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AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsAshok Murthy, Steven Robert Komplin, James Harold Powers
Estimating the term…
A nozzle plate for an ink jet print head and method therefor is provided. The nozzle plate has a polymeric layer, an adhesive layer attached to the polymeric layer defining a nozzle plate thickness and ablated portions of the polymeric layer and adhesive layer defining flow feature of the nozzle plate which contain ink flow channels, firing chambers, nozzle holes, an ink supply region and one or more projections of polymeric material in the ink supply region of the nozzle plate. The one or more projections are selected from the group consisting of an elongate portion of polymeric material having an ablated portion surrounding the elongate portion, partially ablated spaced elongate fingers having a height which is less than the thickness of the nozzle plate which are parallel to and offset from the ink flow channels, and a plurality of spaced projections having a height which is less than the thickness of the nozzle plate extending from the flow feature surface adjacent the ink flow channels having a spacing between adjacent projections which is sufficient to trap debris before the debris enters the ink flow channels to the firing chambers.
A method for making a nozzle plate for an ink jet printer which comprises providing a polymeric film made of a polymeric material layer containing an adhesive layer and protective layer over the adhesive layer, laser ablating ink flow channels, firing chambers, nozzle holes and an ink supply region in the film through the protective layer and adhesive layer to define flow features of the nozzle plate, removing the protective layer from the film, separating individual nozzle plates from the film and attaching the nozzle plates to a semiconductor substrate wherein at least a portion of the polymeric material in the ink supply region of the nozzle plate remains after ablation to thereby reduce debris produced during the ablation step, the remaining polymeric portion being spaced from an unablated region adjacent the ink flow channels a distance sufficient to trap debris before the debris enters the ink flow channels to the firing chambers, having a height which is less than a combined thickness of the polymeric and adhesive layers and being selected from the group consisting of an elongate portion of polymeric material having an ablated portion surrounding the elongate portion which is substantially perpendicular to the ink flow channels, partially ablated spaced elongate fingers which are parallel to and offset from the ink flow channels, and a staggered array of spaced projections of polymeric material adjacent the ink flow channels.
A nozzle plate for an ink jet print head which comprises a polymeric layer, an adhesive layer attached to the polymeric layer defining a nozzle plate thickness and ablated portions of the polymeric layer and adhesive layer defining flow feature of the nozzle plate which contain ink flow channels, firing chambers, nozzle holes, an ink supply region and one or more projections of polymeric material in the ink supply region of the nozzle plate, the one or more projections being spaced from an unablated region adjacent the ink flow channels a distance sufficient to trap debris before the debris enters the ink flow channels to the firing chambers, having a height which is less than the combined thickness of the polymeric and adhesive layers and being selected from the group consisting of an elongate portion of polymeric material having an ablated portion surrounding the elongate portion which is substantially perpendicular to the ink flow channels, partially ablated spaced elongate fingers which are parallel to and offset from the ink flow channels, and a staggered array of spaced projections extending from the flow feature surface adjacent the ink flow channels.
An ink jet print head comprising a semiconductor substrate containing resistance elements for heating ink and a nozzle plate attached to the substrate, the nozzle plate comprising a polymeric layer, an adhesive layer attached to the polymeric layer and ablated portions of the polymeric layer and adhesive layer defining flow features of the nozzle plate wherein the flow features contain ablated regions which provide ink flow channels, firing chambers, nozzle holes and an ink supply region and a substantially unablated region defining one or more polymeric projections adjacent the ink supply region of the nozzle plate, the substantially unablated region being spaced from an unablated region adjacent the ink flow channels a distance sufficient to trap debris before the debris enters the ink flow channels to the firing chambers, having a height which is less than a combined thickness of the polymeric and adhesive layers and being selected from the group consisting of a central elongate portion of polymeric material surrounded by the ablated region which is substantially perpendicular to the ink flow channels, spaced elongate fingers which are parallel to and offset from the ink flow channels, a staggered array of spaced projections extending from the flow feature surface adjacent the ink flow channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.