Flow Path Patents (Class 347/65)
  • Patent number: 8007077
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes a recording element substrate, on which sets of energy generating elements generating energy to discharge ink and a supply port supplying ink to discharge ports are arranged, and an orifice plate including the discharge ports. The sets include a set having a first supply port disposed at a first edge of the substrate and a set having a second supply port disposed at a second edge of the substrate opposite the first edge. The distance between the second edge and the second supply port is shorter than the distance between the first edge and the first supply port. A contact area between the substrate and second channel walls that form second ink channels communicating with the second supply port is larger than the contact area between the substrate and first channel walls that form first ink channels communicating with the first supply port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kudo, Genji Inada
  • Patent number: 8007075
    Abstract: A printhead is provided having a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles defined therethrough and a plurality of adjacently arranged structures on which the nozzle plate is formed. The structures have a plurality of passages for distributing fluid to the nozzles and each structure has elongate apertures to the passages. The long dimension of the elongate apertures in the abutting sides of adjacent structures are angled relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8007074
    Abstract: A liquid discharge recording head comprising a plurality of recording element boards for discharging black ink and color ink, by which image quality of color ink is improved without decreasing image quality of black ink. The liquid discharge recording head including: a first recording element board including a first discharge aperture for discharging liquid; a second recording element board including a second discharge aperture, the second discharge aperture being smaller than the first discharge aperture; and a support member including a face for supporting the first recording element board and the second recording element board. A distance from the face of the support member to the second discharge aperture is longer than a distance from the face of the support member to the first discharge aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Fujii, Masahisa Watanabe, Shuhei Oya, Seiko Minami
  • Publication number: 20110205305
    Abstract: A heater chip has a substrate and at least one die, made of silicon, and a bond non-adhesively attaching them. The substrate, thick enough to resist bowing, has ink supply vias from back to front surfaces. The die has ink flow vias from back to front surfaces and circuitry including heater elements adjacent the front surface interspersed with ink flow vias. The at least one die is superimposed on the substrate such that ink supply vias of the substrate align with ink flow vias of the die and portions of substrate front surface and die back surface are aligned, disposed adjacent and facing one another. The bond formed between substrate and die facing surface portions is hermetic and equal in strength to a Si—O bond. A metal through the die connects a conductor on a front of the substrate to a heater element on a front of the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Frank Edward Anderson, David Laurier Bernard, Paul William Dryer, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Andrew Lee McNees, Timothy Lowell Strunk, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8002386
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: a substrate; a row of nozzle chambers disposed on the substrate; an ink conduit extending longitudinally adjacent the row of nozzle chambers; and a nozzle plate spanning over the ink conduit and the row of nozzle chambers. Each nozzle chamber has a respective ink ejection opening defined in the nozzle plate; a first ink inlet defined in a sidewall of the nozzle chamber for receiving ink from the ink conduit; and a second ink inlet defined in a floor of the nozzle chamber. Each of the first and second ink inlets is in fluid communication with a common ink reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Matthew Taylor Worsman, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8002389
    Abstract: A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a cavity unit having a plurality of nozzles and pressure chambers; and an actuator unit applying jetting pressures to the pressure chambers. The actuator unit has a plurality of stacked ceramics layers, individual electrodes corresponding to the pressure chambers, a common electrode common to all the pressure chambers, and a barrier layer preventing the liquid from being penetrated therethrough. The barrier layer is stacked on a position which is between a contact surface, of the actuator unit, making contact with the cavity unit and the individual electrodes closest to the contact surface, except a position on the contact surface. It is possible to prevent the individual electrodes and the common electrode from being electrically short-circuited due to the liquid even when the ceramics layer in contact with the cavity unit has a crack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichiro Hara
  • Patent number: 7997686
    Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a wafer substrate defining an inlet channel; a nozzle chamber wall and a roof wall positioned on the wafer substrate to define a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the inlet channel, the roof wall defining an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber; a paddle positioned in the nozzle chamber and reciprocally displaceable to eject ink from the ejection port; and an actuating arm extending through the nozzle chamber wall and connected to the paddle, the actuating arm comprising an actuating portion having a pair of actuating members, one of the actuating members including a heating circuit. On receipt of an electrical signal to the exclusion of the other actuating member, the actuating arm is displaced in a first direction. The actuating arm is comprised of a resiliently flexible material, whereby on cessation of the electrical signal, the actuating arm is displaced in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7997689
