Nozzles Patents (Class 347/47)
  • Patent number: 10479080
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a substrate with a fluid slot formed therein, a chamber layer formed on the substrate defining fluid chambers on both sides of the fluid slot, a thin-film layer between the substrate and chamber layer that defines an ink feedhole (IFH) between the fluid slot and the chamber layer, and a chamber layer extension that forms a bridge across the IFH between two chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Rio Rivas, Anthony M. Fuller, Ed Friesen
  • Patent number: 10464328
    Abstract: A printer includes: a printhead; a platen positioned below the printhead for supporting print media conveyed along a media feed direction through a print zone, the platen defining a particle-collection slot upstream of the print zone relative to the media feed direction; and a vacuum chamber in fluid communication with the particle-collection slot. An upper surface of the platen has a plurality of raised ribs extending along the platen in the media feed direction and a dam wall extending across the platen transverse to the ribs. The dam wall is positioned at a downstream side of the particle-collection slot and the ribs extend towards the dam wall from an upstream side of the particle-collection slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Limited
    Inventors: Rommel Balala, Dan Baterna
  • Patent number: 10457049
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head includes selectively exposing a first photosensitive resin layer to light, thereby curing the portion of the first photosensitive resin layer defining a flow channel member; forming a second photosensitive resin layer on the first photosensitive resin layer; selectively exposing the second photosensitive resin layer to light, thereby curing the portion of the second photosensitive resin layer defining an ejection opening member; and removing the unexposed portions of the first and the second photosensitive resin layer at one time with a developer. Before removal with the developer, the water absorption W of the intermediate layer, the water absorption W1 of the exposed portion of the first photosensitive resin layer, and the water absorption W2 of the exposed portion of the second photosensitive resin layer satisfy the relationship W?W1>W2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 10421276
    Abstract: A printing element substrate includes a substrate, an energy generating element, and an ejection-port formed member. The energy generating element is disposed on one surface of the substrate and configured to generate energy for use in ejecting liquid. The ejection-port formed member includes ejection ports that eject the liquid. A protrusion protruding toward inside of each of the ejection ports is provided on an inner surface of the ejection port. In a surface of the ejection-port formed member remote from the substrate, a tip portion of the protrusion is positioned closer to the substrate than an outer periphery of the ejection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Saito, Shintaro Kasai, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Takatsugu Moriya, Koichi Ishida, Tatsuya Yamada, Shuzo Iwanaga, Ayako Iwasaki, Tomoki Ishiwata, Tomohiro Sato
  • Patent number: 10406813
    Abstract: An ejection port includes a first ejection port that is an opening portion formed on an outer surface side of a recessed portion formed in an outer surface of a nozzle plate, a second ejection port positioned on a bottom surface side of the recessed portion, the second ejection port including an opening portion that is smaller than the first ejection port, and a plurality of protrusions that extend from an outer edge portion of the first ejection port towards a center portion of the second ejection port through the second ejection port, in which a distance between tip portions of the plurality of protrusions and the substrate is larger than a distance between an outer edge portion of the second ejection port and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunori Takei
  • Patent number: 10293607
    Abstract: A recording element board includes a discharge orifice configured to discharge liquid, a pressure chamber communicating with the discharge orifice, a recording element configured to generate thermal energy to cause bubbling of the liquid, the recording element being disposed in the pressure chamber facing the discharge orifice, and a substrate on which the recording element is formed. When the recording element is driven and the liquid of within the pressure chamber is discharged, a generated bubble communicates with the atmosphere. A discharge orifice projection region where the discharge orifice has been projected on the substrate includes a region includes a region extending beyond a heat-generating region projection region where the heat-generating region of the recording element has been projected on the substrate, the outline of the discharge orifice projection region is circumscribed by the outline of the heat-generating region projection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takatsugu Moriya, Shintaro Kasai, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Akiko Saito, Koichi Ishida, Tatsuya Yamada, Shinji Kishikawa, Takayuki Sekine, Shuzo Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 10269863
    Abstract: Methods for forming via last through-vias. A method includes providing an active device wafer having a front side including conductive interconnect material disposed in dielectric layers and having an opposing back side; providing a carrier wafer having through vias filled with an oxide extending from a first surface of the carrier wafer to a second surface of the carrier wafer; bonding the front side of the active device wafer to the second surface of the carrier wafer; etching the oxide in the through vias in the carrier wafer to form through oxide vias; and depositing conductor material into the through oxide vias to form conductors that extend to the active carrier wafer and make electrical contact to the conductive interconnect material. An apparatus includes a carrier wafer with through oxide vias extending through the carrier wafer to an active device wafer bonded to the carrier wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Szu-Ying Chen, Pao-Tung Chen, Dun-Nian Yaung, Jen-Cheng Liu
