Inkjet printhead having paddled inkjet nozzles
View Patent ↗An inkjet printhead is provided having a plurality of ink ejection nozzles. Each nozzle has a displaceable actuator arm, a paddle for ejecting ink through an aperture defined in a roof of the nozzle, and a motion-transmitting structure interconnecting the actuator arm and the paddle, the motion-transmitting structure comprising a lever arm formation interposed between effort and load formations.
1. An inkjet printhead comprising a plurality of ink ejection nozzles, each nozzle comprising:
a displaceable actuator arm;
a paddle for ejecting ink through an aperture defined in a roof of the nozzle; and
a motion-transmitting structure interconnecting the actuator arm and the paddle, the motion-transmitting structure comprising a lever arm formation interposed between effort and load formations.
2. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein the effort formations extend from a working end of the actuator arms.
3. An inkjet printhead according to claim 2 , whereby upon reciprocal movement of the working end of the actuator arms, the lever arm formations pivot.
4. An inkjet printhead according to claim 3 , whereby the pivotal movement of the lever arm formations result in angular displacement of the paddles.
5. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein the load formations extend from an end portion of the paddles.
6. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein the lever arm formations are pivotally connected by connectors to sidewalls of the nozzles.
7. An inkjet printhead according to claim 6 , wherein the connectors are opposed flexural connectors.
8. An inkjet printhead according to claim 7 , wherein the flexural connectors are torsionally distorted upon pivotal movement of the lever arm formations.
9. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein the load formations form part of an end wall of the nozzles.
10. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein each of the load and effort formations are composite formations with a primary layer and secondary layer.
11. An inkjet printhead according to claim 10 , wherein the primary layers are formed from TiAlN and the secondary layers are formed from titanium.
12. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein the paddles are fixed to the load formations.
13. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein the paddles extend towards a distal end wall of the nozzles.
14. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the paddles has corrugations.