Droplet deposition head and actuator component therefor
AssigneeXaar Technology Limited
InventorsAngus Condie, Nicholas Marc Jackson, Simon James Hubbard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An actuator component for a droplet deposition head that includes: a plurality of fluid chambers arranged side-by-side in an array, with certain of the fluid chambers being firing chambers, each of which is provided with at least one piezoelectric actuating element for causing droplet ejection from a nozzle for that firing chamber; and a plurality of non-actuable walls, each of which is formed of piezoelectric material and bounds at least one of the firing chambers.
Claims20
An actuator component for a droplet deposition head comprising:
- a plurality of fluid chambers arranged side-by-side in an array, which extends in an array direction, at least some of said fluid chambers being firing chambers, each of which is provided with at least one piezoelectric actuating element and a nozzle, said at least one piezoelectric actuating element being actuable to cause droplet ejection from said nozzle;
- and
- a plurality of non-actuable walls, each of which comprises piezoelectric material and bounds, in part, at least one of said firing chambers;
- wherein:
- each of said piezoelectric actuating elements is provided with at least a first and a second actuation electrode, the first and second actuation electrodes for each piezoelectric actuating element being configured to apply a drive waveform to that piezoelectric actuating element, which is thereby deformed, thus causing droplet ejection;
- and
- each of said non-actuable walls is provided with at least a first and a second isolated electrode, the first and second isolated electrodes for each non-actuable wall being electrically isolated so that, when fluid within one of the at least one of said firing chambers bounded by that non-actuable wall applies a force to that non-actuable wall, a charge is induced in the isolated electrodes, thereby causing the piezoelectric material of that non-actuable wall to apply a force in opposition to the fluid force.
A droplet deposition head comprising an actuator component comprising:
- a plurality of fluid chambers arranged side-by-side in an array, which extends in an array direction, at least some of said fluid chambers being firing chambers, each of which is provided with at least one piezoelectric actuating element and a nozzle, said at least one piezoelectric actuating element being actuable to cause droplet ejection from said nozzle;
- and
- a plurality of non-actuable walls, each of which comprises piezoelectric material and bounds, in part, at least one of said firing chambers;
- wherein:
- each of said piezoelectric actuating elements is provided with at least a first and a second actuation electrode, the first and second actuation electrodes for each piezoelectric actuating element being configured to apply a drive waveform to that piezoelectric actuating element, which is thereby deformed, thus causing droplet ejection;
- and
- each of said non-actuable walls is provided with at least a first and a second isolated electrode, the first and second isolated electrodes for each non-actuable wall being electrically isolated so that, when fluid within one of the at least one of said firing chambers bounded by that non-actuable wall applies a force to that non-actuable wall, a charge is induced in the isolated electrodes, thereby causing the piezoelectric material of that non-actuable wall to apply a force in opposition to the fluid force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.