IP Library Granted Patent US 8,083,326
Granted Patent B2
US 8,083,326 · App. 13/022,485 · Granted Dec 27, 2011

Nozzle arrangement with an actuator having iris vanes

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,083,326
App. No.
13/022,485
Granted
Dec 27, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate defining an ink inlet; a plurality of posts extending from the substrate; a roof portion defining an ejection port, the roof portion supported by the plurality of posts; a plurality of vanes extending from the substrate and arranged to form a wall of a chamber around the ink inlet; and a plurality of thermal bend actuators respectively positioned at a base of each vane, each thermal bend actuator having a fixed end in the vicinity of one of the plurality of posts and a displaceable end opposite the fixed end. The plurality of thermal bend actuator are adapted to bend said vanes inwards with respect to the chamber in an iris-type manner to reduce a volume of the chamber, whereby ink is ejected from the chamber via the ejection port.

Claims (13)

1. A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead, said nozzle arrangement comprising:

a substrate defining an ink inlet;

a plurality of posts extending from the substrate;

a roof portion defining an ejection port, the roof portion supported by the plurality of posts;

a plurality of vanes extending from the substrate and arranged to form a wall of a chamber around the ink inlet; and

a plurality of thermal bend actuators respectively positioned at a base of each vane, each thermal bend actuator having a fixed end in the vicinity of one of the plurality of posts and a displaceable end opposite the fixed end, wherein

the plurality of thermal bend actuator are adapted to bend said vanes inwards with respect to the chamber in an iris-type manner to reduce a volume of the chamber, whereby ink is ejected from the chamber via the ejection port.

2. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , wherein each thermal bend actuator includes an expanding arm fast with a rigid arm, and a serpentine heater fast with the expanding arm.

3. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the substrate include a CMOS layer for supplying an electrical current to the serpentine heater.

4. The nozzle arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the rigid arm of one thermal bend actuator is anchored to the substrate proximate a displaceable end of an adjacent thermal bend actuator.

5. The nozzle arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the CMOS layer supplies electrical current to the serpentine heater to cause thermal expansion of the expanding arm.

6. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the ink inlet in the substrate supplies the chamber with ink.

7. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the expanding arm is made from PTFE.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 25, 2014
From: ZAMTEC LIMITED
To: MEMJET TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 033244/0276 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2013
From: SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY. LIMITED
To: ZAMTEC LIMITED
Reel/Frame 031517/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2011
From: SILVERBROOK, KIA
To: SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY LTD
Reel/Frame 025756/0125 →