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US 6,386,680 B1Granted
Fluid pump and ink jet print head
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsRavi Sharma, Christopher N. Delametter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pump includes two opposing plates having a space there between to define a secondary fluid passage. A first aperture is formed through the first plate and a second aperture is formed in the second plate to define a primary fluid channel extending across the secondary fluid channel. A heater on the second plate moves primary fluid through the primary fluid channel due to the Marangoni type effect. A heater on the first plate causes a meniscus to enlarge to thereby form a drop of fluid ejected out of the primary fluid channel.
Claims15
An ink jet print head comprising:
- a first plate having first and second sides and a first aperture formed therethrough;
- a second plate having first and second sides and a second aperture formed therethrough;
- a spacer coupled to said second side of said first plate and said first side of said second plate to define a secondary fluid passage between said first plate and said second plate with said first aperture and said second aperture being substantially aligned to define an ink passage extending across said secondary fluid passage to thereby define an interface between ink in said ink passage and a secondary fluid in said secondary fluid passage;
- a first heater disposed on said first side of said first plate proximate said first aperture;
- a second heater disposed on said first side of said second plate proximate said second aperture;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to said first heater and said second heater to control energization of said first heater and said second heater in a predetermined manner.
4 more elements
A fluid pump comprising:
- a first fluid supply mechanism for supplying a first fluid;
- a second fluid supply mechanism for supplying a second fluid;
- a first plate having first and second sides and a first aperture formed therethrough;
- a second plate having first and second sides and a second aperture formed therethrough;
- a spacer coupled to said second side of said first plate and said first side of said second plate to define a secondary fluid passage between said first plate and said second plate, said first aperture and said second aperture being substantially aligned to define a primary fluid passage extending across said second fluid passage, said primary fluid passage being coupled to said primary fluid supply and said second fluid passage being coupled to said secondary fluid supply passage to thereby define an interface between a primary fluid in said primary fluid passage and a secondary fluid in said secondary fluid passage;
- a first heater disposed on said first side of said first plate proximate said first aperture;
- and
- a second heater disposed on said first side of said second plate proximate said second aperture;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to said first heater and said second heater to control energization of said first heater and said second heater in a predetermined manner.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.