Printhead configuration having acutely aligned nozzle actuators
View Patent ↗A nozzle chamber structure of a printhead is positioned on the substrate to define a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with an ink supply channel and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism that is positioned on the substrate operatively with respect to the nozzle chamber to eject ink from the ink ejection port includes an elongate actuator arm that is fixed at one end to the substrate and has an ink ejection member positioned on an opposite end and in a respective nozzle chamber. The actuator arm of the nozzle arrangement is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a print medium feed direction.
1. A printhead comprising:
a substrate that defines at least one ink supply channel; and
a plurality of nozzle arrangements that are positioned on the substrate, at least one nozzle arrangement comprising
a nozzle chamber structure that is positioned on the substrate to define a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with an ink supply channel and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber; and
a micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism that is positioned on the substrate operatively with respect to the nozzle chamber to eject ink from the ink ejection port, the micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism including an elongate actuator arm that is fixed at one end to the substrate and has an ink ejection member positioned on an opposite end and in a respective nozzle chamber;
wherein said at least one nozzle arrangement is positioned so that the actuator arm of the nozzle arrangement is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a print medium feed direction.
2. A printhead as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a plurality of ink supply channels arranged in groups in which the substrate defines two rows of ink supply channels for each group of ink supply channels.
3. A printhead as claimed in claim 2 , in which the nozzle arrangements are oriented so that a predetermined number of nozzle chamber structures are provided for each ink supply channel, said predetermined number of nozzle arrangements being positioned so that each group of ink supply channels corresponds with two rows of nozzle chamber structures.
4. A printhead as claimed in claim 3 , in which the nozzle arrangements are oriented so that the nozzle chamber structures of each pair of rows are adjacent each other, with the actuator arms of each row of nozzle arrangements being in a side-by-side orientation, such that the nozzle arrangements define three spaced pairs of rows of nozzle chamber structures corresponding to respective inks.
5. A printhead as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of nozzle arrangements in which each actuator arm of an intermediate pair of rows of nozzle arrangements are interposed between consecutive actuator arms of one of each outer pair of rows of nozzle arrangements.