  • Patent number: 10259224
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an ejection orifice configured to eject a liquid, the ejection orifice has at least one protrusion protruding from the peripheral portion of the ejection orifice toward the center of the ejection orifice, and the protrusion includes, on the outer surface including at least the protrusion edge, a highly water-repellent region having a higher water repellency than that of the outer surface of the periphery of the ejection orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Hamade
  • Patent number: 10239314
    Abstract: A head unit includes a discharge section, a determination circuit, and a discharge limitation circuit. The discharge section is equipped with a piezoelectric element that is configured to be displaced in accordance with changes in potential of a drive signal when the drive signal is supplied. The discharge section is configured to discharge a liquid in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The determination circuit is configured to determine whether or not the piezoelectric element has a predetermined power storage capability. The discharge limitation circuit is configured to stop supply of the drive signal to the piezoelectric element and limit discharging of liquid from the discharge section when a result of determination is negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhito Fujisawa, Ryota Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10201972
    Abstract: A recording element substrate includes: a substrate on which a plurality of energy generating elements that generate energy used for ejecting liquid are arranged side by side, an ejection port forming member in which ejection ports are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of energy generating elements, a plurality of supply passages which are channels extending in a thickness direction of the substrate and through which liquid is supplied to the energy generating elements, and a support member that is formed between the substrate and the ejection port forming member and supports the ejection port forming member, in which supply ports that are apertures of the plurality of supply passages are linearly arranged side by side on the substrate, and a plurality of support members are provided side by side between adjacent supply ports on the substrate in a direction in which the supply ports are aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akiko Saito, Shintaro Kasai, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Takatsugu Moriya, Koichi Ishida, Shinji Kishikawa, Takayuki Sekine, Shuzo Iwanaga, Tatsuya Yamada
  • Patent number: 10138546
    Abstract: A chucking apparatus and methods for coating a glass substrate using a vacuum deposition process are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the chucking apparatus includes an ESC (ESC), a carrier disposed on the ESC, wherein the carrier comprises a first surface adjacent to the ESC and an opposing second surface for forming a Van der Waals bond with a third surface of a glass substrate, without application of a mechanical force on a fourth surface of the glass substrate opposing the third surface. In one or more embodiments, the method includes disposing a carrier and a glass substrate on an ESC, such that the carrier is between the glass substrate and the ESC to form a chucking assembly, forming a Van der Waals bond between the carrier and the glass substrate, and vacuum depositing a coating on the glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel Robert Boughton, James Gerard Fagan, Sumalee Likitvanichkul Fagan
  • Patent number: 10137685
    Abstract: A cover member includes two end regions located at two ends in a first direction, and two beam portions which extend in the first direction and connect the two end regions together and which, together with the two end regions, form a single opening that exposes a plurality of discharge ports. When a width of the opening is denoted as a [mm], a minimum length in the first direction of the end regions is denoted as c [mm], a modulus of longitudinal elasticity of the cover member is denoted as E [GPa], and a thickness of the cover member is denoted as t [mm], the following expression is established: c ? 10 ? ( a 25 ) 4 ( t 0.3 ) 3 ? ( E 200 ) .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Nakakubo, Shingo Okushima, Satoshi Kimura, Takuya Iwano, Akira Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10118403
    Abstract: A droplet ejecting apparatus includes: an ejecting section having a plurality of nozzles arranged along an intersecting direction with a transport direction of a recording medium. Each nozzle ejects a main droplet and a sub-droplet smaller than the main droplet consecutively. Each nozzle can change a deflection amount in an ejecting direction of the main droplet along the intersecting direction. A control section performs, in a case where a defective nozzle exists in the nozzles, a control of deflecting the ejecting directions of the main droplets ejected from a nozzle positioned within a predetermined distance from the defective nozzle toward a landing position of a main droplet that should have ejected from the defective nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kotaro Maeda, Shinji Seto
  • Patent number: 10086612
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a substrate with a fluid slot formed therein, a chamber layer formed on the substrate defining fluid chambers on both sides of the fluid slot, a thin-film layer between the substrate and chamber layer that defines an ink feedhole (IFH) between the fluid slot and the chamber layer, and a chamber layer extension that forms a bridge across the IFH between two chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Rio Rivas, Anthony M. Fuller, Ed Friesen
