US 6,309,055 B1Granted

Ink jet printing head having a reduced width piezoelectric activating portion

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsShinri Sakai, Toyohiko Mitsuzawa

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Abstract

An ink jet printing head incorporating an elastic plate forming a pressure generating chamber allowed to communicate with nozzle openings and composed of an elastic film and a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric film and an upper electrode film formed in a region opposite to the pressure generating chamber, the ink jet printing head having a structure that an insulating layer having a contact holes which are windows for establishing the connection with a conductive pattern for applying voltage to the upper electrode is formed on the upper surface of the upper electrode film. Moreover, the portions of the elastic plate opposite to the pressure generating chambers and corresponding to the contact holes cannot easily be deformed when voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element as compared with the other portions.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An ink jet printing head comprising:

a pressure generating chamber;
nozzle openings formed in said pressure generating chamber;
a piezoelectric actuator comprising:
an elastic plate formed adjacent to at least a portion of said pressure generating chamber;
a piezoelectric activating portion comprising a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric layer and an upper electrode film formed in a region opposite to said pressure generating chamber;
a conductive pattern connected to said upper electrode film, wherein a contact portion formed opposite to said pressure generating chamber connecting to said conductive pattern for applying voltage to the upper electrode of said piezoelectric activating portion is formed on the upper surface of said upper electrode;
and
vibration-regulating means for partially regulating vibration of said piezoelectric actuator formed in a region where said contact portion is formed;
whereby deformation of a portion of said elastic plate, which is opposite to said pressure generating chamber, corresponding to said contact portion is reduced when voltage is applied to said piezoelectric actuator.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.