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:
May. 03, 2005
Filed:
Jun. 18, 2003
Paul C. Galambos, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Gilbert L. Benavides, Los Ranchos, NM (US);
Bernhard Jokiel, Jr., Albuquerque, NM (US);
Jerome F. Jakubczak Ii, Rio Rancho, NM (US);
Paul C. Galambos, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Gilbert L. Benavides, Los Ranchos, NM (US);
Bernhard Jokiel, Jr., Albuquerque, NM (US);
Jerome F. Jakubczak II, Rio Rancho, NM (US);
Sandia Corporation, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
A surface-micromachined fluid-ejection apparatus is disclosed which utilizes a piston to provide for the ejection of jets or drops of a fluid (e.g. for ink-jet printing). The piston, which is located at least partially inside a fluid reservoir, is moveable into a cylindrical fluid-ejection chamber connected to the reservoir by a microelectromechanical (MEM) actuator which is located outside the reservoir. In this way, the reservoir and fluid-ejection chamber can be maintained as electric-field-free regions thereby allowing the apparatus to be used with fluids that are electrically conductive or which may react or break down in the presence of a high electric field. The MEM actuator can comprise either an electrostatic actuator or a thermal actuator.