  • Patent number: 10011133
    Abstract: A liquid discharge device includes a liquid discharge head that includes a nozzle from which liquid is discharged and a liquid channel communicating with the nozzle, and that discharges liquid from the nozzle. The nozzle has an inner wall surface having an uneven pattern including a recess where the inner diameter of the nozzle is increased and a projection where the inner diameter of the nozzle is smaller than that in the recess. In a case where ink is continuously discharged from an identical nozzle, at a time when a meniscus in the nozzle after previous discharge is located closer to an initial position before discharge than a center position between the initial position and a position at which the meniscus is most greatly drawn toward the liquid channel, subsequent discharge is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Muto, Ryosuke Tsuchihashi, Hiroshige Owaki, Nobuaki Azami
  • Patent number: 9969162
    Abstract: A MEMS device includes a first substrate in which a first electrode layer, a dielectric layer, and a second electrode layer are stacked on a driving region in this order; and a second substrate which is disposed to face a surface on which the dielectric layer of the first substrate is stacked. The first electrode layer and the dielectric layer extend beyond the second electrode layer toward a non-driving region separated from the driving region, a first resin having elasticity is disposed in a region including an end of the second electrode layer in an extending direction of the dielectric layer, and the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed with an adhesive in a state where the elastically deformed first resin is sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Munehide Saimen, Eiju Hirai, Masao Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9962947
    Abstract: A print element substrate is absorbed and held by a handling jig to define a predetermined location and position of the print element substrate with respect to the supporting member. In this instance, the handling jig is provided with a convex portion. Therefore, when the print element substrate is joined to the supporting member, the convex portion comes into contact with a surface of the supporting member, so that it is possible to define the height of the print element substrate with respect to the joining surface. This makes it possible to control the amount and height of squash by the print element substrate exerted on the adhesive agent applied on the joining surface. It is possible to prevent the redundant adhesive agent from spilling out in a print liquid flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsunori Fujii
  • Patent number: 9956775
    Abstract: An inkjet head including a flow path unit and a plurality of actuator units, each of the plurality of actuator units has a parallelogram shape defined by two sets of opposing sides, which is substantially parallel to a first direction and a second direction intersecting with each other along a plane, the side of the actuator unit parallel to the second direction is substantially parallel to that of an adjacent actuator unit and is shifted from that of the adjacent actuator unit in the second direction, the plurality of actuator units are inclined with respect to two contour lines of a flow path unit, the two contour lines being parallel with each other and extending in a longitudinal direction of the flow path unit, and centers of gravity of contours of the plurality of actuator units are arranged on substantially one straight line which is parallel to the contour lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsuo Sakaida
  • Patent number: 9931842
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a substrate having pressure generating chambers; drive units configured to apply pressure vibration to the pressure generating chambers; and a head casing having first and second areas mutually exclusively disposed as viewed from the substrate, the first areas being disposed in a staggered arrangement as viewed from the substrate, the head casing storing the drive units in the first areas as viewed from the substrate, the head casing having recesses disposed in the second areas as viewed from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fujio Akahane
  • Patent number: 9873273
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to various embodiments of a gas enclosure system that can have a particle control system that can include a multi-zone gas circulation and filtration system, a low-particle-generating X-axis linear bearing system for moving a printhead assembly relative to a substrate, a service bundle housing exhaust system, and a printhead assembly exhaust system. Various components of a particle control system can include a tunnel circulation and filtration system that can be in flow communication with bridge circulation and filtration system. Various embodiments of a tunnel circulation and filtration system can provide cross-flow circulation and filtration of gas about a floatation table of a printing system. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure system can have a bridge circulation and filtration system that can provide circulation and filtration of gas about a printing system bridge and related apparatuses and devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Mauck, Alexander Sou-Kang Ko, Eliyahu Vronsky, Prahallad Iyengar, Digby Pun
  • Patent number: 9873255
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate having an energy generating element arranged therein and an ejection port forming member laid as superposed above the substrate. At least one ejection port is formed so as to run through the ejection port forming member. The ejection port forming member has a concave portion including the ejection port formed therein on the surface thereof opposite to the surface thereof facing the substrate, and has a convex portion on the surface of the ejection port forming member facing the substrate so as to correspond to the concave portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Sasaki, Kenji Fujii, Jun Yamamuro, Kazuhiro Asai, Seiichiro Yaginuma, Keiji Matsumoto, Kunihito Uohashi, Masahisa Watanabe, Tomohiko Nakano, Keiji Edamatsu, Haruka Nakada
