Fluid pump, ink jet print head utilizing the same, and method of pumping fluid
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsRavi Sharma, Kwok L. Yip
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid pump, such as a print head, includes an ink channel having a nozzle and at least one wall having a flexible portion. A deforming member made of a viscoelastic material is coupled to the flexible portion and a charge mechanism is coupled to the deforming member to apply a spatially varied charge pattern to the deforming member when activated. Activation of the charge mechanism causes deformation of the deforming member and the flexible portion to reduce the volume of the ink channel and eject a droplet of ink out of the ink channel. The charge mechanism can include a photoelectric material and a radiation source or an electrode coupled to a source of electric power.
Claims19
A print head comprising:
- an ink channel:
- defining an internal volume,
- having a nozzle through which ink droplets are emitted from the channel when the volume of the channel is reduced, and
- being defined by at least one wall having a flexible portion;
- a deforming member coupled to said flexible portion;
- and
- a charge mechanism coupled to said deforming member and configured to apply a spatially varied charge pattern to said deforming member when said charge mechanism is activated;
- wherein activation of said charge mechanism causes deformation of said deforming member and said flexible member to thereby reduce the volume of said ink channel and eject a droplet of ink out of said reservoir.
A fluid pump comprising:
- a fluid channel:
- define an internal volume,
- having a nozzle through which ink droplets are emitted from the channel when the volume of the channel is reduced, and
- being defined by at least one wall having flexible portion;
- a deforming member coupled to said flexible portion;
- and
- a charge mechanism coupled to said deforming member and configured to apply a spatially varied charge pattern to said deforming member when said charge mechanism is activated;
- wherein activation of said charge mechanism causes deformation of said deforming member and said flexible member to thereby reduce the volume of said fluid channel and eject fluid out of said fluid channel.
A method of pumping a fluid comprising the steps of:
- coupling a deforming member to a flexible portion of a fluid channel;
- and reducing the volume of the fluid channel by applying a spatially varied charge pattern to the deforming member to cause deformation of the deforming member and the flexible member to eject fluid out of the fluid channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.