    Abstract: A droplet ejection device for a highly viscous liquid includes a micro flow channel filled with a highly viscous liquid and having an inlet and an outlet channel; at least a branch channel communicated with the outlet channel; a highly-viscous-liquid supply device connected to the inlet so as to supply the highly viscous liquid to the micro flow channel; a gas supply device connected to the branch channel so as to supply a gas to the outlet channel by way of the branch channel; and at least a control valve mounted between the branch channel and the gas supply device so as to control an intermittent supply of the gas from the branch channel to the outlet channel to interrupt the highly-viscous-liquid flow in the outlet channel and to prompt the highly viscous fluid to form a droplet to be ejected out of the micro flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yu Yin Peng, Chin Pin Chien, Tien Ho Gau
  • Patent number: 7997697
    Abstract: A droplet discharge head including a nozzle substrate having nozzle openings, a cavity substrate having discharge chambers that communicate with the nozzle openings and discharge droplets from the nozzle openings, a reservoir substrate having a reservoir concave portion that serves as a reservoir which communicates commonly with the discharge chambers. The reservoir substrate is provided between the nozzle substrate and the cavity substrate and a resin thin film is formed on a whole inner face of the reservoir concave portion and on a bottom face of a second concave portion. The second concave portion is provided in a peripheral of the reservoir concave portion and has a depth which is smaller than the depth of the reservoir concave portion. The resin thin film is cut circularly so as to surround the reservoir concave portion, and a part of the resin thin film serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation. serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuji Arawaka, Kazufumi Oya
  • Patent number: 7998555
    Abstract: A beam having a base material of silicon monocrystal and at least one projection which is integrally formed so as to be supported at least at one end thereof and which has two surfaces having an orientation plane (111), includes a bottom surface in a plane which is common with a plane of the base material; a groove penetrating from the bottom surface to a top of the projection; and a protecting member having a resistance property against a crystal anisotropic etching liquid and covering an inner wall of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Ushijima, Takeo Yamazaki, Makoto Terui, Kazuhiro Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7997690
    Abstract: An inkjet printer including: a printhead having a plurality of nozzles assemblies, each nozzle assembly having: a nozzle chamber for containing ink, the chamber having a nozzle opening and an ink inlet; and a bend actuator for ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle opening by generating a positive pressure pulse in the ink during bending of the actuator. An ink supply system supplies ink to the printhead so that a hydrostatic pressure of ink can be varied. Increasing the hydrostatic ink pressure increases a volume of the ejected ink droplets, and decreasing the hydrostatic ink pressure decreases a volume of the ejected ink droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Vincent Patrick Lawlor, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7997687
    Abstract: A printhead nozzle arrangement is provided having a wafer defining a chamber for holding ejection fluid, an ejection port supported by a plurality of bridge members which extend from the ejection port to sides of the chamber, and a plurality of heater elements interleaved between the bridge members for causing ejection of fluid held in the chamber through the ejection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Gregory John McAvoy
  • Patent number: 7997691
    Abstract: An ink jet print head is provided which is highly reliable in recovering its performance by removing bubbles accumulated in the ink paths to reliably prevent print quality degradation in bi-directional printing. In the ink ejection member having an odd number of arrayed ink supply ports to supply ink to the ejection openings, the ink colors of the ink supply ports are arranged laterally symmetrically and a plurality of ink tanks are arranged side by side so that the direction of array of the ink supply ports is perpendicular to the direction of array of the ink tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroki Tajima
  • Patent number: 7992966
    Abstract: A printhead assembly has a casing. A printhead module is positioned in the casing. The printhead module and the casing are configured so that the printhead module is removable from the casing. The printhead module includes a fluid channel member defining a number of ink ducts along its length and positioned in the casing. A number of printhead tiles are arranged on the fluid channel member. Each printhead tile has a printhead integrated circuit. The printhead tiles and the fluid channel member are configured so that ink can be supplied to the printhead integrated circuits from the fluid channel member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Norman Micheal Berry, Garry Raymond Jackson, Akira Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7984976
