Orifice plate with break tabs and method of manufacturing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsRio T Rivas, Garrard Hume, Angela W Bakkom, Gerald G Trunk, Niranjan Thirukkovalur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plate has a rectangular plate body with a plurality of nozzle arrays. The plate also has first and second end zones in between the plurality of nozzle arrays and opposing ends of the plate body, respectively. There is a break tab in at least one of the first and second end zones. In between the first and second end zones is a middle zone. A plating material encapsulates the plate body in the middle zone.
Claims16
A plate comprising:
- a rectangular plate body having a plurality of nozzles;
- first and second end zones in between the plurality of nozzles and opposing ends of the plate body, respectively;
- a middle zone defined in between the first and second end zones;
- opposing side edges extending between the first and second end zones;
- a break tab in at least one of the first and second end zones, wherein the entire break tab is located between the side edges;
- and
- a plating material encapsulating the plate body in the middle zone.
A method of manufacturing an ink jet cartridge, the method comprising:
- attaching a print head to a cartridge body, wherein the print head has an elongated orifice plate with a plurality of orifices, and first and second end zones in between the plurality of orifices and opposing end edges of the plate, respectively, wherein the plate further has a middle zone defined in between the first and second end zones, and wherein the plate further has opposing side edges extending between the first and second end zones and a break tab in at least one of the first and second end zones, the break tab being located between the opposing side edges;
- encapsulating the middle zone of the plate body with a plating material;
- and
- applying an encapsulant to at least a part of the first and second end zones.
A method of manufacturing orifice plates, the method comprising:
- forming a sheet with a plurality of plates, wherein the plurality of plates includes a first plate, wherein the first plate has a rectangular plate body having a plurality of orifice arrays, first and second end zones in between the plurality of orifice arrays and ends of the plate body, respectively, and a middle zone defined in between the first and second end zones;
- forming a plurality of break tabs in between adjacent plates, wherein the plurality of break tabs includes a first break tab associated with the first plate, wherein the first break tab is in at least one of the first and second end zones and located between opposing side edges of the plate body;
- and
- encapsulating the middle zone of the plate body with a plating material.
A break tab of an orifice plate comprising:
- a base coupled with an end edge of the plate;
- a nose portion opposite the base;
- a pair of side edges coupling the base and the nose portion;
- and
- concave portions at junctions of the side edges and the nose portion, wherein the break tab is configured to break in the area of the concave portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.