Wiring Patents (Class 347/58)
  • Patent number: 7699438
    Abstract: A plurality of land sections, each enclosed by two slits, are formed in a ground wire provided on a side of a flexible wiring board to which a piezoelectric element is connected. Since the ground wire and the land sections are connected by only a thin connection section, the solder deposited on the land sections does not flow to the ground wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Patent number: 7686423
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head comprising a liquid discharge substrate in which a first liquid supply port being a penetration port for supplying a liquid is formed and is provided with a first electrode receiving electric energy for discharging the liquid on a surface thereof on one side, a supporting member which is opposed to the first electrode and a second liquid supply port being a penetration port for supplying the liquid is formed to communicate with the first liquid supply port, the supporting member provided with a second electrode for transmitting the electric energy to the first electrode on a surface opposed to the first electrode, and a conductive first intermediate member abutting with both of the first electrode and the second electrode to electrically connect the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein an abutting surface of the first intermediate member abutting with the first electrode is flattened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Sato, Toshiaki Hirosawa
  • Patent number: 7681993
    Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ejecting ink as they are energized. This circuit board is so constructed as to reduce wire resistances for the heaters while at the same time preventing an increase in the size of the board and realizing a high-density integration of the heaters required for high resolution printing. This construction is made possible by forming electrode wires of first and second electrode wire layers to reduce an area that the wire patterns for the heater occupy on the circuit board. In reducing the effective thickness of protective insulation layer formed on the heater to prevent a possible degradation of thermal efficiency, one of the protective insulation layers over the electrode wires is removed from the heater, depending on the thickness of the electrode wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Ono, Teruo Ozaki, Toshiyasu Sakai, Ichiro Saito, Satoshi Ibe, Sakai Yokoyama, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 7681995
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head for an electrostatic ink jet including an insulating ejection substrate in which through holes are bored to form ejection openings for ejecting droplets; an insulating support substrate arranged while facing the ejection substrate with a predetermined distance therebetween; a solution flow path provided between the ejection substrate and the support substrate; ejection electrodes, respectively provided corresponding to the through holes, for exerting electrostatic forces on the solution; and a shield electrode, provided corresponding to at least one of the through holes on a solution ejection side with respect to the ejection electrodes, for preventing electric field interferences between the through holes. Plural flow path wall portions contacting the ejection substrate stands in the solution flow path, and at least one of electrode lines connected to the ejection electrodes and electrode lines connected to the shield electrode are contained in the flow path wall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7677701
    Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection heads and methods for fabricating the same. One such micro-fluid ejection head includes a substrate having a plurality of fluid ejection actuator devices adjacent to a device surface thereof A valley is adjacent to the device surface of the substrate. A semiconductor chip is associated with the plurality of fluid ejection actuator devices. The chip is in the valley adjacent the device surface of the substrate. A conductive material is deposited adjacent to the device surface of the substrate. The deposited conductive material generally conforms to the valley. The conductive material is in electrical flow communication with the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventor: Zhigang Xiao
  • Patent number: 7677700
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes a liquid discharge substrate containing an energy generating element and a liquid discharge port, a flow path member of a resinous material fixed to the liquid discharge substrate and having at least a liquid supply path, a sealing material of a resinous material, a concave part, and a support substrate, wherein a distance L1 from a lateral face of the concave part of the flow path member to an end of the support substrate, a distance L2 from the lateral face of the concave part to a lateral face of the liquid discharge substrate, a linear expansion coefficient E1 of the flow path member and a linear expansion coefficient E2 of the sealing material satisfy a relation: L1×E1>L2×E2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichiro Tsukuda
  • Patent number: 7661799
    Abstract: A circuit element which ensures an operation of a driving IC chip and a recording element, is mounted between a power supply and the driving IC chip of a flexible flat cable. Since the circuit element is arranged so as to avoid a bending portion of the flexible flat cable, even in a case of mounting the circuit element near the driving IC chip, it is possible to prevent the circuit elements from being peeled off, and to let the driving IC chip and the heat sink make a close contact assuredly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kubo, Shigeru Suzuki, Yasuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 7658470