  • Patent number: 9833995
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus are provided by which the variation of the droplet ejection amount can be suppressed and the occurrence of the unevenness can be suppressed. To realize this, grooves sandwiching an ejection port and a liquid chamber are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masafumi Morisue
  • Patent number: 9821558
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge body having a first surface facing in a first direction; an accessed part disposed on the first surface; and a first protrusion protruding from the first surface in the first direction. The first surface has a first end in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and a second end in a third direction opposite the second direction. The first protrusion is disposed on the first surface at a position closer to the first end than the accessed part is to the first end, the first protrusion having a first protruding end positioned further in the first direction relative to the accessed part, the first protrusion being tapered toward the first protruding end, the first protrusion having a sloped surface that faces in the third direction toward the accessed part and slopes away from the accessed part toward the first protruding end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihito Ono
  • Patent number: 9789688
    Abstract: A bonding resin that bonds substrates to each other in a state of being spaced with a gap between the substrates is configured by stacking a photosensitive resin and a bonding reinforcement resin which is different from the photosensitive resin, the photosensitive resin is patterned in one substrate, and the bonding reinforcement resin which is stacked on the patterned photosensitive resin has a fillet being a wet-spreading portion or a portion which swells outward from the photosensitive resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naoya Sato
  • Patent number: 9682559
    Abstract: [Object] An object of the present invention is to provide a channel member for a liquid ejecting head with small variations in ejection characteristics, a liquid ejecting head including the channel member, and a recording device. [Solution] A channel member 4 for a liquid ejecting head according to the present invention includes a plurality of plates 4a to 4k that include a hole or a groove and that are stacked together with an adhesive layer 18 interposed therebetween. The hole or the groove constitutes a channel. The plate 4e includes a receiving groove 17 for an adhesive, and an edge of the receiving groove 17 includes a first projection 17a that projects from a principal surface of the plate that includes the receiving groove 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Ikeuchi, Chitoshi Ueki, Akinori Hirashima
  • Patent number: 9583707
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide a nozzle assembly and method of making the same, the nozzle assembly including a first aperture formed on a first aperture plate to eject a carrier gas flow having organic vapor onto a substrate in a deposition chamber, second apertures formed on a second aperture plate disposed adjacent to the first aperture to form a vacuum aperture, where the first aperture plate and the second aperture plate are separated by a first separator plate, third apertures formed on a third aperture plate to eject purge gas that are disposed adjacent to the second aperture plate, where the second aperture plate and the third aperture plate are separated by second separator plate, and a third separator plate is disposed adjacent to the one or more third aperture plates to form a gas channel in the one or more third aperture plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Quinn, Gregory McGraw, Siddharth Harikrishna Mohan, Matthew King, Elliot H. Hartford, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9527285
    Abstract: A nozzle plate for a liquid droplet discharge head to discharge a charged liquid droplet, includes a discharge port disposed on a nozzle face; a discharge chamber filled with liquid to be discharged from the discharge port; a nozzle hole extending from the discharge port in a thickness direction of the nozzle plate and communicating with the discharge chamber; a first electrode disposed at either the discharge chamber or the nozzle hole and contacting part of the liquid droplet; and a second electrode disposed on the nozzle face and neither connecting to the first electrode nor contacting the liquid droplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Sadanori Arae, Naoyuki Ueda, Yuki Nakamura, Yukiko Abe, Shinji Matsumoto, Yuji Sone, Ryoichi Saotome, Minehide Kusayanagi
  • Patent number: 9492830
    Abstract: A perforated plate produced as a plastics component by injection moulding, there being provided for this purpose a mould with two mould halves which together define a cavity filled with plastics material during injection moulding, wherein the first mould half has a planar abutment surface directed towards the cavity, and the second mould half has a multiplicity of elevations rising up over a base surface, wherein, in the closed state of the mould, distal contact regions at the distal ends of the elevations butt against the abutment surface, and therefore keep the dispensing openings free of plastics material when the plastics material is being injected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: APTAR RADOLFZELL GMBH
    Inventor: Gerald Krampen
  • Patent number: 9469110
