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US 8,523,332 B2Granted
Droplet deposition apparatus
AssigneeXaar Technology Limited
InventorsPaul R. Drury, Stephen Temple
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Droplet deposition apparatus comprising an array of fluid chambers defined by a pair of opposing chamber walls, and in fluid communication with a nozzle for droplet ejection therefrom; a cover member is joined to the edges of the chamber walls and thus seals one side of the chambers. The cover member has a ratio of cover thickness to chamber wall separation less than or equal to 1:1.
Claims24
Droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
- an array of fluid chambers, each fluid chamber defined by a pair of opposing chamber walls separated one from the other by a chamber wall separation, and in fluid communication with a nozzle for droplet ejection therefrom, each of said fluid chambers and said opposing chamber walls being elongate in a first direction, each of said opposing chamber walls deforming in shear mode in a chevron configuration upon application of an electric field thereto, wherein a top portion and a bottom portion of said chamber wall deform in opposite senses, and having an edge extending in said first direction;
- and
- a cover member joined to said edges of said chamber walls, thereby sealing one side of said chambers, the cover member having a cover thickness;
- wherein the ratio of cover thickness to chamber wall separation is less than or equal to 1:1;
- and
- wherein said nozzles are formed in said cover member and the cover member has a Young's modulus of less than or equal 100×109 N/m2.
3 more elements
Droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
- an array of fluid chambers, each fluid chamber defined by a pair of opposing chamber walls separated one from the other by a chamber wall separation, and in fluid communication with a nozzle for droplet ejection therefrom, each of said fluid chambers and said opposing chamber walls being elongate in a first direction, each of said opposing chamber walls deforming in shear mode in a chevron configuration upon application of an electric field thereto, wherein a top portion and a bottom portion of said chamber wall deform in opposite senses, and having an edge extending in said first direction;
- and
- a cover member joined to said edges of said chamber walls, thereby sealing one side of said chambers;
- wherein the thickness of the cover member is less than 150 μm;
- and
- wherein said nozzles are formed in said cover member and said cover member is formed of a polymer.
3 more elements
Droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
- an array of fluid chambers, each fluid chamber defined by a pair of opposing chamber walls separated one from the other by a chamber wall separation, and in fluid communication with a nozzle for droplet ejection therefrom, each chamber wall deforming in shear mode in a chevron configuration upon application of an electric field thereto, wherein a top portion and a bottom portion of said chamber wall deform in opposite senses, and having an edge extending in a first direction, each of said fluid chambers extending in said first direction from a first longitudinal end to a second, opposing longitudinal end;
- a fluid inlet manifold, in fluid communication with the first longitudinal ends of said fluid chambers;
- a fluid outlet manifold, in fluid communication with the second longitudinal ends of said fluid chambers;
- and
- a compliant cover component having a cover thickness and being joined to said edges of said chamber walls, thereby being arranged to bound said chambers
- wherein said nozzles are formed in said cover member and the ratio of cover thickness to chamber wall separation is less than or equal to 1:1.
3 more elements
Droplet deposition apparatus comprising:
- an array of fluid chambers, each fluid chamber defined by a pair of opposing chamber walls separated one from the other by a chamber wall separation, and in fluid communication with a nozzle for droplet ejection therefrom, each chamber wall deforming in shear mode in a chevron configuration upon application of an electric field thereto, wherein a top portion and a bottom portion of said chamber wall deform in opposite senses, and having an edge extending in a first direction, each of said fluid chambers extending in said first direction from a first longitudinal end to a second, opposing longitudinal end;
- a fluid inlet manifold, in fluid communication with the first longitudinal ends of said fluid chambers;
- a fluid outlet manifold, in fluid communication with the second longitudinal ends of said fluid chambers;
- and
- a compliant cover component having a cover thickness and being joined to said edges of said chamber walls, thereby being arranged to bound said chambers
- wherein said nozzles are formed in said cover member and said cover thickness is less than 150 μm.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.