresponding to one nozzle row are interleaved with drive transistors corresponding to an adjacent nozzle row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Publication number: 20110211013
    Abstract: An ink composition includes a colorant particle, a water-soluble polymerizable compound having an acrylamide structure in a molecule thereof, colloidal silica, and water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun MATSUMOTO, Kiyoshi IRITA
  • Publication number: 20110211018
    Abstract: In order to efficiently perform preliminary ejection of ink at a bend of an ink circulation passage, the number of preliminary ejections of a nozzle group located on the outer side of the bend is set larger than the number of preliminary ejections of a nozzle group located in the middle of the bend.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Susumu Hirosawa, Yuji Kanome, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Masahiro Sugimoto, Seiji Suzuki, Takeaki Nakano
  • Publication number: 20110205301
    Abstract: There is provided an inkjet head including: a body portion ejecting ink therein by a driving of an actuator; and a rigidity reinforcing portion coupled to an outer surface of the body portion and reducing deformation of the body portion during the ejecting of the ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Hun Kim, Jae-Sang Lee, Jae Woo Joung
  • Patent number: 8002389
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a cavity unit having a plurality of nozzles and pressure chambers; and an actuator unit applying jetting pressures to the pressure chambers. The actuator unit has a plurality of stacked ceramics layers, individual electrodes corresponding to the pressure chambers, a common electrode common to all the pressure chambers, and a barrier layer preventing the liquid from being penetrated therethrough. The barrier layer is stacked on a position which is between a contact surface, of the actuator unit, making contact with the cavity unit and the individual electrodes closest to the contact surface, except a position on the contact surface. It is possible to prevent the individual electrodes and the common electrode from being electrically short-circuited due to the liquid even when the ceramics layer in contact with the cavity unit has a crack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20110199432
    Abstract: To enhance a space factor and ability of collecting excess liquid, there is provided a liquid injection head provided with a plurality of nozzles includes a nozzle guard that is formed so as to cover the nozzles, the nozzle guard including: a top portion having a slit opposed to the nozzles while being placed apart from a surface of the nozzles; a sealing portion that seals an area between a peripheral edge of the top portion and the nozzles; and a suction flow path in which a suction port is opened to a lower portion of the nozzles, and is communicated to an inside space of the nozzle guard, in which the inside space of the nozzle guard is rendered a negative pressure chamber by a suction portion connected to the suction flow path, and a first liquid overflowing the nozzles to the negative pressure chamber is sucked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Akifumi Sakata, Kazuyoshi Tominaga, Toshiaki Watanabe, Masatoshi Toda, Akihiro Sadaki
  • Patent number: 7997697
    Abstract: A droplet discharge head including a nozzle substrate having nozzle openings, a cavity substrate having discharge chambers that communicate with the nozzle openings and discharge droplets from the nozzle openings, a reservoir substrate having a reservoir concave portion that serves as a reservoir which communicates commonly with the discharge chambers. The reservoir substrate is provided between the nozzle substrate and the cavity substrate and a resin thin film is formed on a whole inner face of the reservoir concave portion and on a bottom face of a second concave portion. The second concave portion is provided in a peripheral of the reservoir concave portion and has a depth which is smaller than the depth of the reservoir concave portion. The resin thin film is cut circularly so as to surround the reservoir concave portion, and a part of the resin thin film serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation. serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuji Arawaka, Kazufumi Oya
  • Patent number: 7997708
    Abstract: An ink cartridge for printers and ink filling method that can expand the space where the ink is filled, and maintain pressure inside the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge includes a body formed in a predetermined shape and having a filling hold on one surface, a filling chamber where ink is filled inside the body, a discharging chamber connected to the filling chamber, an ink discharging port connected to the discharging chamber through an ink transferring channel, an air chamber connected to the filling chamber to supply air through an air transferring channel, an air suction valve in the air chamber, an air inducing channel that induces exterior air into the air suction valve, a blocking film attached to one surface of the body, a cover installed on another surface of the body, a pressure regulating part on one surface of outer body, which communicates with the filling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Inktec Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang-Choon Chung, Chang Soo Yu, Nam Boo Cho, Young Chul Shin, Baek Song Heo
  • Patent number: 7988267
    Abstract: A buffer tank mounted on a head holder has a plurality of air discharge valves for discharging the air accumulated in inks to the outside. The air discharge valve includes a valve body for opening and closing the passage bore and a valve rod provided extending from the valve body downwardly. A maintenance unit is provided outside the buffer tank, which includes an air discharge cap for covering the lower ends of the passage bores and a plurality of air discharge rods provided corresponding to the air discharge valves respectively. The air discharge rods are different in length from one another, depending on the colors of ink. When the air discharge rods are lifted up simultaneously by a lifting, they come into direct contact with the lower ends of the corresponding valve rods in sequence as their movements are delayed one after another, hence opening the valve bodies separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7984968