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: an ejection surface along which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are arranged; and a projection portion which has a long shape on the ejection surface, and protrudes toward the ejection surface, in which the projection portion includes a part in which the height varies from one end side to the other end side, in which the width of the projection portion becomes narrower from a base side to a tip end side in the direction of height, and in which the shapes of end portions of the projection portions on one end side and the other end side are different from each other. Accordingly, even when a medium transported opposing the ejection surface is curled, it is possible to prevent the medium from floating up by the projection portion, and thus, it is possible to prevent the medium from coming into contact with the ejection surface by a simple configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoshige Kaneko
  • Patent number: 9469103
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided with an influence calculation portion and a device control portion. The influence calculation portion calculates an influence indicating a degree of an influence of generation of a satellite on a printing condition. The device control portion controls discharging timing of an inkjet head so that ink is discharged in order by each row of a plurality of nozzle rows for each pixel row on a sheet as a printing target, if the influence calculated by the influence calculation portion exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Asayo Shimoda
  • Patent number: 9469109
    Abstract: Embodiments disclose herein are directed to a microfluidic delivery device that has a predominantly semiconductor structure, such as silicon. In particular, the structure for delivering fluid may be formed from polycrystalline silicon, also called polysilicon, or epitaxial silicon. The microfluidic delivery device that predominantly uses silicon based materials to form the structures that are in contact with the dispensed fluid results in a device that is compatible with a wide set of fluids and applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Dino Faralli, Laura Maria Castoldi, Paolo Ferrari, Marta Carminati
  • Patent number: 9457372
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method and apparatus for dispensing minute quantities of highly viscous material from a jetting needle when an expelling mechanism is activated using a nozzle plate with a jetting chamber having a top formed by a diaphragm and a bottom in fluid communication with a jetting needle. Fluid enters the chamber from an inlet channel and is jetted from the chamber by deforming the diaphragm to block the channel and expel a drop of fluid from the needle. A diaphragm driven metering chamber and/or reservoir chamber can optionally be used provide fluid to the jetting chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Advanjet
    Inventors: Robert L Ciardella, Duong La, Wai Ching Bessie Chin
  • Patent number: 9415591
    Abstract: This disclosure includes electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printer nozzles, associated printer heads and printers, and methods for using the same. Some EHD nozzles include a circuit with at least one depressible electrical connector and a housing configured to receive a dispensing device such that electrical communication is permitted between the at least one depressible electrical connector and a conductive tip of the dispensing device, where the housing is further configured to be releasably coupled to a printer head such that voltage can be applied across the conductive tip. Some nozzles include an additional electrode. Some of the present methods include inserting a dispensing device into an EHD nozzle having a housing with a depressible electrical connector such that the connector contacts a conductive tip of the dispensing device and applying a voltage across the conductive tip. Others of the present methods include performing maskless lithography with the present EHD printers and components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Woo Ho Lee, Caleb Nothnagle, Jeongsik Shin, Muthu Bandage Jayathilaka Wijesundara
  • Patent number: 9415326
    Abstract: A system for bulk separation of single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) based on chirality is provided wherein an array of longitudinally directed channels (32) are formed on a crystalline substrate (30) to form a separation plate (300). At least one of the separation plate (300) and a solution or suspension of the single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) is displaced relative to the other for exposing at least a portion of the plurality of single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) to the channels (32). Each of the channels (32) exposes portions of the upper surface (38) of the crystalline substrate (30) and the longitudinal direction is selected to be an energetically favored “locking angle” for single-walled tubular fullerenes (100a) of one chiral angle to be adsorbed to the exposed is substrate surface (38). The adsorbed single-walled tubular fullerenes (100a) are subsequently removed from the separation plate (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: The Mitre Corporation
    Inventors: Carl A. Picconatto, James C. Ellenbogen
  • Patent number: 9409397
    Abstract: A process for producing a liquid ejection head having a substrate and an ejection orifice forming member having an ejection orifice for ejecting liquid, including forming, on the substrate, a photocationically polymerizable resin layer which includes a photocationically polymerizable resin material and becomes the ejection orifice forming member; laminating, on the uncured photocationically polymerizable resin layer, a layer containing a condensation product of a hydrolyzable silane compound having a cationically polymerizable epoxy group and a hydrolyzable silane compound having a fluorine-containing group; laminating a water-repellent layer including a hydrolyzable silane compound having a perfluoropolyether group on the condensation-product-containing layer; subjecting the photocationically polymerizable resin layer, condensation-product-containing layer, and water-repellent layer to pattern exposure; collectively curing exposed portions of the photocationically polymerizable resin layer, condensation-prod
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Tsutsui, Etsuko Sawada, Ken Ikegame, Hiroaki Mihara, Yohei Hamade