    Abstract: A liquid recording head includes an element substrate on which ejection energy generating elements for generating energy for ejecting droplets of liquid are provided in a staggered arrangement, ejection outlets provided opposed to the ejection energy generating elements, ejection energy generation chambers enclosing the ejection energy generating elements, and a flow path constituting member constituting first and second nozzles for supplying the liquid into the ejection energy generation chambers. The second nozzles have flow path lengths shorter than those of the first nozzles, the first and second nozzles are arranged alternately, and an average height of the paths of the first nozzles is greater than that of the paths of the second nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Tomizawa, Ken Tsuchii
  • Patent number: 7980668
    Abstract: An ejection arrangement is provided for a printhead nozzle. The arrangement has a chamber having an inlet defined by edge portions of a first side of the chamber and an ejection port defined in a second side of the chamber, and an ejection member located in the chamber between the edge portions. The ejection member is operable to cause ejection of fluid in the chamber through the ejection port and subsequent refill of fluid into the chamber through the inlet. The edge portions are configured to reduce fluid flow through a space between the edge portions and the ejection member during ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7980678
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a substrate including a discharge port forming member provided with discharge ports for discharging ink, and a flow path forming member for forming an ink flow path communicating with the discharge ports, wherein at least one of the flow path forming member and the discharge port forming member contains a material having fluorine atoms, a supply path used to supply ink to a supply hole, a support member supporting the substrate, a supply path forming member for forming a part of the supply path, and a rubber member provided between the support member and the supply path forming member and forming a part of the supply path. The supply path forming member or the rubber member contains a material containing bivalent metal, and the rubber member contains a compound providing counter ions to the bivalent metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Fukushima, Toshihiko Ujita, Akihiko Shimomura
  • Patent number: 7980675
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a substrate having an ink supply port, an ejection outlet for ejecting ink supplied through the supply port, and a flow path portion which provides fluid communication between the supply port and the ejection outlet. The flow path portion includes a near portion which is near to the substrate and a remote portion which is remote from the substrate, and a width of the near portion is different from a width of the remote portion in a sectional plane perpendicular to a direction of flow of the ink, and a stepped portion is provided between the near portion and the remote portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takumi Suzuki, Masahiko Kubota, Tamaki Sato, Maki Kato, Kazuhiro Asai
  • Patent number: 7980663
    Abstract: A print head can improve an ink refill speed to reduce the time from the end of one ejection of ink droplets until the beginning of a next ejection of ink droplets and maintain the high quality of images obtained by printing. An ink jet print head has an ejection port portion including a first ejection port portion communicating with atmosphere, and a second ejection port portion having a cross-section which extends in a direction orthogonal to an ejecting direction and which is larger than that of the first ejection port portion. The second ejection port portion is formed between a bubbling chamber and the first ejection port portion. In the ink jet print head, an ejection port portion first axis is located away from an ejection port portion second axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Keiji Tomizawa, Shuichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 7980677
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes recording element substrates each including at least one nozzle array and heat generating resistors, a common liquid chamber having introducing and discharging ports, and a supporting member mounting the recording element substrates and in which a plurality of individual liquid chambers for supplying the ink to respective recording element substrates and a plurality of ink inlet ports for supplying the ink from the common liquid chamber to respective individual liquid chambers are formed. The individual liquid chambers are arranged in a direction of flow of the ink from the ink introducing port toward the discharging port. At least in a most upstream individual liquid chamber with respect to the direction, a center line of an associated inlet port with respect to the direction is located downstream of a center line of the upstream individual liquid chamber with respect to the direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Chino, Shoji Kanemura, Hiroyasu Nomura
  • Patent number: 7980676
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head is constituted by a liquid ejection substrate comprising a liquid supply port for supplying liquid, an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid supplied from the liquid supply port, and ejection energy generating devices for generating energy for ejecting the liquid; and a supporting member having a supporting surface for supporting the liquid ejection substrate and a liquid supply hole for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection substrate, the liquid supply hole communicating with the liquid supply port of the liquid ejection substrate to form a communicating portion, a periphery of which is sealed by a sealant. The liquid supply hole of the supporting member has an opening larger than that of the liquid supply port of the liquid ejection substrate. The support member has an inner wall portion including an edge line portion defined by the liquid supply hole on a side where the liquid ejection substrate is to be disposed. The inner wall portion is covered with the sealant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hirosawa, Shuzo Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 7976141
