Nozzle assembly having a thermal actuator with active and passive beams

Abstract

The invention relates to a nozzle assembly for a printhead. The assembly includes a substrate which defines an ink inlet aperture, the substrate having a layer of micro-electromechanical drive circuitry, a wall portion bounding the ink inlet aperture, and a crown portion that defines a nozzle opening. The assembly also includes a skirt portion depending from the crown portion to form part of a peripheral wall of the nozzle assembly, the crown and skirt portions being displaceable with respect to the wall portion towards the substrate to alter a volume of a nozzle chamber defined by the wall, crown and skirt portions such that when the volume is altered, ink is ejected from the nozzle opening. Also included is a thermal actuator that interconnects the crown and skirt portions with the substrate and is configured to operatively receive an electrical signal from the drive circuitry to displace the crown and skirt portions to alter the volume of the nozzle chamber, the actuator having a first active beam arranged above a second passive beam, the beams fabricated with a conductive ceramic material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.