1 . . . Limited

Xaar Technology Limited

Xaar Plc

Other

Am International Incorporated

Queen Mary & Westfield College

Rosemary Bridget Albinson

Mark Richard Shepherd

Stephen Temple

Gareth McKevitt

Richard John Topliss

Anthony Hooley

David Henry Pearce

Ursula Ruth Lenel

James Allan

Anthony D Paton

Andrew Matheson

Simon Andrew Longbottom

Salhadin Omer

Paul Raymond Drury

Robert Alan Harvey

Angus Condie

David Livingstone

Rosemary B Albinson

John Stark

Matthew John Pitts

Neel Bhalsod

An electrospray emitter () for emitting a liquid comprising a sheet () having a channel () opening to an aperture () on a flat emitter surface extending across the sheet (). A charging electrode () coupleable to an electrical supply and arranged to apply an electrical charge to liquid passing into the channel (). A control electrode () proximal to the channel () for controlling electrospray emission, that may be embedded in the sheet. A non-wetting or insulating layer () may be applied to the sheet.

Electrospray emitter and method of manufacture

A piezoelectric device comprising a continuous piezoelectric element () extending alternately back and forth to form a plurality of parallel, straight portions () arranged in a stack with intermediate linkage portions () at alternate ends of the straight portions (). Each straight portion () is constructed and arranged with electrodes () to bend, on activation, in the stacking direction in which the straight portions () are stacked with opposite curvature in two halves () of the straight portion () to create displacement between the ends of the straight portion () in the stacking direction adding in series through the stack. The continuous nature of the piezoelectric element () eases manufacture. Devices with two types of construction are disclosed. Firstly, the continuous piezoelectric element () may have a bender construction such as a bimorph bender construction. Secondly, the continuous piezoelectric element () may be a sheet of piezoelectric material having overlapping slits () extending from alternate sides to form the straight portions () between the slits (), with opposed electrodes () arranged on each major surface of the sheet in pairs separated across, and extending along, the straight portions ().

Piezolelectric devices

A loudspeaker for audible sound is described having a sound emitting element mounted onto a support structure and at least one actuator adapted to rotate said sound emitting element around a hinge section, wherein the actuator is made of piezoelectric material. In variants the actuator forms part of the hinge section and the loudspeaker is capable of generating vibrations through its support structure.

Loudspeaker

An example housing that protects a ceramic actuator from excessive and damaging displacement comprises a protective structure arranged to limit the motion of the actuator by contacting at least one section of the actuator between fixed and moving terminals of said actuator. A suspension system for a lens holder of a miniature camera actuated by a ceramic actuator comprises four pivotally connected link elements in form of a parallelogram connected between a housing and the lens holder.

Protective housing for a ceramic actuator

A loudspeaker comprising: a support, a sound-generating element mounted to the support for vibration to generate sound; and an electro-active device coupled between the support and the sound-generating element for vibrating the sound-generating element in response to an electrical signal. The electro-active device comprises a structure extending along a minor axis which extends in a curve around a major axis parallel to the vibration direction of the sound-generating element, the structure comprising successive electro-active portions arranged with electrodes to bend around the minor axis on activation in response to application of the electrical signal to the electrodes, and coupled together such that bending of successive portions causes concomitant rotation of adjacent portions around the minor axis adding incrementally along the minor axis, which rotation causes concomitant change of the axial length of the structure along the major axis.

Loudspeaker using an electro-active device

An equivalent to the spatial separation either side of a nominal median plane that is inherent in a bimorph (with one piezoelectric layer on one side, and the second on the other side of the plane) is attained by structurally shaping the cross-section of a simple, single piezoelectric layer () such that it has a multiplicity of piezoelectric portions arranged in two generally-planar groups one either side of a median plane, so that any dimension change undergone by a portion on one side of that plane will tend to bend the whole device in the opposite direction to the same sense dimension change undergone by a portion on the other side of that plane. The simple, single layer acts as though it were a bimorph if elongate and beam-like, bending along its length, one end moving up/down, or back/forth, relative to the other but with any need for an internal, electrode.

Piezoelectric structures

Electro-active actuators () and methods of manufacturing such actuators are described with such actuators () having a plurality of electro-active segments () arranged along a curved line with each segment () being essentially planar and coupled to adjacent segments () through joint sections () placed at opposite corners of the segment (). The actuators () exhibit a displacement in a different direction than the direction of displacement of a segment when seen in isolation. They can be made from a continuous tape of material, preferably by die punching.

