Printer with minimal distance between pressure-dampening structures and nozzles

1. An inkjet printer comprising:

an inkjet printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle chambers covered by a nozzle plate, said nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle apertures defined therein, said nozzle plate comprising a plurality of pressure-dampening structures for dampening pressure fluctuations experienced at said nozzle apertures;

at least one ink reservoir; and

an ink supply system for supplying ink from said at least one ink reservoir to said plurality of nozzle apertures, said printhead ink supply system comprising at least one conduit wall defined by part of said nozzle plate, each pressure-dampening structure being positioned in said part of said nozzle plate,

wherein a distance between at least one of said pressure-dampening structures and at least one of said nozzle apertures is less than 100 microns, and

wherein said nozzle plate comprises at least 100 pressure-dampening structures.

2. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the distance between said pressure-dampening structure and said nozzle aperture is less than 50 microns.

3. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the distance between said pressure-dampening structure and said nozzle aperture is less than 25 microns.

4. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said printhead comprises part of said ink supply system.

5. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle plate comprises at least 500 pressure-dampening structures.

6. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle plate comprises at least 1000 pressure-dampening structures.

7. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein each pressure-dampening structure comprises:

a vent defined in part of said nozzle plate; and

a flexible membrane sealingly covering said vent.

8. The inkjet printer of claim 7 , wherein said flexible membrane has a Young's modulus of less than 1000 MPa.

9. The inkjet printer of claim 7 , wherein said flexible membrane is a comprised of a polymer layer.

10. The inkjet printer of claim 9 , wherein said polymer layer covers said nozzle plate.

11. The inkjet printer of claim 10 , wherein said polymer layer defines a plurality of flexible membranes for sealingly covering each vent.

12. The inkjet printer of claim 9 , wherein said polymer layer is comprised of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

13. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein each nozzle chamber is formed on a surface of a printhead substrate, each nozzle chamber comprising a roof spaced apart from said substrate and sidewalls extending between said roof and said substrate, said roof having a respective nozzle aperture defined therein, and each roof defining part of said nozzle plate.

14. The inkjet printer of claim 13 , wherein said nozzle chambers are arranged in rows, each row of nozzle chambers having an associated ink conduit extending longitudinally adjacent said row, said ink conduit being defined between said nozzle plate and said substrate, and said ink conduit being defined at least partially by said at least one conduit wall.

15. The inkjet printer of claim 14 , wherein said ink conduit supplies ink to a plurality of said ink chambers via a sidewall ink inlet defined in each nozzle chamber.

16. The inkjet printer of claim 14 , wherein said ink conduit is connected to one or more ink inlet passages, each ink inlet passage extending from said ink conduit through said substrate, and each ink inlet passage extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to said nozzle plate and said ink conduit.

17. The inkjet printer of claim 16 , wherein each ink inlet passage is aligned with a respective pressure-dampening structure in said nozzle plate.

18. The inkjet printer of claim 16 , wherein each ink inlet passage is connected to an ink supply channel defined in said substrate, said ink supply channel receiving ink from an opposite side of said substrate relative to said nozzle chambers.

19. An inkjet printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle chambers covered by a nozzle plate, said nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle apertures defined therein, said nozzle plate comprising a plurality of pressure-dampening structures for dampening pressure fluctuations experienced at said nozzle apertures, wherein at least one conduit wall of a printhead ink supply system is defined by part of said nozzle plate, each pressure-dampening structure being positioned in said part of said nozzle plate, wherein said nozzle plate comprises at least 100 pressure-dampening structures.