  • Patent number: 9403360
    Abstract: A print device for performing print using an ink jet method includes an ink jet head for discharging ink droplets, and a drive signal output section for outputting a drive signal for allowing the ink jet head to discharge ink droplets. The ink jet heads includes a nozzle for discharging ink droplets, an ink chamber for storing ink to be supplied to the nozzle at a former stage of the nozzle, the ink chamber having a hole connected to the nozzle on any surface of the ink chamber and an opening on a position different from the hole, a thin film for covering the opening of the ink chamber, and a piezoelectric element that is displaced according to the drive signal so as to apply pressure to the ink chamber. The piezoelectric element is disposed on the thin film with a main surface along the thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 9403362
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a head main body for ejecting liquid from nozzle openings on a liquid ejecting surface provided with the plurality of nozzle openings; a maintaining member which is adhered to the head main body at a surface side opposite to the liquid ejecting surface side of the head main body in a direction perpendicular to the liquid ejecting surface; and a fixing board which is provided at a side opposite to the maintaining member with respect to the head main body. The fixing board includes a bending portion which is bent to the head main body side. The bending portion is adhered to a side surface of the maintaining member. The head main body is disposed in a space formed by adhering the maintaining member and the fixing board to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Isamu Togashi
  • Patent number: 9393781
    Abstract: A liquid-discharging head includes a substrate; a flow passage wall-forming layer bonded to the substrate so as to form a flow passage for liquid between the substrate and the flow passage wall-forming layer, the flow passage communicating with a discharge port configured to discharge the liquid; an element configured to generate energy used for discharging the liquid from the discharge port and provided on the flow passage wall-forming layer; a metal layer provided with the discharge port so as to correspond to the element; and a projecting portion made of a metal and extending from the metal layer through the flow passage wall-forming layer and projecting in the direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Terui, Yuichiro Kanasugi, Masaya Uyama, Kouji Harada
  • Patent number: 9365040
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles formed therein from which droplets are ejectable. The nozzle plate includes a nozzle substrate in which a plurality of nozzle holes each constituting a nozzle is formed, and a liquid-repellent film formed on a surface of the nozzle substrate on a droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate. A circumferential portion is formed around each nozzle on the droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate and is smoothly recessed toward an edge portion of the nozzle. The edge portion of the nozzle is smoothly continuous with an inner wall of the nozzle, and the liquid-repellent film having a uniform thickness is formed across the nozzle plate on the droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate to at least the edge portion of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9346268
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a liquid ejection head comprises a pressure generation chamber in which liquid is filled; a plate configured to connect with the pressure generation chamber and include a plurality of liquid ejection sections of which the axes are directed to the center direction of an impact area of the liquid; and a driver configured to enable a pressure in the pressure generation chamber to fluctuate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Isao Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9346271
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a fixing plate which includes a bottom surface which is fixed onto the nozzle surface of each of a plurality of head units which are provided to line up in a state in which a first gap is formed along a first direction, and a first side surface which extends from an edge of the bottom surface which is positioned closer to an outside in the first direction than the lined-up head units to the head unit side. The fixing plate includes a second gap which is formed between the first side surface and the head units which are positioned at ends in the first direction among the head units. The liquid ejecting head also includes a second outer circumferential mold which fills at least a portion of the first gap, and a third outer circumferential mold which fills at least a portion of the second gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Hiroshige Owaki, Toshinobu Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 9327533
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including: a carriage configured to reciprocate in main scanning directions composed of a first direction and a second direction; and a lever member having a lever arm; and a first guide member for guiding the lever arm that protrudes into a movement region of the carriage, wherein the first guide member has an elongate hole through which the lever arm passes and which is defined by first and second edge portions extending in the main scanning directions, the second edge portion located more distant from the carriage than the first edge portion extending outward, in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning directions, from a carriage region over which the carriage passes, the second edge portion having a guide portion inclined such that its downstream end in the second direction is closer to the carriage region than its upstream end in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Wakakusa, Yoichiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9283756
