Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Daniel L Huber

Frank Edward Anderson

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Robert Wilson Cornell

Peter J Mendel

John Wayne Gassett

Johnnie A Coffey

Philip Jerome Heink

Wilson Morgan Routt, Jr

Scott Stephen Williams

James Philip Harden

Steven A Silverstein

Stephen Todd Olson

Bernard L Wilzbach

Earl G Edwards

Armando V Flores

Thomas M Paulson

James M Williams

Steven G Minton

A micro-fluid ejection device for ultra-small droplet ejection and method of making a micro-fluid ejection device. The micro-fluid ejection device includes a semiconductor substrate containing a plurality of thermal ejection actuators disposed thereon. Each of the thermal ejection actuators includes a resistive layer and a protective layer for protecting a surface of the resistive layer. The resistive layer and the protective layer together define an actuator stack thickness. The actuator stack thickness ranges from about 500 to about 2000 Angstroms and provides an ejection energy per unit volume of from about 10 to about 20 gigajoules per cubic meter. A nozzle plate is attached to the semiconductor substrate to provide the micro-fluid ejection device.

Ultra-low energy micro-fluid ejection device

A printer (1) and portable stations (2 and 3) when located side-by-side form a guide (1a, 2a, and 3a) for paper sheets sent out by printer 1. The paper is moved upward into U-shaped guide 1a by pinch rollers (6 and 7) and then moved laterally by pinch rollers (8 and 9) in guide 1a. Similar rollers are in guides 2a and 3a to direct the paper to the selected station and then downward.

Printer with distribution stations having U-shaped sheet guide

Printer

An optical system having a single, monolithic scan element as shown in the drawing in which surface 6 is concave, surface 7 is convex, surface 8 is convex, surface 9 is convex and the circumference of surface 9 is convex, surface 10 is convex, surface 11 is convex, and surface 13 is flat. f-theta correction is made primarily at surfaces 6, 9, 10 and 13. The element is molded from optical grade plastic and provides improved performance, no assembly adjustment, performance enhancement from its complex surfaces, and low cost.

Monolithic optical scanner

An electronic switch keyboard for typewriters or office machines includes a multiple switch at selected key positions to provide two signal inputs to a utilization device. A first capacitor switch is actuated to provide a first signal upon initial key depression and a second contact switch, common to all selected key positions, is actuated to provide a second signal upon further key depression at the selected key positions. A ground plane forms a portion of the contact switch and further serves to reduce parasitic capacitance and to shield the capacitive switches from stray electrical noise occasioned by the contact switch or other electrical inputs. A dielectric material is used to accurately separate the ground plane from the capacitive switch and further serves as a force spreading device for the contact switch. When the keyboard is used in conjunction with a typewriter, the first signal may be used to effect character selection and printing and the second signal to effect repeated printing of the same character. Consistent with prior mechanical typewriter keyboards, three increasing levels of force are required to be overcome as the key is depressed: a pretravel force, a first switch actuation force, and a second switch actuation force.

Keyboard multiple switch assembly

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Daniel L Huber