Laser welded inkjet printhead assembly utilizing a combination laser and fiber optic push connect system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorRam Santhanam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the solderless laser welding of two materials by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system which directs the light to a region where the laser beam can shine through one of the materials to create a seam weld. By using a fiber optic system the laser beam is converted into thermal energy and weld flaws due to underheating or destruction of the materials due to overheating do not occur. A seed-metal layer and weldable-metal patterns are formed on non-metallic materials-to-allow their laser welding by this method.
Claims9
A method of connection of two nonmetallic materials by laser welding, using a laser beam having a specified wavelength, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first nonmetallic material with a first weldable-metal pattern on a surface thereof;
- providing a second nonmetallic material with a seed-metal pattern on a surface thereof and a second weldable-metal pattern on the seed-metal pattern, said seed metal having a suitable absorption at the wavelength of the laser beam;
- wherein at least one of the weldable-metal patterns is not for conduction of electricity after welding is complete;
- substantially aligning the weldable-metal patterns on the surfaces of the first material and the second material;
- using an optical fiber to hold the weldable-metal patterns in contact at a bond surface;
- and
- laser welding the metal patterns together by directing the laser beam through the optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.