Xaar Technology Limited

Sebastien Roger Gabriel Degraeve

Colin Brook

Gareth Paul Neal

A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving an actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with a respective at least one actuating element and a respective at least one nozzle, the at least one actuating element for each chamber being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in an ejection direction through the corresponding at least one nozzle, each row extending in a row direction; a manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, and widens from said first end to said second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows and being located adjacent said mount; and at least one port, each port opening into the manifold chamber at the first end thereof; wherein at least one portion between the first end and second end of the manifold chamber is shaped as a hyperbolic acoustic horn.

Droplet ejection head, manifold component therefor, and design method

A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving at least one actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with at least one respective actuating element and at least one respective nozzle, each at least one actuating element being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in said ejection direction through the corresponding at least one of said nozzles, each row extending in a row direction; an inlet manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows of fluid chambers and being located adjacent said mount; at least one inlet port, each inlet port opening into the inlet manifold chamber at the first end thereof; and a plurality of fluid guides disposed within the inlet manifold chamber, each fluid guide extending from a respective first end to a respective second end, the first ends of at least some of said fluid guides being located adjacent the first end of the inlet manifold chamber, and the second ends of at least some of said fluid guides being located adjacent the second end of the inlet manifold chamber; wherein the fluid guides diverge as they progress from the first end towards the second end of the inlet manifold chamber, the fluid guides thereby causing fluid flowing from the first end to the second end of the inlet manifold chamber to be distributed over the width, in the row direction, of the second end thereof.

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

Sebastien Roger Gabriel Degraeve