    Abstract: A method of using a flexible circuit, including attaching a first portion of the flexible circuit, via an attaching surface of the flexible circuit, to a first surface of a chip carrier. Statically bending a bending portion of the flexible circuit around an edge formed at the intersection of the first surface of the chip carrier, and a second surface of the chip carrier. Adhesively attaching a second portion of the flexible circuit, via the attaching surface, to the second surface of the chip carrier, where the second portion of the flexible circuit has at least one first anchor structure formed in the attaching surface, where the at least one first anchor structure is adapted to accept an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian Jones, Robert Weber, Cary G Addington, Si-Lam Choy
  • Patent number: 7658471
    Abstract: A droplet jet head includes a nozzle substrate having a plurality of nozzle holes; a cavity substrate having recesses whose bottoms serve as diaphragms, and the recesses serving as ejection chambers; an electrode substrate having separate electrodes opposed to the diaphragms; a reservoir substrate having a recess serving as a common droplet chamber for supplying droplets to the ejection chambers, through holes for transferring the droplets from the common droplet chamber to the ejection chambers, and nozzle communicating holes for transferring the droplets from the ejection chambers to the nozzle holes; and a driver IC that supplies a driving signal to the separate electrodes. The cavity substrate has a first hole, and the reservoir substrate has a second hole. The first hole and the second hole communicate with each other to form a housing. The driver IC is housed in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Matsuno, Masahiro Fujii, Akira Sano
  • Patent number: 7652803
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to extend the life of the light source while uniformizing the illuminance intensity in the main scanning direction. The invention is based on a light source of image reading apparatus comprised of film layers laminated on a transparent substrate in the order of a transparent electrode, an area light emitter and a metal electrode, and emitting light by impressing a specific voltage on these two electrodes. And an area light emitter column configured by arranging area light emitters corresponding to each color of R (red), G (green) and B (blue) in the sub scanning direction, or a monochrome area light emitter is arranged repeatedly in the main scanning direction. Accordingly, even when somewhere in the light emitting element has a defect like the film thickness is thin, the current gathering at this point with the low resistance value becomes a very small volume. Therefore, it would not occur that the film burns out from here.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuroh Nakamura, Masakazu Mizusaki, Ken-ichi Masumoto
  • Patent number: 7651205
    Abstract: A liquid discharging head includes a piezoelectric actuator including a plurality of piezoelectric elements and a plurality of electric supply members. The plurality of piezoelectric elements is provided in a row and includes an even number of piezoelectric element columns provided via a groove at a predetermined pitch. The plurality of electric supply members supplies electricity to the plurality of piezoelectric elements and includes electrodes disposed for the alternate piezoelectric element columns of the respective piezoelectric elements. One end of the electric supply member is positioned outwardly from an outer end of an endmost driven piezoelectric element column to which the electrode is connected, while another end of the electric supply member is positioned inwardly from an outer end of an endmost non-driven piezoelectric element column to which the electrode is not connected, in a manner that adjacent electric supply members do not overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7648227
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a first fire line, a second fire line, data lines, latch circuitry, first drop generators, and second drop generators. The first fire line is adapted to conduct a first energy signal including first energy pulses and the second fire line is adapted to conduct a second energy signal including second energy pulses. The data lines are adapted to conduct data signals that represent an image and the latch circuitry is configured to latch the data signals to provide latched data signals based on at least one clock signal. The first drop generators are configured to respond to the first energy signal to eject fluid based on the latched data signals and the second drop generators are configured to respond to the second energy signal to eject fluid based on the latched data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Trudy Benjamin, James P. Axtell
  • Patent number: 7642893
    Abstract: The arrays of independently-addressable resistors are commonly used to control miniature elements. The invention proposes solving the problem caused by the loss of power dissipated in the addressed resistor by choosing, for this resistor, a material with a negative thermal coefficient resistance, which enables the addressing output of this resistor to be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Commissariat a L′Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Adrien Gasse, Guy Parat
  • Patent number: 7641316
    Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ink ejection as they are energized. This circuit board reduces areas of the heaters to achieve higher printing resolution and image quality. This board also prevents a degradation of thermal energy efficiency and reduces power consumption. The protective insulation layer for the electrode wire layer is formed of two layers and one of the two layers is removed from above the heater to improve the heat energy efficiency. The resistor layer is deposited over the electrode wire layer. The patterning for removing the protective insulation layer is done in a wider range than a gap of the electrode wire layer, the gap being used to form the heater. Further, by forming the electrode wires in two layers, a possible reduction in an effective bubble generation area of the heater can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyasu Sakai, Teruo Ozaki, Kenji Ono, Ichiro Saito, Sakai Yokoyama, Satoshi Ibe, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 7635179
