Thermal ink jet printhead with symmetric bubble formation
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorsKia Silverbrook, Angus John North, Gregory John McAvoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed an ink jet printhead which comprises a plurality of nozzles and one or more heater elements corresponding to each nozzle. Each heater element is configured to heat a bubble forming liquid in the printhead to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble therein. The generation of the bubble causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through the respective corresponding nozzle, to effect printing. Each heater element has two opposite sides and is configured such that the gas bubble formed by that heater element is formed at both of these sides.
Claims47
An ink jet printhead comprising:
- a plurality of nozzles;
- and
- at least one respective heater element corresponding to each nozzle, wherein
- each heater element is arranged for being in thermal contact with a bubble forming liquid,
- each heater element is configured to heat at least part of the bubble forming liquid to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble therein thereby to cause the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid through the nozzle corresponding to that heater element, and
- each heater element has two opposite sides and is configured such that a gas bubble formed by that heater element is formed at both of said sides.
A printer system incorporating a printhead, the printhead comprising:
- a plurality of nozzles;
- and
- at least one respective heater element corresponding to each nozzle, wherein
- each heater element is arranged for being in thermal contact with a bubble forming liquid,
- each heater element is configured to heat at least part of the bubble forming liquid to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble therein thereby to cause the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid through the nozzle corresponding to that heater element, and
- each heater element has two opposite sides and is configured such that a gas bubble formed by that heater element is formed at both of said sides.
A method of ejecting a drop of an ejectable liquid from a printhead, the printhead comprising a plurality of nozzles and at least one respective heater element corresponding to each nozzle wherein each heater element has two opposite sides, the method comprising the steps of:
- heating at least one heater element corresponding to a nozzle so as to heat at least part of a bubble forming liquid which is in thermal contact with the at least one heated heater element to a temperature above the boiling point of the bubble forming liquid;
- generating a gas bubble in the bubble forming liquid by said step of heating, the bubble being generated at both of said sides of the or each heated heater element;
- and
- causing the drop of ejectable liquid to be ejected through said corresponding nozzle by said step of generating a gas bubble.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.