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate defining a nozzle chamber and an ink inlet channel in fluid communication with said chamber; a nozzle defined on the substrate and located over the nozzle chamber, said nozzle having a crown portion with a skirt portion depending from the crown portion, the skirt portion forming a first part of a peripheral wall portion of the nozzle chamber, the nozzle surrounded by a raised rim for supporting a meniscus of a body of ink in the nozzle chamber; and an actuator with a connecting arm fast with the nozzle to operatively displace the nozzle towards the substrate. The nozzle is substantially hexagonally shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7980666
    Abstract: A method of forming a thermal bend actuator in an inkjet nozzle assembly. The method includes: depositing sidewalls and a roof layer to define a nozzle chamber; defining first and second vias in one sidewall to reveal first and second electrodes; filling the vias with a conductive material using electroless plating to provide first and second connector posts; depositing an active beam material onto the roof layer; etching the active beam material to define a planar active beam member comprising a bent or serpentine beam element; and etching the roof layer to define the thermal bend actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7980661
    Abstract: A nozzle device for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate assembly defining an ink supply; a chamber-defining layer defining a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a nozzle opening and the ink supply; an actuating arm coupled to the substrate assembly and terminating in a paddle separating the ink supply and nozzle chamber, the actuating arm configured to pivot during actuation to cause ink within the nozzle chamber to be ejected out through the nozzle opening; and a movement sensor configured to determine the degree or rate of pivotal movement of the actuating arm. The actuating arm further includes a bridge between the paddle and the thermal bend portion which supports a portion of the chamber-defining layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7980676
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head is constituted by a liquid ejection substrate comprising a liquid supply port for supplying liquid, an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid supplied from the liquid supply port, and ejection energy generating devices for generating energy for ejecting the liquid; and a supporting member having a supporting surface for supporting the liquid ejection substrate and a liquid supply hole for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection substrate, the liquid supply hole communicating with the liquid supply port of the liquid ejection substrate to form a communicating portion, a periphery of which is sealed by a sealant. The liquid supply hole of the supporting member has an opening larger than that of the liquid supply port of the liquid ejection substrate. The support member has an inner wall portion including an edge line portion defined by the liquid supply hole on a side where the liquid ejection substrate is to be disposed. The inner wall portion is covered with the sealant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hirosawa, Shuzo Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 7976126
    Abstract: A liquid jet head includes: a plurality of unit heads, wherein each of the unit heads has a nozzle forming region and a plurality of nozzle apertures arranged in a first direction in the nozzle forming region, the plurality of unit heads being laminated in a manner that the nozzle forming regions are shifted from one another in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the unit heads are laminated in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and liquid is ejected in a fourth direction between the second direction and the third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiju Hirai
  • Patent number: 7976124
    Abstract: An ink jet device including a plurality of ink channels that are arranged side by side and are covered by a flexible sheet, and a corresponding number of actuators are arranged to exert an actuating force onto the sheet through a bump that has a trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration wherein the bumps are formed on the sheet in such an orientation that their trapezoidal cross-section diverges towards the actuator, and the bumps are bonded to the actuators by means of an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Oce-Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Jacobus J. M. Bisschop
  • Publication number: 20110164080
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with fluid-jet dispensers are described. In one embodiment, a method (400) controls a fluid jet dispenser. The fluid jet dispenser includes a plurality of nozzles for precisely ejecting fluid and a plurality of ejection chambers. The fluid-jet dispenser includes one or more fluid channels for supplying fluid from a fluid reservoir to the plurality of ejection chambers and corresponding nozzles. The method includes detecting (405) that the fluid-jet dispenser has not ejected fluid for a predetermined time. The method applies a de-prime pressure (410). The de-prime pressure is a negative pressure to withdraw fluid from the nozzles and the ejection chambers to a high capillary force area within each of the one or more fluid channels to remove fluid from the plurality of nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, LP.
