Valve element for use in an ink-jet printer head

Claim 1

A valve element for use in an ink-jet printer head comprising: a valve seat having a fine hole for a passage of a fluid, said valve seat being formed by a photoelectroforming technique; a valve for covering said hole; a support portion for supporting said valve and for displacing said valve in response to the pressure of said fluid; and a fixing portion for fitting said support portion to said valve seat, said valve, said support portion and said fixing portion being formed on said valve seat by a photoelectroforming technique in order to integrate said valve seat, said valve, said support portion and said fixing portion.

Claim 3

A method of producing a valve element for use in an ink-jet printer head comprising steps of: coating a photoresist having a predetermined thickness into a substrate equipped with an electrically conductive layer on at least its surface and removing said photoresist of a portion to be plated, thereby forming a pattern of a valve seat having a fine hole; applying plating to the portion devoid of said resist so as to bury said portion by a predetermined metal to the thickness substantially equal to that of said resist, thereby forming said valve seat; forming, on the surface of said valve seat, a spacer at least the surface of which has conductivity, in such a manner that said spacer is positioned between a valve, support portion and said valve seat; forming a pattern of a valve member on said valve seat having formed thereon said spacer, by photoresist, said valve member consisting of said valve arranged so as to cover said fine hole of said valve seat and having a predetermined size and shape greater than said fine hole and said support and fixing portions for said valve; plating the pattern of said valve member using a predetermined metal to form sid valve member; and removing the phtoresist forming said valve seat pattern, and photoresist forming said valve member pattern and said spacer.

Claim 4

A method of producing a valve element for use in an ink-jet printer head comprising steps of: coating a photoresist having a predetermined thickness into a substrate equipped with an electrically conductive layer on at least its surface and removing said photoresist of a portion to be plated, thereby forming a pattern of a valve seat having a fine hole; applying plating to the portion devoid of said resist so as to bury said portion by a predetermined metal to the thickness substantially equal to that of said resist, thereby forming said valve seat; forming, on the surface of said valve seat, a spacer at least the surface of which has conductivity, in such a manner that said spacer is positioned between a valve, support portion and said valve seat; forming a pattern of a valve member on said valve seat having formed thereon said spacer, by photoresist, said valve member consisting of said valve arranged so as to cover said fine hole of said valve seat and having a predetermined size and shape greater than said fine hole and said support and fixing portions for said valve; plating the pattern of said valve member using a predetermined metal to form sid valve member; and removing the phtoresist forming said valve seat pattern, and photoresist forming said valve member pattern and said spacer.