    Abstract: Provided is an ink supply assembly for an inkjet printhead arrangement. The assembly includes an elongate extrusion defining a number of distribution channels for distributing ink to a printhead via an end cap operatively fitted to the extrusion. The end cap includes an upper plate and a lower plate hingedly linked by means of a spine. The end cap also includes a plurality of plugs defined on the spine to plug said distribution channels when the cap is fitted to the extrusion. The printhead assembly includes ink reservoirs and an air pump linked to the channels via delivery hoses and apertures defined in the upper plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King
  • Patent number: 7976130
    Abstract: A micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement for a printhead integrated circuit featuring a nozzle chamber capped by an ink ejection port includes a paddle located in the nozzle chamber below the ink ejection port; an actuator arm having a fixed end fixed to the substrate and a working end displaceable towards and away from the substrate; and a motion transmitting structure interconnecting the working end of the actuator arm and a proximal end of the paddle. The actuator arm and the paddle are formed of the same material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7971968
    Abstract: A printhead has a plurality of nozzle arrangements. Each arrangement includes a substrate defining an ink inlet aperture with a wall portion bounding the ink inlet aperture and a crown portion defining a nozzle opening; a skirt portion depending from the crown portion to form part of a peripheral wall of the nozzle assembly, the crown and skirt portions being displaceable with respect to the wall portion towards the substrate to alter a volume of a nozzle chamber defined by the wall, crown and skirt portions; and a thermal actuator interconnecting the crown and skirt portions with the substrate, the actuator for displacing the crown and skirt portions. The wall portion and skirt portions are configured to define a fluidic seal to inhibit the egress of ink during such displacement. The substrate further includes a layer of micro-electromechanical drive circuitry for actuating the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7971971
    Abstract: An inkjet nozzle assembly includes: a nozzle chamber having a nozzle opening and an ink inlet; and a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle opening. The actuator includes: an active beam for connection to drive circuitry; a first passive beam fused to the active beam; and a second passive beam fused to the second first passive beam. The first passive beam is sandwiched between the active beam and the second passive beam such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beams, resulting in bending of the actuator and ejection of ink through the nozzle opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Vincent Patrick Lawlor, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7971960
    Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit that has a plurality of nozzles formed on a frontside of a monolithic wafer substrate, the nozzles being arranged in rows extending longitudinally along the substrate. Each nozzle has a respective nozzle inlet extending partially through the monolithic wafer substrate. The integrated circuit also has a plurality of ink supply channels defined in a backside surface of the monolithic wafer substrate which extend longitudinally along the backside of the substrate. Each ink supply channel is deep enough to meet the nozzle inlets such that ink fed to the backside surface of the substrate is supplied to the nozzles on the frontside. The nozzles supplied with ink from one of the ink supply channels are different to the nozzles supplied with ink by another of the ink supply channels such that different ink colors are simultaneously printed. Each ink supply channel is separated into channel sections by one or more transverse walls that structurally stiffen the monolithic wafer substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7963642
    Abstract: An ink-jet printer, including: a recording head which ejects ink onto a recording medium; a main tank which stores the ink to be supplied to the recording head; a sub tank configured to be extended and contracted in a vertical direction and including first and second ink flow holes provided in a lower portion of the sub tank, such that the first ink flow hole communicates with the recording head while the second ink flow hole communicates with the main tank; and a communication tube which is connected, at one of opposite ends thereof, to the second ink flow hole and which has, at the other of opposite ends thereof, an opening positioned in an inside space of the sub tank, whereby the second ink flow hole and the inside space of the sub tank communicate with each other via the communication tube, wherein the communication tube is configured such that the opening of the communication tube is displaced downwardly in accordance with the contraction of the sub tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaichiro Umeda
  • Patent number: 7963636
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head is constituted by a substrate to which elements for generating energy utilized for ejecting liquid and a supply port for supplying the liquid to be ejected are provided; a plurality of ejection outlets, for ejecting the liquid, provided corresponding to the elements; pressure chambers each communicating with an associated ejection outlet; and flow paths communicating between the pressure chambers and the supply port. The flow paths include at least one pair of flow paths connected to an associated pressure chamber in a symmetrical manner and include flow paths overlapping with each other with respect to a direction from an associated ejection outlet toward the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Yamane