    Abstract: A print head includes a substrate with a plurality of row conductors arranged on the substrate, a plurality of column conductors arranged on the substrate, and a plurality of ejectors a arranged on the substrate in rows and columns. Each of the plurality of ejectors includes a resistive element arranged over the substrate and a supply passage through the substrate dedicated to each of the plurality of ejectors. A semiconductor device is associated with each resistive element. The semiconductor device is responsive to a signal from one of the plurality of row conductors or one of the plurality of column conductors to actuate the resistive element associated with the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stanley W. Stephenson, III
  • Publication number: 20090303293
    Abstract: A liquid discharge substrate includes a first substrate having an element, on a first surface, that generates energy for discharging liquid; a plurality of first electrodes electrically connected to the element and passing from the first surface to a second surface of the first substrate opposite to the first surface; a second substrate that is in contact with the second surface to support the first substrate; and second electrodes provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of first electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuzo Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 7628470
    Abstract: The liquid ejection head ejects droplets of liquid from ejection ports by pressurizing the liquid filled in pressure chambers connected to the ejection ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Mita
  • Patent number: 7625070
    Abstract: The liquid ejection head including: a plurality of ejection ports which eject liquid to a recording medium; a plurality of pressure chambers which are connected respectively to the ejection ports; a plurality of piezoelectric elements which respectively deform the pressure chambers and are provided on a side of the pressure chambers opposite to a side on which the ejection ports are formed; a common liquid chamber which is provided on the side of the pressure chambers opposite to the side on which the ejection ports are formed; and a plurality of wiring members which are formed in such a manner that at least a portion thereof rises upward through the common liquid chamber in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to a surface on which the piezoelectric elements are disposed, each of the wiring members containing driving wires through which driving signals are applied respectively to at least two of the piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiya Kojima
  • Patent number: 7625071
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head having a flow channel plate in which liquid flow channels are formed and an actuator forming plate on which actuators for generating pressure which ejecting the liquid are formed. Plate bonding parts through which the flow channel plate and the actuator forming plate are bonded together, and electrical bonding parts through which electrical signals are supplied to the actuators, are bonded by non-conductive pastes having same curing conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Enomoto, Yasuhiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 7614725
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes an array of inkjet print heads, wherein each print head has at least one ink port for receiving ink, at least one nozzle for directing ink onto a substrate to be printed, and at least one control terminal for receiving a supply voltage and/or control signals. A print head mounting element positions the print heads in a defined orientation relative to each other. An electrical supply unit extending over the array is connected to the control terminals of all of the print heads, and can supply a supply voltage and/or print head specific control signals to all of the print heads in common. A mechanical supply unit extending over the array is connected to the ink ports of all of the print heads, and can supply ink to all of the print heads in common.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Peter Schulmeister
  • Patent number: 7614726
    Abstract: A recording head substrate includes a plurality of groups of recording elements arranged in arrays; a number, corresponding to a number of the groups, input contacts for receiving driving pulse signals; signal lines for supplying the driving pulse signals to the groups of recording elements from the input contacts, respectively, wherein in a region between two of the groups of recording elements are adjacent to each other, the signal lines are connected to the recording elements such that areas in which the groups of recording elements are disposed, respectively, have respective driving pulse signal change areas which are overlapped with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Takahiro Matsui, Kousuke Kubo
  • Patent number: 7595562
    Abstract: A device package structure includes: a base body having a conductive connection portion and a level difference portion; a device arranged on the base body, having a connection terminal electrically connected to the conductive connection portion via the level difference portion on the base body; and a connector electrically connecting the connection terminal and the conductive connection portion, having substantially the same height as a height of the level difference portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Mizuno, Yoshihide Nishiyama, Eiichi Sato
  • Patent number: 7591538
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head for ejection liquid includes an electric wiring member including a plurality of contact pads which are electrically contactable to a liquid ejecting apparatus; a storing element for storing individual information; and a liquid ejection member, provided with an ejection outlet, for ejecting the liquid using electric energy supplied through a part of the plurality of contact pads. The contact pads include an array of information contact pads electrically connected with the storing element, a voltage source contact pad for supplying the electric energy and a grounding contact pad. Directly adjacent to each of front and rear sides of the information contact pads constituting the array, the voltage source contact pad or the grounding contact pad is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Toge, Yoshiyuki Imanaka
