Inkjet printhead that incorporates closure mechanisms
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorKia Silverbrook
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink jet printhead that is manufactured in accordance with an integrated circuit fabrication technique includes a substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements are positioned on the substrate. Each nozzle arrangement includes nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber having an inlet that is in fluid communication with a pulsed ink supply. A closure mechanism is positioned on the substrate and is operable between a closed condition in which the closure mechanism serves to close the inlet and an open condition in which ink is permitted to pass into the nozzle chamber.
Claims15
An ink jet printhead that is manufactured in accordance with an integrated circuit fabrication technique, the ink jet printhead comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement comprising:
- nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber having an inlet that is in fluid communication with a pulsed ink supply;
- and
- a closure mechanism that is positioned on the substrate and is operable between a closed condition in which the closure mechanism serves to close the inlet and an open condition in which ink is permitted to pass into the nozzle chamber.
An ink jet printhead that comprises
- a substrate;
- an ink reservoir arranged on the substrate;
- a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement comprising nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber having an inlet that is in fluid communication with the ink reservoir and a closure mechanism that is positioned on the substrate and is operable between a closed condition in which the closure mechanism serves to close the inlet and an open condition in which ink is permitted to pass into the nozzle chamber;
- and
- a pressurizing mechanism that is operatively arranged with respect to the ink reservoir, the pressurizing mechanism being configured to pressurize ink within the reservoir in a pulsed manner to generate pressure pulses to eject ink from the nozzle chambers on operation of the pressurizing mechanism, when the closure mechanisms are in the open condition.
A method of printing with an ink jet printhead having a substrate, a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement having nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber having an inlet, a closure mechanism that is positioned on the substrate and that is operable between a closed condition in which the closure mechanism serves to close the inlet and an open condition in which ink is permitted to pass into the nozzle chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- applying pressure pulses to ink supplied to each nozzle arrangement;
- and
- activating closure mechanisms of selected nozzle arrangements while applying such pressure pulses, so that the closure mechanisms are moved into their open conditions permitting ink to be ejected from the nozzle chambers of the selected nozzle arrangements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.