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US 5,828,394 AGranted
Fluid drop ejector and method
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsButrus Thomas Khuri-Yakub, Laurent Levin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved fluid drop ejector is disclosed which includes one wall including a thin elastic membrane having an orifice defining a nozzle and elements responsive to electrical signals for deflecting the membrane to eject drops of fluid from the nozzle.
Claims10
A fluid drop ejector comprising:
- at least one fluid reservoir,
- at least one elastic membrane having at least one orifice defining at least one nozzle adapted to be in contact with a fluid in said reservoir,
- a conductive film on the surface of said membrane and a spaced conductor whereby application of the ac electrical signal between the film and spaced conductor generates an electrostatic force which brings said at least one membrane into mechanical oscillation whereby, when the fluid is in contact with said at least one membrane, the displacement of the membrane causes the formation and ejection of a drop of fluid from said at least one nozzle with each cycle of oscillation.
A fluid drop ejector which includes:
- a substrate,
- a matrix of elastic membranes, each including at least one aperture,
- a support structure for supporting the membranes on said substrate and defining at least one fluid reservoir for receiving a fluid,
- means for supplying fluid to said fluid reservoir, and
- displacement means responsive to an applied electrical signal for selectively displacing said membranes to cause formation and ejection of drops of fluid from said reservoir.
2 more elements
A fluid drop ejector comprising:
- at least one fluid reservoir,
- a plurality of elastic membranes each having at least one orifice defining at least one nozzle adapted to be in contact with the fluid in said reservoir,
- displacement means mounted on each of said membranes, each responsive to an applied electrical signal for displacing the corresponding membrane to bring said membrane into mechanical oscillation whereby, when the fluid is in contact with said membrane, the displacement of the membrane causes the formation and ejection of a drop of fluid from said at least one nozzle with each cycle of oscillation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.