    Abstract: An inkjet nozzle device is configured for constrained symmetric bubble expansion. The inkjet nozzle device includes a firing chamber having a nozzle aperture and a heater element. The heater element extends between an end wall of the firing chamber and a baffle plate facing the end wall. The baffle plate is wider than the heater element and a centroid of the heater element coincides with a midpoint between the baffle plate and the end wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Limited
    Inventor: Angus John North
  • Patent number: 9283755
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a discharge orifice configured to eject liquid; a device configured to generate energy for use in ejecting liquid; a pressure chamber partitioned by a wall, the pressure chamber accommodating the device and communicating with the discharge orifice; and a channel configured to supply liquid to the pressure chamber, wherein the discharge orifice has first and second protrusions protruding from the edge of the discharge orifice toward the central portion in an extending direction of the channel along the center line of the channel, and the interval between the base of the first protrusion and the base of the second protrusion in the extending direction of the channel is larger than the maximum interval between the edges of the discharge orifice in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chiaki Muraoka, Yukuo Yamaguchi, Takuya Iwano, Keiji Tomizawa
  • Patent number: 9278528
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a flow channel member made of silicon; a nozzle plate made of silicon; a manifold member, which cooperates with the flow channel member to define a manifold in fluid communication with a plurality of pressure generation chambers; and a cover member, wherein the cover member is made of a different material than the nozzle plate, and wherein the cover member is affixed to the surface of the flow channel member that is affixed to the nozzle plate. The cover member fluidly blocks the manifold from the ambient atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Fujio Akahane
  • Patent number: 9278524
    Abstract: An ink manifold for use with a heater chip in an inkjet printhead, including a first planar surface and a second opposite planar surface, a plurality of ink channels located on the first planar surface of the ink manifold for supplying ink to the heater chip, and a plurality of ink ports located on the second opposite planar surface of the ink manifold, each of the plurality of ink ports being in liquid communication with a respective one of the plurality of ink channels, each of the plurality of ink channels having a bottom wall defined by bottom wall portions that rise from each ink port within the ink channel to a maximum height at an angle of at least 12 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Greg Long, Jamey Anderson, Brad Drews
  • Patent number: 9272294
    Abstract: The portions at the circumferential edges of a flow channel formation plate in which the corner portions of a dummy flow channel portion are formed are weaker than other portions, and thus when thermal stress has occurred due to temperature changes when the constituent elements of a flow channel unit are affixed to each other, cracks can be induced preferentially in the weak portion, rather than the other portions, starting from the ends of the corner portions. In particular, although similar corner portions are formed in a common liquid chamber, the intersection angle of the corner portions in the dummy flow channel portion is smaller than the intersection angle of the corner portions in the common liquid chamber, and thus it is easier for stress to concentrate in the corner portions of the dummy flow channel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomi Ogawa, Hajime Nakao, Isamu Togashi
  • Patent number: 9259939
    Abstract: A print head includes an inlet port that receives a flow of a phase-change ink and an outlet port that delivers the flow to a jet. The print head includes a flow path along a flow direction from the inlet port to the outlet port. The flow path has top and bottom planar surfaces, and further includes two or more elongated grooves in at least one of the top and bottom planar surfaces. The two or more elongated grooves are at an angle to the flow direction and have a threshold capillary dimension such that bubbles in the phase-change ink are directed along the elongated grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: John S. Paschkewitz, Emily Tow, Victor Beck, Kai Melde
  • Patent number: 9254654
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes a nozzles plate including a plurality of nozzles to discharge droplets; a channel plate including a plurality of individual liquid chambers disposed in a row and connected to the plurality of nozzles; a wall-forming member to form a wall of the individual liquid chambers; a plurality of dummy individual channels disposed on the channel plate along a nozzle alignment direction outside lateral ends of the row of individual liquid chambers; and partitions between the dummy individual channels. A width of the partitions between the dummy individual channels along the nozzle alignment direction increases away from the individual liquid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9254642
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method and apparatus for dispensing minute quantities of fluids and more particularly rapidly dispensing highly precise and repeatable, minute amounts of viscous fluids in a non-contact manner. An impacting element is impacted against a hardened insert on a flexible diaphragm to deflect the insert into a jetting chamber and against an outlet orifice in the jetting chamber. The movement of the diaphragm and insert force viscous fluid in the chamber through the outlet orifice and the impact jets that fluid from the outlet orifice, with the impact force being adjusted to jet the fluid from the orifice in a single drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Advanjet
    Inventors: Robert L. Ciardella, Duong La, Wai Ching Bessie Chin