  • Patent number: 7588317
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to drive different types of printing elements arranged in a printhead by proper powers without increasing the number of signal lines between the printhead and a printing apparatus main body, complicating the circuit configuration, and decreasing the printing speed. For this purpose, time division signals representing two driving periods corresponding to two types of printing elements are supplied to a printhead having the two types of printing elements which require different application powers in order to obtain a desired printing characteristic. Power is applied to the first type printing elements in the first driving period, and power is applied to the second type printing elements in the second driving period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Takahiro Matsui, Kousuke Kubo, Takaaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7578581
    Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided with an ink jet head. The ink jet head includes an ink passage body and an actuator. The ink passage body includes a nozzle, an ink chamber communicating with the nozzle, and a pressure chamber located between the nozzle and the ink chamber. The actuator includes a piezoelectric element facing the pressure chamber. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer, a first electrode connected with a front face of the piezoelectric layer, a second electrode connected with a back face of the piezoelectric layer, and a first insulator located between the second electrode and the ink passage body. The ink jet printer further includes a device for maintaining the electric potentials of the ink passage body and the second electrode such that the electric potential of the ink passage body is equal to or below the electric potential of the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20090207210
    Abstract: A recording head including outlets disposed in a staggered pattern so that the distances from an ink inlet to the outlets differ alternately for adjacent outlets. A recording head includes an outlet group including a plurality of outlets on at least one side of an ink inlet. The outlet group includes first outlets and second outlets, wherein the distance from the ink inlet to the first outlets differs from the distance from the ink inlet to the second outlets. First recording elements and second recording elements including heat resistors are provided. The first recording elements and second recording elements correspond to the first outlets and the second outlets, respectively, and are disposed in first ink channels and second ink channels, respectively. The first recording elements are rectangular, whereas the second recording elements are substantially square.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki IMANAKA, Takuya HATSUI, Souta TAKEUCHI, Takaaki YAMAGUCHI, Takahiro MATSUI, Kousuke KUBO
  • Patent number: 7575302
    Abstract: A printing system includes a print head to deliver ink to an image receptor and at least one ink reservoir to deliver ink to the print head. Driving circuitry provides signals to the print head to control delivery of the ink and a flexible circuit interposed between the print head and the ink reservoirs connects the driving circuitry to the print head. The flexible circuit may include a heater to provide heat to the ink reservoirs. Alternatively, the flexible circuit may be replaced with a rigid substrate having a heater within its layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Dan L. Massopust, Curtis D. Keller, Steven R. Slotto, Peter J. Nystrom, John R. Andrews, Steven V. Korol, Scott T. Treece, Britton T. Pinson, Chad J. Slenes, Samuel Schultz, Lee M. Oien, Jonathan R. Brick
  • Patent number: 7549734
    Abstract: A recording head includes outlets disposed in a staggered pattern so that the distances from an ink inlet to the outlets differ alternately for adjacent outlets. The recording head includes an outlet group including a plurality of the outlets on at least one side of the ink inlet. The outlet group includes first outlets and second outlets, wherein the distance from the ink inlet to the first outlets differs from the distance from the ink inlet to the second outlets. First recording elements and second recording elements including heat resistors are provided. The first recording elements and second recording elements correspond to the first outlets and the second outlets, respectively, and are disposed in first ink channels and second ink channels, respectively. The first recording elements are rectangular, whereas the second recording elements are substantially square.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Takaaki Yamaguchi, Takahiro Matsui, Kousuke Kubo
  • Patent number: 7547094
    Abstract: A liquid discharge recording head includes a recording element with a discharge port for discharging liquid and an electrically connecting portion arranged adjacent to the discharge port and receiving an electric signal for controlling the discharge of the discharge port. The liquid discharge recording head further includes a flexible wiring substrate for covering at least a portion of the recording element. The flexible wiring substrate includes each of a device hole for exposing the discharge port and a bonding hole arranged facing the electrically connecting portion independently. The liquid discharge recording head further includes a sealing agent for covering at least a portion of the electrically connecting portion and filled to at least a portion of the bonding hole. Thus, a liquid discharge recording head that enhances recording performance and that has superior productivity while maintaining reliability of the recording performance is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shogo Kawamura, Toshihiro Mori, Hisashi Fukai, Naoki Nakajo
