The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 11, 2003
Filed:
May. 06, 2002
Yi-Jing Leu, Hsinchu, TW;
Hung-Sheng Hu, Kaohsiung, TW;
Tsung-Ping Hsu, Jungli, TW;
Wei-Lin Chen, Taipei, TW;
In-Yao Lee, Shijr, TW;
Chung-Cheng Chou, Taipei, TW;
Benq Corporation, Taoyuan, TW;
Abstract
An apparatus for using the bubble as a virtual valve to eject ink comprises a chamber, orifice, and heaters. The chamber, having a top surface and a bottom surface, is connected to the ink reservoir by a manifold. Two heaters, connected in series to a common electrode, are located on the bottom surface of the chamber. One heater having higher resistance is positioned adjacent to the manifold, and the other heater having lower resistance is positioned away from the manifold. When an electrical pulse is applied to activate the heaters, the heater close to the manifold heats up first, and generates a first bubble to isolate the ink flow between the chamber and manifold, thereby reducing the effects of cross talk. Subsequently, the heater away from the manifold generates the second bubble to pressurize the ink in the chamber with the first bubble, and the ink is ejected through the orifice. Then, the first bubble collapses, and breaks the isolation between the manifold and the chamber. The ink in the manifold immediately refills to the chamber.