Arrangement for an ink-jet printer head composed of individual ink printer modules

An ink-jet printer head comprising:

• a plurality of identical ink printer modules each of said ink printer modules comprising first and second cover plates and at least one middle plate therebetween, said first and second cover plates each having a first side adjoining said middle plate and a second, opposite side, said first and second cover plates and said middle plate each having lateral sides and nozzle channels wherein one of said nozzle channels of each of said cover plates and middle plate are connected together to form one continuous channel, said cover plates each having ink pressure chambers, said one continuous channel having a first end terminated in one of nozzle apertures formed in one of said cover plates and a second end connected to one of said ink pressure chambers of another of said cover plates, said nozzle apertures disposed in a single nozzle plane, said second side of each of said cover plates having a plurality of piezo-actuators disposed thereon, each of said piezo-actuators respectively in registry with each of said ink pressure chambers, each of said ink printer modules having a first plurality of electrical interconnects and a second plurality of electrical interconnects, said first plurality of electrical interconnects respectively connected to said piezo-actuators of one of said cover plates, said second plurality of electrical interconnects respectively connected to said piezo-actuators of another of said cover plates, each of said second plurality of electrical interconnects extended from said second side of said one of said cover plates over a corresponding side of said lateral sides of each cover plates and middle plate onto the second side of said other of said cover plates;
• a plurality of spacers respectively disposed between said ink printer modules to form a stack of alternating ink printer modules and spacers, each of said spacers having two of said ink printer modules arranged adjacent thereto so as to form two adjoining ink printer modules, each of said spacers having a dimension for setting a desired spacing in a first direction, extending perpendicularly between the respective nozzle planes in said two adjoining ink printer modules, each of said spacers having a mating structure mating with said two adjoining ink printer modules in a manner to offset said two adjoining ink printer modules relative to one another by an offset distance in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
• and
• wherein each of the piezo-actuators on each of said cover plates has an active region and a common inactive region shared by all of said piezo-actuators of said each of said cover plates, said active region has two electrodes, one of said electrodes connected to a corresponding interconnect of said first interconnects and said second interconnects, said inactive region having only one of said two electrodes.

An ink-jet printer head comprising:

• a plurality of identical ink printer modules each of said ink printer modules comprising first and second cover plates and at least one middle plate therebetween, said first and second cover plates each having a first side adjoining said middle plate and a second, opposite side, said first and second cover plates and said middle plate each having lateral sides and nozzle channels wherein one of said nozzle channels of each of said cover plates and middle plate are connected together to form one continuous channel, said cover plates each having ink pressure chambers, said one continuous channel having a first end terminated in one of nozzle apertures formed in one of said cover plates and a second end connected to one of said ink pressure chambers of another of said cover plates, said nozzle apertures disposed in a single nozzle plane, said second side of each of said cover plates having a plurality of piezo-actuators disposed thereon, each of said piezo-actuators respectively in registry with each of said ink pressure chambers, each of said ink printer modules having a first plurality of electrical interconnects and a second plurality of electrical interconnects, said first plurality of electrical interconnects respectively connected to said piezo-actuators of one of said cover plates, said second plurality of electrical interconnects respectively connected to said piezo-actuators of another of said cover plates, each of said second plurality of electrical interconnects extended from said second side of said one of said cover plates over a corresponding side of said lateral sides of each cover plates and middle plate onto the second side of said other of said cover plates each of said ink printer modules including a shared interconnect on said second side of each of said cover plates;
• a plurality of spacers respectively disposed between said ink printer modules to form a stack of alternating ink printer modules and spacers, each of said spacers having two of said ink printer modules arranged adjacent thereto so as to form two adjoining ink printer modules, each of said spacers having a dimension for setting a desired spacing in a first direction, extending perpendicularly between the respective nozzle planes in said two adjoining ink printer modules, each of said spacers having a mating structure mating with said two adjoining ink printer modules in a manner to offset said two adjoining ink printer modules relative to one another by an offset distance in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
• wherein each of said piezo-actuators on each of said cover plates has first and second electrodes with said first electrodes of all of the piezo-actuators on the second side of each of said cover plates being connected to a respective one of said shared interconnects and said second electrodes being respectively connected to a respective plurality of electrical interconnects of said first plurality of electrical interconnects and said second electrical interconnects;
• wherein each of said ink printer modules further comprises a driver circuit electrically connected to said first plurality of interconnects and said second plurality of interconnects;
• and
• wherein said driver circuit has a plug electrically connected thereto and exposed at an exterior of said each ink printer module.

An ink-jet printer head comprising:

• a plurality of identical ink printer modules each of said ink printer modules comprising first and second cover plates and at least one middle plate therebetween, said first and second cover plates each having a first side adjoining said middle plate and a second, opposite side, said first and second cover plates and said middle plate each having lateral sides and nozzle channels wherein one of said nozzle channels of each of said cover plates and middle plate are connected together to form one continuous channel, said cover plates each having ink pressure chambers, said one continuous channel having a first end terminated in one of nozzle apertures formed in one of said cover plates and a second end connected to one of said ink pressure chambers of another of said cover plates, said nozzle apertures disposed in a single nozzle plane, said second side of each of said cover plates having a plurality of piezo-actuators disposed thereon, each of said piezo-actuators respectively in registry with each of said ink pressure chambers, each of said ink printer modules having a first plurality of electrical interconnects and a second plurality of electrical interconnects, said first plurality of electrical interconnects respectively connected to said piezo-actuators of one of said cover plates, said second plurality of electrical interconnects respectively connected to said piezo-actuators of another of said cover plates, each of said second plurality of electrical interconnects extended from said second side of said one of said cover plates over a corresponding side of said lateral sides of each cover plates and middle plate onto the second side of said other of said cover plates;
• and
• a plurality of spacers respectively disposed between said ink printer modules to form a stack of alternating ink printer modules and spacers, each of said spacers having two of said ink printer modules arranged adjacent thereto so as to form two adjoining ink printer modules, each of said spacers having a dimension for setting a desired spacing in a first direction, extending perpendicularly between the respective nozzle planes in said two adjoining ink printer modules, each of said spacers having a mating structure mating with said two adjoining ink printer modules in a manner to offset said two adjoining ink printer modules relative to one another by an offset distance in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction.