Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

Zamtec Limited

Geneasys Pty Ltd

Matthew Taylor Worsman

Kia Silverbrook

Mehdi Azimi

Gregory John McAvoy

Azimi Mehdi

A microfluidic thermal bend actuated pressure pulse valve having an inlet for receiving a flow of liquid, an outlet for outputting the flow of liquid, a meniscus anchor between the inlet and the outlet such that the flow from the inlet towards the outlet stops at the meniscus anchor where the liquid forms a meniscus, a movable member for contacting the liquid, and, a thermal expansion actuator for displacing the movable member to generate a pulse in the liquid to dislodge the meniscus such that the liquid flow towards the outlet resumes.

Microfluidic thermal bend actuated pressure pulse valve

Provided is an inkjet printhead having an array of ink chambers formed on a planar support surface of a wafer substrate. Each ink chamber in the array has a nozzle, a thermal actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle and a droplet stem anchor. The thermal actuator has two sections with higher resistance than the remainder of the thermal actuator. The droplet stem anchor is positioned between the two sections with higher resistance of the thermal actuator.

Ink chamber with droplet step anchor

An inkjet printer that has an array of ink chambers, each with a nozzle, a droplet stem anchor and a thermal actuator. The thermal actuator generates a vapor bubble in the ink chamber to eject ink through the nozzle. The thermal actuator has a plurality of heater elements connected in parallel with a cross bracing structure extending between the heater elements. The cross bracing structure also providing the droplet stem anchor. During use, the vapor bubble generated by the thermal actuator grows until it vents to atmosphere through the nozzle and the ink ejected from the nozzle is attached to the droplet stem anchor by an ink stem until the stem breaks and the ejected ink forms a separate drop.

Inkjet printer with droplet stem anchor

An inkjet printhead having an array of ink chambers is disclosed. Each ink chamber has a nozzle and a heater element for generating vapour bubbles to eject ink through the nozzle. The heater element has multiple current paths connected in parallel. Each current path has at least one portion with a reduced cross-section relative to the remainder of the current path. A cross bracing structure is also provided for connecting intermediate portions of the current paths.

Inkjet printhead with heater elements having parallel current paths

An inkjet printhead includes: a substrate; a row of nozzle chambers disposed on the substrate; an ink conduit extending longitudinally adjacent the row of nozzle chambers; and a nozzle plate spanning over the ink conduit and the row of nozzle chambers. Each nozzle chamber has a respective ink ejection opening defined in the nozzle plate; a first ink inlet defined in a sidewall of the nozzle chamber for receiving ink from the ink conduit; and a second ink inlet defined in a floor of the nozzle chamber. Each of the first and second ink inlets is in fluid communication with a common ink reservoir.

Inkjet printhead having nozzle chambers with redundant ink inlets

An inkjet printhead is disclosed. The printhead has an array of ink chambers. Each ink chamber has a nozzle and a thermal actuator for generating vapor bubbles to eject ink through the nozzle. The thermal actuator has a pair of contacts and at least two parallel current paths between the contacts. Each of the current paths has a plurality of heater elements for nucleating a vapor bubble.

Inkjet thermal actuator with parallel current paths

Provided is an inkjet nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead. The arrangement includes a wafer substrate defining sidewalls and a roof portion to form an ink chamber, the roof portion further defining a nozzle aperture, as well as a heater element suspended inside the ink chamber for thermal expansion and subsequent ejection of ink from the chamber via the nozzle aperture. The arrangement also includes a nozzle rim defined about the aperture on the roof portion, said rim having an inner and an outer lip to facilitate ink drop misdirection during ink ejection to minimise cavitation corrosion of the heater element.

Inkjet nozzle arrangement having a nozzle rim to facilitate ink drop misdirection

A printhead comprising a plurality of inkjet nozzle assemblies is provided. Each nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle chamber formed on a substrate. The nozzle chamber comprises a roof spaced apart from the substrate and sidewalls extending between the roof and the substrate. The nozzle chamber has an ink ejection opening defined in the roof, a first ink inlet defined in one of the sidewalls, and a second ink inlet defined in a floor of the nozzle chamber. Each ink inlet is in fluid communication with a common ink reservoir. The nozzle assembly further comprises an actuator for ejection of ink through the ink ejection opening.

Printhead with redundant nozzle chamber inlets for minimizing effects of blockages

An inkjet printhead comprising: an array of ink chambers, each having a nozzle, an elongate actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle; wherein, the nozzle has an elongate shape with its long dimension aligned with that of the elongate actuator.

Printhead with elongate nozzles

An inkjet printhead having: an array of ink chambers, each having a nozzle and a plurality of heater elements for generating vapour bubbles to eject ink through the nozzle, the heater elements being suspended for immersion in the ink; and, a cross bracing structure for maintaining the spacing between the heater elements.

Inkjet printhead with multiple heater elements and cross bracing

An inkjet printhead comprising: an array of ink chambers, each having a nozzle and a thermal actuator for generating vapor bubbles to eject ink through the nozzle; wherein, the thermal actuator has a pair of contacts and at least two parallel current paths between the contacts, each of the current paths having a plurality of heater elements for nucleating a vapor bubble.

Inkjet printhead with multiple heater elements in parallel

An inkjet printhead comprising: an array of ink chambers, each having a nozzle and an actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle; wherein during use, the actuator initiates a quadrupole pressure pulse that is symmetrical about two orthogonal axes parallel to the plane of the nozzle, the orthogonal axes intersecting a mutually orthogonal axis extending through the center of the nozzle.

Inkjet printhead with quadrupole actuators

An inkjet printhead that has an array of ink chambers, each having a nozzle, a droplet stem anchor and an actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle. During use, the ink ejected from the nozzle is attached to the droplet stem anchor by an ink stem until the stem breaks so that the ejected ink forms a separate drop.

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Balmain, Australia

Matthew Taylor Worsman