  • Patent number: 7540596
    Abstract: There is disclosed an electric device comprising: an actuator unit which includes a plurality of electrodes formed thereon; a printed wiring board which comprises: an electrically insulating flexible layer which has on one of its opposite sides protrusions for the respective electrodes, each of the protrusions forming a corresponding recess on the other side of the flexible layer; and a plurality of electrically conducting layers disposed on the respective protrusions to be in contact with the respectively corresponding electrodes; and a plurality of bonding parts each of which is in contact with one of the conducting layers and a corresponding one of the electrodes to completely cover a contact portion between the conducting layer and the electrode so as to maintain the contact therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuhei Hiwada
  • Patent number: 7533960
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head comprises: a discharge element substrate including a discharge port for discharging liquid and a discharge energy generating element; an electrical wiring substrate for inputting an electrical signal to the discharge energy generating element; a supporting mechanism for supporting the discharge element substrate and the electrical wiring substrate; an electrical connection portion for electrically connecting the discharge element substrate with the electrical wiring substrate; a sealant coated on the electrical connection portion; and a film-like member coating the electrical connection portion along the shape of the electrical connection portion through the sealant. Thus, the liquid discharge head resultingly includes the electrical connection portion on which the height of the sealant is suppressed and lowered sufficiently so as to prevent a problem that the electrical connection portion is damaged and/or exposed due to its height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji Yasuda, Katsuhiko Takano, Manabu Sueoka, Shigeo Takenaka, Katsumasa Nishikawa, Kenta Udagawa, Toshiaki Hirosawa
  • Patent number: 7524022
    Abstract: A head module includes lines of head chips, each head chip having energy-generating elements for discharging liquid and electrodes for electrically connecting the energy-generating elements to a control substrate, and a wiring board having wires for electrically connecting the electrodes to the control substrate. The head module drives the energy-generating elements through the wiring board to discharge liquid. The wiring board includes connecting sections connecting the wires to the respective electrodes, common wire sections joining some of the wires that are common to the head chips, and a terminal section connecting the wires to the control substrate at one side of the wiring board. The wires in the connecting and terminal sections are arranged in a single-layer structure along a horizontal direction. The wires in the common wire sections are arranged in a multi-layer structure in which portions of the wires are stacked in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Tomita, Shogo Ono, Iwao Ushinohama, Takaaki Murakami
  • Patent number: 7506970
    Abstract: The liquid ejection head comprises: a nozzle which ejects a liquid; a pressure chamber which is connected to the nozzle; a common liquid chamber which supplies the liquid to the pressure chamber; a piezoelectric element which causes the pressure chamber to deform; and a liquid supply channel which connects between the common liquid chamber and the pressure chamber, wherein the liquid supply channel passes through an active section of the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Mita
  • Publication number: 20090058948
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of ejection outlets for ejecting a liquid droplet; a plurality of flow paths communicating with the ejection outlets; an ink supply port for supplying liquid to the flow paths; and a plurality of heat generating elements provided correspondingly to the ejection outlets, for generating thermal energy for ejecting liquid present inside the flow paths. The plurality of heat generating elements is arranged in a staggered fashion with predetermined intervals with respect to a direction of a long side of the ink supply port. Adjacent staggered ones of the heat generating elements are connected to a common wiring line and are connected to individual wiring lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Kasai, Mineo Kaneko, Masataka Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7497536
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device including firing cells including a first group of firing cells and a second group of firing cells, a control line configured to receive a control signal and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to respond to the control signal to selectively initiate a first sequence adapted to enable the first group of firing cells for activation and a second sequence adapted to enable the second group of firing cells for activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Trudy L. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 7488056
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device having a first fluid feed source having a first fluid feed source edge in communication with a substrate surface, first firing resistors disposed along the first fluid feed source and configured to respond to a first current to heat fluid provided by the first fluid feed source, and a reference conductor. The reference conductor is configured to conduct the first current from the first firing resistors, wherein the reference conductor is disposed between the first fluid feed source edge and the first firing resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett--Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Joseph M Torgerson, Simon Dodd, Michael D. Miller, Trudy L. Benjamin, Kevin Bruce
  • Publication number: 20090002458