Curved electro-active actuators

Various sensors use an electro-active device () electrically connected to a detector circuit. The electro-active device () comprises an electro-active structure in the form of a continuous electro-active member () curving in a helix around a minor axis () which is in itself curved for example in a helix around a major axis (). On activation by relative displacement of the ends () of the device (), the electro-active structure twists around the minor axis due to the fact that the minor axis () is curved. The continuous member () has a bender construction of a plurality of layers () and () including at least one layer of electro-active material so that concomitantly with the twisting the continuous member () bends generating an electrical signal detected by the detector circuit. The electro-active device () is advantageous as a sensing element in a sensor because it has a large displacement, high sensitivity and low compliance.

Sensor using electro active curved helix and double helix

A multi-channel array droplet deposition apparatus has a base sheet comprising a layer of piezo-electric material poled normal thereto, an array of parallel, open-topped droplet liquid channels provided by upstanding channel separating walls formed in the layer, electrodes on channel facing surfaces of the walls, a channel closure sheet bonded to the walls, nozzles respectively communicating with the channels and a droplet liquid supply connecting with the channels, the closure sheet having an array of parallel conductive tracks thereon paced at intervals corresponding with the channel spacing and located parallel to and opposite the channels and bonds, which preferably are solder bonds, mechanically and electrically connect each track to the electrodes of the channel facing walls of the channels opposite thereto and seal the closure sheet to the channels.

Multi-channel array droplet deposition apparatus

A method of manufacturing an ink jet print head includes the steps of bonding a body of piezoelectric material to a base plate and cutting channels into the piezoelectric material to form ink chambers which are actuated by applying voltages to electrodes provided on surfaces of the chambers. The base plate carries IC's which contain the drive circuitry for actuating the ink chambers. To ensure reliable electrical connection between the chamber electrodes and the IC's, the electrodes and conducting tracks on the base plate are formed in a single step by depositing a conductive layer over both the PZT body and the base plate. A step of masking or selective removal of material may be performed to achieve the necessary patterning of the electrodes and tracks.

Method of manufacturing a droplet deposition apparatus

The present invention relates to an electro-active device having an electro-active structure extending along a minor axis ( ) which is curved, for example in a helix around a major axis ( ). The electro-active structure comprises successive electro-active portions ( ) extending around said minor axis and arranged with electrodes to bend, when activated, around the minor axis ( ) such that bending of the successive portions ( ) is concomitant with rotation of the electro-active structure about the minor axis ( ) adding incrementally along the minor axis ( ). The electro-active structure generates displacement out of the local plane in which the minor axis is curved. The electra-active structure may be continuous electro-active member ( ) extending along and curving around the minor axis ( ), for example helically to form a helical helix. Alternatively, the electro-active structure may be a plurality of discrete elements ( ) connected together. The electro-active portions preferably have a bender structure formed from a plurality of layers. The device may be used as a driver, a sensor or a generator.

Electro active devices

Nozzles and methods of and apparatus for forming nozzles

The invention describes a method of forming a drop-on-demand printing apparatus having a body formed with a high density array of parallel channels (13) extending normal to the array direction, nozzles (27) connected respectively with the channels, printing liquid supply means with which said channels each communicate and pressure pulse applying means provided with each channel to apply pressure pulses to the channel liquid to effect droplet ejection, in which the body is formed by a plurality of like modules (2) serially butted together at facing end surfaces (49, 51) which are normal to the array direction, the arrangement enabling ejection of droplets from the channels so that said droplets are deposited on a printing surface at a predetermined spacing transversely to the direction of relative movement between the apparatus and said surface.

Modular drop-on-demand printing apparatus method of manufacture thereof,

A method of providing the surface area of a substrate with a first zone which is solvent-wettable and a second zone which is solvent-non-wettable, and which is particularly suitable for application to the printheads and nozzle plates of drop-on-demand ink jet printers or like products where the spacing between zones of the same kind can be as little as just tens of microns, and wherein the solvent-non-wettable zone displays excellent abrasion resistance and resistance to solvents, is virtually non-wettable by a wide range of solvents and bonds well even to plastics substrates, comprises:

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Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Mark Richard Shepherd