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US 5,274,401 AGranted
Electrostatic printhead
AssigneeSynergy Computer Graphics Corporation
InventorsDavid E. Doggett, Brian J. Dahlquist, Gordon S. Mitchard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a printhead for electrostatic printers, the styli of the printhead are formed on a monolithic substrate, such as a printed circuit board. Each stylus has its own driver circuit incorporated into one or more integrated circuit die which are mounted directly on the monolithic substrate, and electrically connected to traces formed on the printed circuit board. The styli are the ends of the traces as formed on the edge of the substrate. The integrated circuit die are connected to the traces by wire bonding or TAB bonding. The printhead is implemented in monoscan, biscan, triscan, and various other configurations.
Claims28
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing, each stylus being an end portion of a conductive trace formed on a substrate and being spaced apart by an air gap from a return path for a current carried by the conductive trace;
- a plurality of driver circuits and associated logic circuitry grouped into at least one integrated circuit die mounted to the substrate, each driver circuit electrically controlling one stylus;
- and
- electrical interconnections for connecting each driver circuit to one conductive trace.
1 more element
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing, each stylus being an end portion of a conductive trace formed on a first substrate;
- a plurality of drivers grouped into at least one integrated circuit die mounted to the first substrate, each driver electrically controlling one stylus;
- electrical interconnections for connecting each driver to one conductive trace;
- a second substrate;
- means for spacing apart the two substrates and to which a surface of the first and a surface of the second substrate are fastened;
- wherein a first portion of the plurality of styli is formed on the first substrate;
- at least one integrated circuit die for driving the styli in the first portion of the styli is on a surface of the first substrate;
- a second portion of the plurality of styli is formed on the second substrate;
- at least one integrated circuit die for driving the styli in the second portion of styli is on a surface of the second substrate;
- wherein the surfaces of the first and second substrates on which the styli are formed are the surfaces fastened to the means for spacing;
- and
- wherein at least one integrated circuit die is on a recessed portion of the surface of the first substrate.
9 more elements
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing, each stylus being an end portion of a conductive trace formed on a substrate;
- a plurality of drivers grouped into at least one integrated circuit die mounted to the substrate, each diver electrically controlling one stylus;
- and
- electrical interconnections for connecting each driver to one conductive trace;
- a second substrate having a surface on which a plurality of styli are formed;
- a plurality of drivers groups into an integrated circuit die mounted to the second substrate for electrically controlling the plurality of styli on the second substrate, said second substrate being fastened in fixed relation to the first substrate;
- means for supporting fastened to the first substrate for supporting the substrate;
- and
- a third substrate having a surface on which a plurality of styli are formed, at least one integrated circuit die including drivers being mounted to the third substrate for driving each styli on the third substrate, the third substrate being in fixed relation to the second substrate.
6 more elements
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing, each stylus being an end portion of a conductive trace formed on a substrate;
- a plurality of drivers grouped into at least one integrated circuit die mounted to the substrate, each driver electrically controlling one stylus;
- electrical interconnections for connecting each driver to one conductive trace;
- and
- a second substrate having a surface on which styli are formed, the second substrate being fastened in fixed relation to the first substrate, wherein the drivers of the integrated circuit die mounted to the first substrate driver the styli on the second substrate.
2 more elements
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing, each stylus being an end portion of a conductive trace formed on a substrate;
- a plurality of drivers grouped into at least one integrated circuit die mounted to the substrate, each driver electrically controlling one stylus;
- electrical interconnections for connecting each driver to one conductive trace;
- means for supporting fastened to the first substrate for supporting the substrate;
- and
- wherein the means for supporting comprises a metal plate embedded in printed circuit board material.
3 more elements
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing, each stylus being an end portion of a conductive trace formed on a substrate;
- a plurality of drivers groups into at least one integrated circuit die mounted to the substrate, each diver electrically controlling one stylus;
- and
- electrical interconnections for connecting each driver to one conductive trace;
- wherein each of the plurality of drivers comprises at least one P-channel transistor and at least one N-channel transistor thereby providing a complementary driving circuit.
2 more elements
A printhead for high voltage electrostatic printing directly onto a permanent medium comprising:
- at least one stylus formed on a substrate for depositing electric charge directly on the permanent medium;
- and
- at least one driver circuit and associated logic circuitry for driving the stylus with an output current of less than about 10 microamps grouped into at least one integrated circuit die and mounted on the substrate within two inches of an end of the stylus at a printing edge of the substrate, wherein the number of styli and the number of driver circuits are substantially in a one-to-one correspondence.
An electrostatic printhead comprising:
- a plurality of styli for printing formed on a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of driver circuits each electrically connected to one of the styli and grouped into at least one integrated circuit die mounted on the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit die actively drives each stylus to a high voltage and actively drives each stylus to a low voltage at least about 250 volts less than the high voltage.
A printhead for high voltage electrostatic printing directly onto a permanent medium comprising:
- a rigid substrate;
- a plurality of styli for electrostatically depositing electric charge directly on the permanent printing medium;
- a plurality of integrated circuit die, each including a plurality of driver circuits and each integrated circuit die being mounted on the substrate, each driver electrically controlling one associated stylus;
- electrical interconnections formed on the substrate for connecting each driver to the associated stylus;
- and
- a support plate fastened to the substrate.
3 more elements
A printhead for high voltage electrostatic printing directly onto a permanent medium comprising:
- a rigid substrate;
- a plurality of styli formed on the substrate for electrostatically depositing electric charge directly on the permanent printing medium, each stylus being substantially wider than it is thick;
- a plurality of integrated circuit die, each including a plurality of driver circuits and each integrated circuit die being mounted on the substrate, each driver electrically controlling one associated stylus;
- and
- electrical interconnections formed on the substrate for connecting each driver circuit to the associated stylus.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.