Expansion relief for orifice plate of thermal ink jet print head
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsTodd A. Cleland, Garrard Hume
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal ink jet print head with an orifice plate for defining numerous of orifice apertures and numerous strain relief elements. Each strain relief element is a closed slit between abutting and separable portions of the plate, such that a stress applied to the plate across the strain relief element will tend to open the slot, or cause the edges to move in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate, or otherwise provide a thin cross section that deforms more easily, thereby limiting strain in other portions of the plate.
Claims14
An orifice plate for a thermal ink jet print head comprising:
- a planar plate defining a plurality of orifice apertures;
- the plate defining a plurality of strain relief elements;
- each strain relief element being a closed slit between abutting and separable portions of the plate, such that tension in the plate across the strain relief element will tend to open the slit to limit strain in other portions of the plate.
An orifice plate for a thermal ink jet print head comprising:
- a planar plate defining a plurality of orifice apertures;
- the plate defining a plurality of strain relief elements;
- each strain relief element being a discontinuity between abutting and separable portions of the plate, such that tension in the plate across the strain relief element will tend to open the slot to limit strain in other portions of the plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.