    Abstract: An ink jet print head substrate is provided which can prevent voltage drop variations during driving, no matter in what way the ejection energy generation elements are driven, and which can also apply a stable energy to the ejection energy generation elements at all times. The ink jet print head substrate of this invention has a plurality of kinds of ejection energy generation elements to generate different magnitudes of ink ejection energy and wiring portions. The print head substrate also has a plurality of wiring layers arranged to at least partly overlap one another. The wiring portions connected to the different kinds of ejection energy generation elements are provided at least partly in different wiring portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuo Furukawa, Masataka Sakurai, Nobuyuki Hirayama, Ryo Kasai, Tomoko Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 7461922
    Abstract: A printing system comprising: a printhead cartridge comprising a printhead; a cradle unit for supporting the printhead cartridge; and an interface at which the cradle unit is removably engageable with the printhead cartridge, the interface comprising connections for connecting the printhead cartridge with a power supply which is remote from the interface and a power regulation circuit for regulating supply of power from the power supply to the printhead cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Charles Knight, Kia Silverbrook, Bruce Mervyn Horsburgh, Saminda Jayatileke, Brian Robert Brown
  • Patent number: 7445316
    Abstract: A driving circuit layout can suppress an increase in the area of a head substrate in an inkjet printhead adopting a constant electric current driving method. A plurality of printing elements and a plurality of switching elements which are very large in number are arrayed in the longitudinal direction of a head substrate. A terminal which receives a driving signal and a control signal that are used to drive the plurality of printing elements is arranged at the end of the board in the widthwise direction of the board. An electric current source for supplying a predetermined electric current is interposed in an area between these two areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Hirayama
  • Patent number: 7441877
    Abstract: Limitations on the number of recording elements capable of being simultaneously driven are relaxed so that driving voltage fluctuation falls within an allowable range. The substrate includes arrays of recording elements, common power supply wires extended from portions near one end portions of the arrays to portions near the other end portions thereof and connected to a power supply-side electrode pad through a position near the one end portions of the arrays, and common ground wires extended from portions near the one end portions of the arrays to portions near the other end portions thereof and connected to a ground-side electrode pad through a position near the other end portions of the arrays. Thus, since the sum of the lengths of common wires from the electrode pads is equal for all the plurality of elements included in each array, and the combined resistance of common wiring portions becomes substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kousuke Kubo, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Takuya Hatsui, Souta Takeuchi, Takaaki Yamaguchi, Takahiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 7441874
    Abstract: A head unit has a head main body for discharging ink, a driver IC and an FPC, which is interposed between the driver IC and the head main body. The FPC has through holes each of which is embedded with a conductor. The conductor is bonded to an output terminal of the driver IC and the separate electrode formed on a piezoelectric sheet of the head main body. Thus, the driver IC is connected electrically to the separate electrodes of the head main body. With this arrangement, the heat generated by the driver IC is prevented from propagating to the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Sugahara
  • Patent number: 7438388
    Abstract: A printer is provided having a removably mounted printhead assembly. The printhead assembly has a printhead module, a circuit assembly and a support frame. The module has at least two printhead integrated circuits having fluid ejection nozzles, a support member supporting and carrying printing fluid for the printhead ICs and an electrical connector for connecting electrical signals to the printhead ICs. The circuit assembly has linearly aligned first PCBs each having drive electronics for controlling operation of the printhead ICs via the electrical connector, a second PCB at one end of the first PCBs for connecting the drive electronics to power and data supplies, and a third PCB having a spring portion at an opposite end of the first PCBs. The support frame removably mounts the printhead module and the circuit assembly so that the second and third PCBs are arranged at the respective longitudinal ends of the support frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Norman Micheal Berry, Paul Charles Knight
  • Publication number: 20080239010
    Abstract: A head module includes lines of head chips, each head chip having energy-generating elements for discharging liquid and electrodes for electrically connecting the energy-generating elements to a control substrate, and a wiring board having wires for electrically connecting the electrodes to the control substrate. The head module drives the energy-generating elements through the wiring board to discharge liquid. The wiring board includes connecting sections connecting the wires to the respective electrodes, common wire sections joining some of the wires that are common to the head chips, and a terminal section connecting the wires to the control substrate at one side of the wiring board. The wires in the connecting and terminal sections are arranged in a single-layer structure along a horizontal direction. The wires in the common wire sections are arranged in a multi-layer structure in which portions of the wires are stacked in the vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu Tomita, Shogo Ono, Iwao Ushinohama, Takaaki Murakami
