Method of forming tapered orifice arrays in fully assembled ink jet printheads
AssigneeCompag Computer Corporation
InventorDonald J. Hayes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming an outwardly tapered orifice for a fully assembled ink jet printhead. A main body portion and a cover plate for an ink jet printhead are mounted together such that the cover plate covers an ink-carrying channel which axially extends through the main body portion. First and second light beams capable of ablating the material used to form the cover plate are generated and an ink-carrying channel communicating orifice extending through the cover plate and tapering outwardly from a front side of the cover plate to a back side of the cover plate is formed by directing the first and second light beams at the front side of the cover plate at first and second angles, respectively, whereby the first and second light beams form the outwardly tapered orifice.
Claims12
A method of forming an orifice for an ink jet printhead comprising the steps of:
- providing a main body portion and a cover plate for said ink jet printhead, said main body portion having a front side and an ink-carrying channel axially extending therethrough for the ejection of ink from the front side of said main body portion, said cover plate formed from an ablateable material and having front and back sides;
- mounting said back side of said cover plate onto said front side of said ink jet printhead main body portion, said cover plate covering said ink-carrying channel;
- generating first and second light beams capable of ablating said material used to form said cover plate;
- forming an ink-carrying channel communicating orifice extending through said cover plate and tapering outwardly from said front side of said cover plate to said back side of said cover plate by directing said first and second light beams at said front side of said cover plate at first and second angles, respectively, such that said first and second light beams form said outwardly tapered orifice in communication with said ink-carrying channel.
A method of forming a tapered orifice in an assembled ink jet printhead having a main body having a front side and at least one ink-carrying channel axially extending therethrough, each of said at least one ink-carrying channel in communication with said front side for the ejection of ink from said front side of said main body, and a cover plate having a back side fixedly mounted on said front side of said main body and a front side, said cover plate covering said at least one ink-carrying channel, comprising the steps of:
- generating first and second light beams capable of ablating material used to form said cover plate;
- directing said first and second light beams at a selected location on the front side of said cover plate, said first and second light beams directed at said selected location at first and second angles, respectively, such that said first and second light beams plate an ink-carrying channel communicating orifice extending through said cover plate and tapering outwardly therethrough.
A method of forming an orifice array for an ink jet printhead comprising the steps of:
- providing an ink jet printhead body having a front side and a plurality of ink-carrying channels axially extending therethrough, said ink-carrying channels in communication with said front side for the ejection of ink from said front side of said ink jet printhead body;
- selecting a cover plate having front and inner sides to be mounted onto said front side of said ink jet printhead body based upon the desired size at the inner side of said cover plate of the orifices to be formed;
- mounting the inner side of said cover plate onto said front side of said ink jet printhead body to cover said inkcarrying channels;
- generating first and second cover plate ablating light beams for each orifice to be formed;
- directing said front and second cover plate ablating light beams to specified locations on the front side of said cover plate corresponding to selected ones of said ink-carrying channels, said first and second cover plate ablating light directed towards said specified locations at first and second angles, respectively, to form ink-carrying channel communicating orifices extending through said cover plate, tapering outwardly therethrough and in respective communication with said selected ones of said ink-carrying channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.