Inkjet printhead with short nozzle
View Patent ↗An inkjet drop ejection apparatus with a very short nozzle, providing reduced viscous drag. Various structures are shown where the nozzle length is around two microns.
1. An inkjet drop ejection comprising:
a chamber for containing a quantity of ink;
a nozzle in fluid communication with the chamber, the nozzle defining an ejection aperture;
an actuator for ejecting drops of ink through the nozzle; wherein, the ejection aperture is in a plane that is generally perpendicular to a drop ejection trajectory, and the length of the nozzle in the direction of the drop ejection trajectory is less than 5 microns; and wherein more than fifteen thousand nozzles are etched through a single monolithic plate, each nozzle associated with a respective chamber and actuator.
2. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the length of the nozzle is about 3 microns.
3. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the nozzles has a respective rim extending from the monolithic plate in the direction of the drop ejection trajectory.
4. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein Lorenz force acting on said actuator is utilized to eject or assist in ejecting drops of ink from said nozzle.
5. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator supplies sufficient kinetic energy to expel a drop of ink from said nozzle.
6. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drop ejection apparatus is placed in a constant magnetic field, and Lorenz force in a current carrying wire is used to move said actuator.
7. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator directly drives the drop ejection process and no mechanical amplification of the motion of said actuator is used.
8. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator swivels around a pivot when energized.
9. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chamber is refilled after drop ejection by the surface tension of the ink.
10. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein ink in said chamber is at a slight positive pressure, and said chamber refills by the action of both the surface tension of the ink and the positive ink pressure.
11. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein ink in said chamber is restricted from flowing out of an ink inlet to said chamber during drop ejection by positive ink pressure.
12. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein ink in said chamber is restricted from flowing out of an ink inlet to said chamber during drop ejection by location of said inlet behind an ink pushing surface.
13. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator is configured so as to not cause ink flow out of an ink inlet to said chamber during drop ejection.
14. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein dried or partially dried ink in said nozzle is cleared by energizing said actuator in rapid succession.
15. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface containing said nozzle is a layer buried in the substrate upon which said inkjet drop ejection apparatus is formed, and wherein said nozzle is etched in said buried layer.
16. An inkjet drop ejection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein ink flows through the substrate upon which said drop ejection apparatus is formed, and ink drops are ejected from the rear surface of said substrate.