  • Patent number: 7425057
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head including a discharge element substrate including an orifice plate having a discharge port for discharging a liquid, and a supply port opened in the reverse side of the surface forming the discharge port for supplying a liquid into the discharge port; a support member having a supply path for supplying a liquid into the supply port; and a flexible wiring substrate having a blanking portion for transmitting a signal for discharging a liquid to the discharge element substrate. The discharge element substrate is electrically connected to the flexible wiring substrate on the surface opening the supply port, the flexible wiring substrate is bonded to both the discharge element substrate and the support member by means of an adhesive, the end face of the blanking portion is covered with the adhesive, the covered blanking portion communicates with the supply port, and the adhesive is a thermally fusible adhesive composed of denatured polyolefin, having a softening point of 80° C. or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouji Harada, Isao Imamura, Hikaru Ueda
  • Patent number: 7419246
    Abstract: Assemblies for use with a fluid ejection apparatus, flexible circuit assemblies and flexible circuits. One such flexible circuit includes a flexible substrate and conductive lines adjacent the substrate. The conductive lines are capable of being operably connected with bonds of an ejector. Each of the lines has a resistance. At least one of the lines includes a length extension. A line having a length extension has substantially the same resistance as another one of the lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventor: William S. Malpica
  • Patent number: 7416286
    Abstract: An inkjet recording head having: a nozzle ejecting ink drops; a pressure chamber which communicates with the nozzle and in which ink is filled; a vibrating plate structuring a portion of the pressure chamber; an ink pooling chamber pooling ink to be supplied to the pressure chamber via an ink flow path; and a piezoelectric element displacing the vibrating plate. The ink pooling chamber is provided at a side of the vibrating plate opposite the side at which the pressure chamber is provided. A driving IC, which applies voltage to the piezoelectric element, is mounted on a piezoelectric element substrate which is formed so as to include the vibrating plate. Accordingly, there is provided the inkjet recording head which realizes a higher density of nozzles and an accompanying formation of wires at a fine pitch to realize higher resolution, and which can be compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michiaki Murata
  • Patent number: 7407270
    Abstract: Provided are a liquid jet head and a liquid jet apparatus in which it is possible to securely connect drawn wires and connection wires and to improve reliability. Connection portions 91 of drawn wires 90 drawn from piezoelectric elements 300 and pad portions 101 of a drive IC 100 for driving the piezoelectric elements 300 are connected by connection wires 110 formed by wire bonding and extended in directions intersecting drawing directions of the connection portions 91. Accordingly, the connection wires 110 and the drawn wires 90 are suitably connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Furuhata
  • Publication number: 20080174639
    Abstract: An ink-jet print head and a method for manufacturing the same. The ink-jet print head includes: an ink ejection part to eject ink; pad regions having connecting pads to apply an electric signal to the ink ejection part; and unitary partition walls disposed at outer edges of the pad regions. The partition walls prevent particles, which are generated when cutting apart adjacent print heats when manufacturing the ink-jet print head, from scattering onto the pad regions. The partition walls are formed together with a flow channel layer and a nozzle layer of the ink ejection part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Joon PARK, Jeong Wuk HAN, Yong Shik PARK
  • Patent number: 7401895
    Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit (IC) for an inkjet printer, with a plurality of nozzle chamber structures positioned on a wafer substrate to define nozzle chambers and an ink ejection nozzle in fluid communication with each nozzle chamber, has drive control and drive circuitry connectable to data and power supplies, and a plurality of elongate actuators attached to the substrate for displacement towards and away from the substrate in response to actuating signals from the drive control and drive circuitry. A plurality of ink ejection members are attached to respective actuators, each ejection member being positioned for acting on ink within respective nozzle chambers to eject a drop of ink from the ink ejection nozzle. The drive control and drive circuitry has traces between each actuator and the substrate and oriented transverse to a longitudinal axis of each respective actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: RE40529
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes the steps of providing an ink jet recording head having a plurality of discharge openings for discharging ink, a plurality of liquid passageways for holding ink and a plurality of heat generating members. Each of the heat generating members corresponds to a liquid passageway and each heat generating member has a pair of electrodes for driving the heat generating member individually and the electrodes and corresponding heat generating member form a U-shaped wiring portion. The recording head may be manufactured using a cutting process. A voltage is applied to selected pairs of electrodes for driving selected heat generating members individually for providing thermal energy to the ink in the liquid passageway for abruptly forming a bubble and discharging ink from the discharge opening and recording on a recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Shirato, Yasushi Takatori, Toshitami Hara, Yukuo Nishimura, Michiko Tanaka