Thermal drop generator for ultra-small droplets
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorKenneth E. Trueba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal-type drop generator for ejecting droplets of liquid having ultra-small volumes. In one embodiment the drop generator includes a chamber defined in part by an orifice member. The chamber is supported by a rigid substrate. Removable material is used in fabricating the chamber.
Claims21
A method of making a drop generator chamber, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
- forming an inlet opening through the substrate;
- applying removable material on the substrate and in the inlet opening;
- shaping some of the removable material as a chamber;
- and then
- forming an orifice member on the substrate to cover substantially all of the removable material but for an orifice in the orifice member;
- and
- removing the removable material from the substrate and the inlet opening so that a chamber and inlet remains.
An assembly for producing a drop generator that has a fluid chamber having a chamber shape for holding ultra-small volumes of fluid, wherein the drop generator includes an orifice member that substantially covers the chamber and that has an orifice therethrough, comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a removable mandrel disposed on the substrate and having the chamber shape, the mandrel being arranged and formed, respectively, for being covered by the orifice member and for being thereafter removed.
A method of producing ultra-small droplets, comprising the step of propelling a droplet from a liquid chamber through an orifice by rapidly heating some of the liquid in the chamber, the droplet having a volume of about 10 femtoliters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.