  • Patent number: 7963635
    Abstract: The landing precision of ink drops is improved to improve the image quality and increase the printing speed. An inkjet print head ejects ink supplied from an ink supply port from a plurality of ejection ports respectively connecting to ink paths having different flow resistances by using energy generated by a plurality of electrothermal transducer elements respectively corresponding to the plurality of the ejection ports, wherein each of the plurality of the ejection ports connected to the ink paths having a low ink flow resistance is arranged so that the center of each of the plurality of the ejection ports is positioned farther away from the ink supply port to the center of the corresponding electrothermal transducer element than each of the plurality of the ejection ports connected to the ink paths having a high ink flow resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Oikawa, Keiji Tomizawa, Mikiya Umeyama, Toru Yamane, Chiaki Muraoka, Yuichiro Akama, Tomotsugu Kuroda
  • Patent number: 7959264
    Abstract: Embodiments include forming internal or external extended surface elements on a print-head substrate, at least in part, using a light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Dustin W. Blair, Jeff Pollard, Matthew D. Giere, Satya Prakash
  • Patent number: 7954929
    Abstract: A micro-fluid ejecting head for use in a micro-fluid ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of micro-fluid ejection devices, a plurality of driver devices for driving the plurality of micro-fluid ejection devices, and a nonvolatile programmable memory matrix. The memory matrix contains embedded programmable memory devices for storing information related to operation of the micro-fluid ejecting head. The memory matrix is configured to communicate with a controller which is external of the micro-fluid ejecting head. The information stored in the memory matrix may include identification information for the micro-fluid ejecting head, alignment characteristics of the micro-fluid ejecting head, information regarding properties of fluid used by the micro-fluid ejecting head, fluid level information, and fluid use information. The external controller accesses the information stored in the memory matrix and controls the plurality of driver devices based on the information accessed from the memory matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: John G. Edelen, George K. Parish, Kristi M. Rowe
  • Patent number: 7954930
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting head according to an aspect of the present invention includes a liquid droplet ejecting element for ejecting liquid droplets a liquid supply path having two or more flow ports, through which a liquid can flow, and supplying the liquid flowing in from the flow ports to the liquid droplet ejecting element, and a flow path cross-sectional area variable unit for changing the flow path cross-sectional area of the liquid supply path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Isozaki
  • Patent number: 7950780
    Abstract: A liquid jet head includes a plurality of individual flow paths where nozzles configured to jet liquid are in communication; wherein a layer of an adhesive is formed on a side wall surface of the individual flow path; and the layer of the adhesive contains a material capable of having a photocalytic reaction obtaining hydrophilicity by light irradiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsugu Irinoda
  • Patent number: 7950774
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a supporting wafer substrate; an array of drop ejection apparatuses formed in a first side of the supporting wafer substrate, the array of drop ejection apparatuses configured as pairs of rows of drop ejection apparatuses, each drop ejection apparatus including a chamber with a nozzle, and an actuator extending into the nozzle; and a common ink channel extending between each pair of rows of drop ejection apparatuses. Each chamber has a sidewall adjacent to the common ink channel, the side wall provided with a grill portion for facilitating an in-flow of ink from the common ink channel into the chamber, the grill portion adapted to further filter the ink flowing therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7946688
    Abstract: A recording head includes a recording element substrate having a discharge port facilitating discharging a liquid droplet, an energy generating element configured to generate energy for liquid discharge, and a supply opening facilitating supplying the discharge port with a liquid. The recording head also has a support member having a supply path formed by laminating a plurality of plate-shaped members including an opening portion. The support member supports the recording element substrate and includes a chamber communicating with the supply path and adapted to hold air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junya Kawase, Shinji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7946680
    Abstract: There is provided a head including a chip 10 that has a semiconductor substrate 11, heating elements 12 disposed on the semiconductor substrate 11, coating layers 14 disposed on the semiconductor substrate 11 and having nozzles 14a arranged in regions above the respective heating elements 12, and individual channels 14b each communicating with the outside and the region above the corresponding heating element 12, wherein the semiconductor substrate 11 does not have a through hole communicating with each individual channel 14b; a ink feed member 21 having a common channel 21b, the ink feed member 21 being bonded to the chip 10 in such a manner that the common channel 21b communicates with the individual channels 14b; and a top 22 disposed on the chip 10 and the ink feed member 21 so as to seal the opening of the common channel 21b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shogo Ono, Manabu Tomita, Koichi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 7946686
