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US 12,358,301 B2Granted
Active mixer in jetting channels of a printhead
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorNasser Budraa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Printheads that jet print fluids. In an embodiment, a printhead comprises a plurality of jetting channels. Each jetting channel of the plurality includes a diaphragm, a pressure chamber, and a nozzle configured to jet a print fluid, and further includes one or more intra-chamber active mixers disposed in the pressure chamber. An intra-chamber active mixer comprises a cantilever having a connected end rigidly connected to a vertical side wall of the pressure chamber, and a free end that is free to move.
Claims22
A printhead comprising:
- a plurality of jetting channels, wherein each jetting channel of the plurality includes:
- a diaphragm, a pressure chamber, and a nozzle configured to jet a print fluid;
- and
- one or more intra-chamber active mixers disposed in the pressure chamber;
- wherein an intra-chamber active mixer comprises:
- a cantilever having a connected end rigidly connected to a vertical side wall of the pressure chamber, and a free end that is free to move;
- wherein characteristics of the intra-chamber active mixer are selected so that a resonance frequency of the intra-chamber active mixer differs from a Helmholtz frequency of the jetting channel.
4 more elements
A printhead comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- a plate stack attached to the housing that forms a plurality of jetting channels, wherein each jetting channel of the plurality includes:
- a diaphragm, a pressure chamber, and a nozzle configured to jet a print fluid;
- and
- one or more intra-chamber active mixers disposed in the pressure chamber;
- wherein an intra-chamber active mixer comprises:
- a cantilever having a connected end rigidly connected to a vertical side wall of the pressure chamber, and a free end that is free to move;
- wherein characteristics of the intra-chamber active mixer are selected so that a resonance frequency of the intra-chamber active mixer differs from a Helmholtz frequency of the jetting channel.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- operating a printhead, the printhead comprising:
- a plurality of jetting channels, wherein each jetting channel of the plurality includes a diaphragm, a pressure chamber, a nozzle configured to jet a print fluid, and
- one or more intra-chamber active mixers disposed in the pressure chamber;
- wherein an intra-chamber active mixer comprises a cantilever having a connected end rigidly connected to a vertical side wall of the pressure chamber, and a free end that is free to move;
- wherein characteristics of the intra-chamber active mixer are selected so that a resonance frequency of the intra-chamber active mixer differs from a Helmholtz frequency of the jetting channel;
- wherein the operating comprises:
- receiving the print fluid in the pressure chamber;
- and
- oscillating the free end of the cantilever to mix the print fluid in the pressure chamber.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.