Ink ejection nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printer
View Patent ↗Provided is an ink ejection nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printer. The nozzle arrangement includes a wafer substrate with an etched ink chamber and ink channel leading to the chamber, as well as an ink ejection nozzle defined over the chamber with an ejection port etched therein. The arrangement also includes a glass actuator arm attached to the substrate via a post on the substrate, said arm having a copper nickel alloy heating means attached at a lower portion thereof proximate said post, wherein the arm extends through a slot in the chamber. The arrangement further includes a paddle fast with the arm inside said chamber, the paddle interposed between the ink channel and the ejection port.
1. An ink ejection nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printer, said nozzle arrangement comprising:
a wafer substrate with an etched ink chamber and ink channel leading to the chamber;
an ink ejection nozzle defined over the chamber with an ejection port etched therein;
a dielectric actuator arm attached to the substrate via a post on the substrate, said arm having a heating means formed of an electrically conductive material attached at a lower portion thereof proximate said post, wherein the arm extends through a slot in the chamber; and
a paddle fast with the arm inside said chamber, the paddle interposed between the ink channel and the ejection port, wherein
the paddle is substantially bowl shaped with a depression portion of such bowl distal from the ejection port to facilitate the ejection of ink from the ink chamber.
2. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material is a copper-nickel alloy.
3. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the wafer substrate includes a CMOS layer with circuitry configured to supply current to the heating means.
4. The nozzle arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the heating means is arranged in electrical communication with the CMOS layer via suitable channels in the post.
5. The nozzle arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the substrate includes bond pads via which the heating means is connected to the CMOS layer.
6. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the nozzle includes a crown portion with a skirt portion depending from the crown portion, the skirt portion forming part of a peripheral wall of the chamber, the port having a raised rim to facilitate supporting a meniscus formed by ink in the chamber.