    Abstract: A bonded printhead assembly comprising at least one printhead integrated circuit having a plurality of etched ink supply channels defined in a first bonding surface thereof each ink supply channel extending longitudinally along said first bonding surface a molded ink manifold having a second bonding surface and an adhesive tape sandwiched between the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface said adhesive tape having a plurality of ink supply apertures defined therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7942506
    Abstract: An inkjet printer head includes a substrate, an insulating layer having a groove and disposed on the substrate, a heating member having a concavely curved upper surface and disposed on an upper portion of the groove, an electrode to make contact with the heating member to apply electric current to the heating member, a chamber layer disposed on the heating member, and a nozzle layer having one or more nozzles and disposed on the chamber layer. According to the inkjet printer head, the heating member has a curved structure to increase a length of the heating member, so that resistance of the heating member can be increased. Thus, the heating member can stably operate regardless of current variation applied thereto, and the printing work can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Joon Park, Tae-Jin Kim, Young Hye Park, Dai Geun Kim
  • Patent number: 7942503
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead that has a silicon wafer substrate that defines a plurality of ink inlet channels and a plurality of replicated nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate to receive ink from the ink inlets and eject ink droplets onto a media substrate. Each of the nozzle arrangements has nozzle chamber walls, and a roof positioned on the nozzle chamber walls defining an ink ejection port. The roof defines a recess about the ink ejection port to inhibit ink spread from any nozzle face floods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7942504
    Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate assembly defining an ink inlet; a static ink ejecting member extending from the substrate assembly and bounding the ink inlet; an active ink ejecting member having a roof and sidewalls that depends from the roof towards the substrate, the roof defining an ink ejection port and the active ink ejecting member movably located relative to the static ink ejecting member to define a variable-volume nozzle chamber; and an actuator arrangement configured to reciprocate the active ink ejection member relative to the static ink ejecting member to eject ink in the nozzle chamber out through the ink ejection port. The static ink ejecting member is located within bounds delimited by the sidewalls of the active ink ejecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7938513
    Abstract: A heater chip has a substrate and at least one die, made of silicon, and a bond non-adhesively attaching them. The substrate, thick enough to resist bowing, has ink supply vias from back to front surfaces. The die has ink flow vias from back to front surfaces and circuitry including heater elements adjacent the front surface interspersed with ink flow vias. The at least one die is superimposed on the substrate such that ink supply vias of the substrate align with ink flow vias of the die and portions of substrate front surface and die back surface are aligned, disposed adjacent and facing one another. The bond formed between substrate and die facing surface portions is hermetic and equal in strength to a Si—O bond. By separate processing of carrier and device wafers, size and features of substrate and die can be tailored to provide a desired heater chip construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Edward Anderson, David Laurier Bernard, Paul William Dryer, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Andrew Lee McNees, Timothy Lowell Strunk, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7938512
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate to slotted substrates. One exemplary method forms a feature into a substrate, at least in part, by directing a laser beam at the substrate. During at least a portion of said directing, the method supplies a conductive material proximate the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jong-Souk Yeo, Mark Huth, Mehrgan Khavari, Alexey S Kabalnov, Craig M. Gates, Sean P Mcclelland
  • Patent number: 7937835
    Abstract: A composite ceramic substrate for receiving an ejection head chip for a micro-fluid ejection head and a method for making the composite ceramic substrate. The substrate includes a high temperature previously fired ceramic base having a substantially planarized first surface and at least one fluid supply slot therethrough. A low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) tape layer bundle having at least two LTCC tape layers is attached to the ceramic base at an interface between the LTCC tape layer bundle and the first surface of the ceramic base. The LTTC tape layer bundle has at least one chip pocket therein and at least one of the LTCC tape layers includes a plurality of conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Edward Anderson, Michael John Dixon, Eric Spencer Hall, Elios Klemo, Bryan Dale McKinley, Jeanne Marie Saldanha Singh
  • Patent number: 7938509
