Eastman-kodak Company

Xerox Corporation

John R Debesis

Edwin A Mycek

Larry L Lapa

Wesley H Bacon

Mark D Evans

Edward P Furlani

Andrew Frederick Kurtz

Marek W Kowarz

Sanwal P Sarraf

James S Newkirk

Kenneth L Baker

Gilbert Allan Hawkins

Charles D DeBoer

Michael Edgar Long

Ravi Sharma

James Michael Chwalek

William Mey

Robert C Bryant

Todd Russell Griffin

J Kelly Lee

Svetlana Reznik

Seung-Ho Baek

Ari Bar-on

Richard A Colleluori

Jeffrey P Serbicki

Judith L Fleissig

Timothy A Peter

Yung-Rai R Lee

Kathleen S Hollis

P W Moran

Robert J Green, Jr

Daniel A Rehberg

Jefferey P Serbicki

A system and method for the fabrication of a fluid, gas and/or vacuum flow system ( ) having a laminate gasket manifold ( ) containing a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels ( ) therein. Initially, a photoimagable polyimide dry film resist layer ( ) is applied to one or more stiffening elements ( ) in order to form laminate sub-layers ( ). The resist is then patterned to form a plurality of openings therein. Selectively, the laminate sub-layers are etched to form alignment apertures ( ) therein. The resist-coated sub-layers ( ) are then stacked such that the alignment apertures ( ) therein are aligned to each other, respectively, to form bi-directional fluid-flow channels ( ). Heat and pressure are then applied to the stack of laminate sub-layers ( ) at 70-75 degrees C. in a vacuum laminator for 10 to 30 seconds. Additional parts, such as a silicon aperture structure ( ) and a substrate, or mounting block ( ), are bonded to the laminate gasket manifold ( ) via a die bonder at 160 degrees C. for approximately five minutes. If such additional parts are added, forming a system ( ), then the system ( ) is cured via a post bake at 160 degrees C. for one hour utilizing a static pressure, such as a dead weight, in order to press all parts together. Thus, the post bake results in a complete cross-link of the bonding material ( ), and may be applied to the laminate gasket manifold ( ) should additional parts not be added.

Laminate and gasket manifold for ink jet delivery systems and similar devices

An optical strain gauge for measuring the strain in a structural member includes a mechanical grating device fixedly attached to the structural member for modulating an incident beam of light by diffraction; at least one source of light; and an optical system for directing light onto the mechanical grating device and a sensor for receiving light reflected from the mechanical grating device for producing a representation of the strain in the structural member.

Optical strain gauge

A self-cleaning ink jet printer with cleaning mechanism and method of cleaning the ink jet printer. The printer comprises a print head having a surface thereon surrounding a plurality of ink ejection orifices. The orifices are in communication with respective ones of a plurality of ink channels formed in the print head. A solvent delivering canopy is constructed from alternating stacked layers of polyimide and stainless steel sheets with internal geometries, one on top of each other, thus creating internal fluidic passageways. The canopy is connected to a manifold body and has a passageway alignable with the surface. Contaminant residing on the surface is entrained in the solvent when a wiper blade loosens contaminant from the surface. Per an applied vacuum, the canopy vacuums the solvent and entrained contaminant from the surface.

Ink jet printer with cleaning mechanism using laminated polyimide structure and method cleaning an ink jet printer

An improved diaphragm ( ) for drop on demand ink jet print heads and method for manufacturing the same. The present diaphragm ( ) includes a support element ( ) defining at least a portion of a chamber ( ) for holding ink, the support element ( ) defining an opening ( ) adjacent to the chamber ( ), and the diaphragm ( ) being electroformed on a surface ( ) of the support element ( ) around the opening ( ) at least substantially covering the opening ( ) and enclosing the chamber ( ). The diaphragm ( ) preferably has a central region ( ) disposed generally centrally over the opening ( ) and a bellows ( ) surrounds the central region ( ). The central region ( ) of the electroformed diaphragm ( ) is disposed in contact with a piezoelectric transducer ( ) for effecting reciprocal movement of the diaphragm ( ) for alternately contracting and expanding the volume of the ink holding chamber ( ), producing uniform pressure or acoustic waves through ink contained in the chamber ( ) whereby ink menisci in nozzles of a print head in communication with the chamber ( ) are uniformly oscillated.

Electroformed metal diaphragm

A strain gauge for measuring strain in a structural member, including: a light modulator adapted to be attached to the structural member, further including: a plurality of deformable elements, each of said deformable elements having a reflective surface and a resonant frequency that varies as a function of strain on the element; means for exerting a force to the deformable elements to cause them to deform at their resonant frequency between first and second operating states, an optical system for directing incident light onto the light modulator, and directing modulated light from the light modulator to a sensor that provides an output signal that varies as a function of the resonate frequency of said deformable elements; and means for generating a representation of the strain in the structural member from said output signal.

Strain gauge with resonant light modulator

Laminate and gasket manfold for ink jet delivery systems and similar devices

Ink printing printer with gutter cleaning structure and method of assembling the printer. The printer includes a print head (,) having a surface (,) thereon, the surface (,) including an orifice region (,) having at least one ink-ejection orifice (,), a first gutter (,) disposed proximate one side of the orifice region (,) adapted for connection to a source of a cleaning fluid, and a second gutter (,) disposed proximate an opposite side of the orifice region (,) adapted for connection to a receiver for the cleaning fluid. A cover member (,) is positionable opposite the orifice region (,) and the gutters (,) for forming a sealed enclosure (,) thereof defining a cavity (,) sized to allow fluid flow therethrough from the first gutter (,) over the orifice region (,) to the second gutter (,). A pump (,) is provided, preferably integrally formed in the print head (,), and connected to the gutters (,) through channels (,) in the print head (,) substrate for the circulation of the cleaning fluid. A filter (,) can also be provided between one of the gutters (,) and the pump (,) for removing contaminants from the cleaning fluid. A source of acoustic energy (,) can also be provided for exciting the cleaning fluid as the cleaning fluid flows through the cavity (,) for facilitating the cleaning action.