    Inventors: James W. Ring, Gilbert G. Smith
  • Publication number: 20110164090
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a package structure of an inkjet-printhead chip. The structure includes: a nozzle structure of a print element including an ink chamber layer, a nozzle base layer on the ink chamber layer, and a nozzle layer on the nozzle base layer, wherein a plurality of nozzle through holes are set in the nozzle layer and pass through an ink chamber of the ink chamber layer; a flexible substrate set on the nozzle layer, wherein there is at least an opening set in the flexible substrate to expose those nozzle through holes; and a chip set under the ink chamber layer. Besides, the present package method is to utilize the micro-manufacturing process to form the nozzle structure of a print element and the tape automatic bonding process to bond the flexible substrate on the nozzle layer and the chip under the ink chamber layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: NATIONAL SYNCHROTRON RADIATION RESEARCH CENTER
    Inventor: Kung LINLIU
  • Publication number: 20110157276
    Abstract: A process for preparing a flexible device having a textured superoleophobic surface comprising providing a flexible substrate; disposing a silicon layer on the flexible substrate; using photolithography to create a textured pattern in the silicon layer on the substrate wherein the textured pattern comprises an array of pillars; and chemically modifying the textured surface by disposing a conformal oleophobic coating thereon; to provide a flexible device having a superoleophobic surface and, in embodiments, to provide a flexible device having a surface that is both superoleophobic and superhydrophobic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hong Zhao, Kock-Yee Law
  • Publication number: 20110157277
    Abstract: A process for preparing a flexible device having a superoleophobic surface comprising providing a flexible substrate; disposing a silicon layer on the flexible substrate; using photolithography to create a textured pattern in the silicon layer on the substrate wherein the textured pattern comprises a groove structure; and chemically modifying the textured surface by disposing a conformal oleophobic coating thereon; to provide a flexible device having a superoleophobic surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hong Zhao, Kock-Yee Law
  • Publication number: 20110148986
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid jet head (1) which is capable of reducing variations in discharge speed of liquid discharged from a nozzle (7) and controlling with high precision a place and an amount of a discharged liquid droplet, thereby improving reliability. The liquid jet head (1) includes an actuator (2) having a plurality of long grooves (8) arranged on a surface of a substrate, the actuator (2) being for discharging liquid from nozzles (7) which communicate to the grooves (8), respectively, a flow path member (3) for supplying the liquid to the grooves (8) of the actuator (2), and a damper member (4) provided between the actuator (2) and the flow path member (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventor: Tetsuya Murase
  • Publication number: 20110141193
    Abstract: An ink discharge head includes a coating resin layer having a plurality of discharge ports for discharging ink, and ink flow passages which communicate with the plurality of discharge ports, respectively; and a substrate having energy generation elements which generate the energy for discharging ink and provided with the coating resin layer. A crack inducing portion for relieving the stress produced at the interface between the coating resin layer and the substrate is formed at lateral faces of the outer peripheral edge of the coating resin layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kurosu, Satoshi Ibe, Kazuhiro Asai, Yoshinori Tagawa
  • Patent number: 7959260
    Abstract: A method for discharging liquid from a recording head including a first discharge port configured to discharge a liquid, a second discharge port configured to discharge a liquid, an amount of which is smaller than an amount of the liquid discharged from the first discharge port, and a substrate including a first heating element corresponding to the first discharge port, a second heating element corresponding to the second discharge port and the liquid supply port, wherein a distance between the liquid supply port and the second heating element is longer than a distance between the liquid supply port and the first heating element, and wherein discharge of the liquid from the first discharge port is performed by a discharge method in which a bubble formed by the first heating element communicates with atmosphere and an amount of the liquid discharged from the second discharge port is less than 2 pico liters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiichiro Tsukuda, Ken Tsuchii, Mineo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7954927
    Abstract: An improved photoimaged nozzle plate for a micro-fluid ejection head, a micro-fluid ejection head containing the nozzle plate, and methods for making a micro-fluid ejection head. The improved nozzle plate is provided by a photoresist nozzle plate layer applied to a thick film layer on a semiconductor substrate containing fluid ejector actuators. The photoresist nozzle plate layer has a plurality of nozzle holes therein. Each of the nozzle holes are formed in the nozzle plate layer from an exit surface of the nozzle plate layer to an entrance surface of the nozzle plate layer. Each of the nozzle holes has a reentrant hole profile with a wall angle greater than about 4° up to about 30° measured from an axis orthogonal to a plane defined by the exit surface of the nozzle plate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Hart, Gary A. Holt, Jr., Melissa M. Waldeck, Sean T. Weaver, Gary R. Williams
  • Publication number: 20110122194
    Abstract: An ink manifold for supplying liquid ink to a heater chip of an inkjet printhead. Ink ports on one side of the manifold feed liquid ink to the ink channels on the other side of the manifold, and thus to the backside ink trenches of the heater chip. The placement and number of ink ports formed in the ink manifold are optimized so that when the heater chip and the ink manifold are scaled down in size, the ink carrying capacity of the printhead components is not compromised. Similarly, when the ink manifold is scaled down, the optimization process allows the seal width between the ink port features of the manifold to be maintained above a specified minimum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Frank Edward Anderson, James Harold Powers
  • Patent number: 7946681
    Abstract: A nozzle plate includes: a plate substrate in which a nozzle is formed, ink being ejected through an ejection port of the nozzle in the plate substrate; and a p-type doped layer which forms a whole perimeter of an edge portion defining an inner perimeter of the ejection port of the nozzle in the plate substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ohta
  • Patent number: 7946680
    Abstract: There is provided a head including a chip 10 that has a semiconductor substrate 11, heating elements 12 disposed on the semiconductor substrate 11, coating layers 14 disposed on the semiconductor substrate 11 and having nozzles 14a arranged in regions above the respective heating elements 12, and individual channels 14b each communicating with the outside and the region above the corresponding heating element 12, wherein the semiconductor substrate 11 does not have a through hole communicating with each individual channel 14b; a ink feed member 21 having a common channel 21b, the ink feed member 21 being bonded to the chip 10 in such a manner that the common channel 21b communicates with the individual channels 14b; and a top 22 disposed on the chip 10 and the ink feed member 21 so as to seal the opening of the common channel 21b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Ono, Manabu Tomita, Koichi Igarashi