    Abstract: The present invention relates a printhead for an inkjet printer. The printhead has a plurality of nozzle arrangements, with each arrangement having a substrate defining an ink inlet channel leading to a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the ink inlet channel and an ink ejection port through which ink from the nozzle chamber is ejected. Each arrangement also includes an ink ejection paddle extending across the nozzle chamber between the ink inlet channel and the ink ejection port, and a thermal bend actuator configured to operatively actuate the paddle. Also included is a sealing structure interposed between a working end of the actuator arm and a proximal end portion of the paddle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7938514
    Abstract: A printing nozzle is provided having a chamber defined over a fluid inlet in a substrate and having a fluid ejection port, an actuator for causing ejection of fluid within the chamber from the fluid ejection port, a controller for controlling operation of the actuator by applying a current pulse having a predetermined energy level to the actuator, and a sensor for sensing operation of the actuator. The controller applies a current pulse having an energy level significantly greater than said predetermined energy level to the actuator when the sensor senses faulty operation of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7934810
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head has sufficient and uniform ink refill for all orifices and separate flow paths even though the substrate has high rigidity by dividing a supply port into a plurality of ports. The substrate of the ink jet recording head has a plurality of separate flow paths corresponding to discharge pressure generating elements, a common flow path communicating with the separate flow paths, an ink supply port communicating with the common flow path and supplying ink to the common flow path, and a plurality of beam portions dividing the ink supply port. A recess is formed on the common flow path, extending to the separate flow paths formed nearest to the beam portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hayakawa, Makoto Terui
  • Patent number: 7934811
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes an ink flow path including a nozzle through which ink is ejected and is formed of a conductive epoxy resin, the conductive epoxy resin is a hardening result of a conductive cross-linked polymer resist composition formed by actinic radiation, and the conductive cross-linked polymer resist composition includes (a) at least one epoxy precursor polymer selected from a phenol novolak precursor polymer and an alicyclic precursor polymer including glycidyl ether group, (b) a metal alkoxide compound represented by the following formula R?M(OR)n, where R? refers to a functional group including an oxirane group or an oxetanyl group, R refers to a C1-10alkyl group, and M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, and Zr, (c) a cationic photoinitiator, and (d) a solvent. The inkjet printhead includes an ink flow path formed of a conductive epoxy resin and a trench formed around a heater of the inkjet printhead to dissipate residual heat generated by the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-ha Park, Young-ung Ha
  • Patent number: 7934809
    Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit includes an ink chamber for storing a fluid; an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber; a plurality of actuators radially positioned about the ink ejection port in a petal formation; and a heater structure provided in each actuator, the heater structure operable to conduct current therethrough to heat a respective actuator, whereby a differential thermal expansion is established in the respective actuator to urge the respective actuator into the ink chamber. The heater structure is positioned in each actuator to heat the actuator unevenly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Gregory John McAvoy
  • Patent number: 7934803
    Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate assembly incorporating an electrical drive circuitry layer and defining an ink inlet channel; a nozzle chamber structure extending from the substrate assembly and defining a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the ink inlet channel and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, the nozzle chamber being rectangular in plan; an anchor extending from the substrate assembly; a thermal bend actuator extending from the anchor and electrically coupled to the drive circuitry layer; and a lever arm coupled to the thermal bend actuator, pivotally supported by the substrate assembly and terminating in a paddle within the nozzle chamber. Upon receipt of a driving signal from the drive circuitry layer, the thermal bend actuator bends to induce movement of the paddle and effect ejection of ink in the nozzle chamber through the ink ejection port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Kia Silverbrook
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7934795
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a substrate including a liquid supply port and a plurality of ejection energy generating elements, disposed along the liquid supply port, and an ejection outlet plate including a plurality of ejection outlets, provided correspondingly to the plurality of ejection energy generating elements, and including a plurality of liquid flow passages, provided correspondingly to the plurality of ejection outlets, for establishing communication between the ejection outlets and the liquid supply port. The ejection outlet plate is provided with a hole portion formed to surround the liquid flow passages. The hole portion includes a plurality of first holes which are arranged in a line and which have opening edges having a shape without an acute angle and further includes a plurality of second holes having opening edges formed in a substantially sawtooth shape, with respect to a direction perpendicular to a surface of the ejection outlet plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Ikegame, Shigeki Fukui