Ink printing head with gutter cleaning structure and method of assembling the printer

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a laser print head include the steps of mounting a laser array (70) on a print head block (80), measuring misalignment of the laser array (70) to determine a correction factor, mounting a cylinder lens (20) on a cylinder lens holder (25), inducing a predetermined bend into the cylinder lens (20) corresponding to the correction factor by allowing the cylinder lens (20) to sag on upright posts (26) of the cylinder lens holder (25), attaching the cylinder lens (20) to a sub-mount (30), attaching flexures (50) to the sub-mount (30), aligning the cylinder lens (20) to the laser array (70), and attaching the flexures (50) to the print head block (80). The bend in the cylinder lens corrects for misalignment in the laser array (70) so that the array of spots at the image plane is in an approximately straight line. In one embodiment, the sub-mount and cylinder lens have approximately the same thermal coefficient of expansion.

Alignment correction for laser print heads

An electro-optic modulator array (36). Electrode pairs 50 and 51 are mounted on a substrate (40). A layer of electronic grade glass (60) is deposited by electron beam evaporation on the substrate (40) and electrodes (50) and (51). In an alternate embodiment, an electronic grade of glass 50 is deposited on the PLZT substrate (40) prior to applying electrodes (50) and (51).

Electro-optic modulator with passivation layer

A beamsplitter/staggerer (24) for multi-beam laser printers is disclosed. The multi-beam laser printer is comprised of the beamsplitter/staggerer (24), a spatial light modulator (16) having at least two rows of staggered modulator pixel elements (19), and an illumination system comprised of a laser array (10) and an optical system (13) which provides a narrow line of laser light. The beamsplitter/staggerer is adapted to split the narrow line of laser light into at least two parallel lines of light, and to split each of the parallel lines of light into regions, such that substantially all of the light from the illumination system falls onto each of the modulator pixel elements (19) in each of the rows. In one embodiment, the beamsplitter/staggerer comprises a pattern of reflecting areas (26) and transmitting areas (27) wherein a shape of the regions defined by the beamsplitter/staggerer matches a shape of the modulator pixel elements (19).

Beamsplitter/staggerer for multi-beam laser printers

A cartridge (10) of web material includes a hollow cartridge body (14) having an exit slit (26); a strip or sheet (12) of web material enclosed in the cartridge body to be withdrawn from or inserted into the cartridge body via the exit slit; at least one magnetic member (38, 40; 130; 172-178; 240; 290,292) carried on the strip or sheet; and a magnetically actuated visual indicator (36) mounted on the cartridge body adjacent the exit slit to be actuated by the magnetic member when the strip or sheet is withdrawn from or inserted into the cartridge body.

Photographic medium cartridge with magnetically activated status

An electro-optic modulator (30) with a threshold bias. A PLZT substrate (14) has a plurality of first electrode pairs (12a) and (13a) on a first surface, and a plurality of second electrode pairs (12b) and (13b) on a second surface, which are aligned with the first plurality of electrode pairs. First and second electrode pairs are electrically isolated. A negative bias voltage is applied to the first plurality of electrode pairs (12a) and (13a). A positive bias voltage is applied to the second plurality of electrode pairs (12b) and (13b), which is approximately equal in magnitude to the first bias voltage. The bias voltage reduces the signal voltage necessary for optical transmission and improves the linearity of the electro-optic modulator (30).

Electro-optic modulator with threshold bias

An optical system for illuminating a multi-element spatial light modulator from a multi-emitter laser array such that each element of the modulator sees light from all emitters targets the light onto the two or more rows of elements, without putting light into the gap between the rows, and without putting light in the spaces between the elements. The element illumination may match a complex shape of the elements. A beamsplitter/staggerer is adapted to split the line of laser light into plural parallel lines of light, and to split the parallel lines of light into regions such that substantially all of the light from the illumination system falls onto the elements of the rows without impinging between the rows of elements or between the elements in the rows.

Beamsplitter for laser multi-beam printers and recorders

A laser print head structure includes a laser diode array (14) coupled to a heat sink (10). A cylindrical lens element (20) is aligned with the laser diode array and bonded to the heat sink. A binary optical element (22) is then aligned with the cylindrical lens element and attached to the heat sink through the use of flexures (24). The use of the flexures permits the binary optical element to 'float' in the plane of the laser diode array, thereby maintaining alignment even when the thermal expansion characteristics of the binary optical element are different from the thermal expansion characteristics of the heat sink. Anti-wicking slots (18) are provided in the heat sink at locations between the bonding points of the cylindrical lens element and the laser diode array. The anti-wicking slots, through capillary action, prevent excess adhesive from wicking along the cylindrical lens element and onto the facets of the lasers in the laser diode array. In addition, the flexures are provided with holes (28) to permit light to pass through the flexures to a light curable resin which is used to bond the flexures to the heat sink.

Optical print head with flexure mounted optical device

A method for fabricating a holeless hologon disk includes the steps of relatively positioning a disk assembly and a drive shaft assembly in closely spaced relation with the planar surface of the disk normal to the drive shaft's rotational axis. Adhesive is applied between the assemblies and allowed to fix while the relative assembly positions are maintained. In one construction fabricated by such method, the disk assembly comprises a flanged coupling attached to a planar glass disk with compliant adhesive.

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

John R Debesis