EP0498291A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Nozzle structures for bubblejet print devices
Assignee: Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty Ltd
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Filing: 1992-01-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-01-29
Abstract
Abstract A bubblejet print device (100) is disclosed which is integrally formed having arrays (102,103,104,105) of nozzles (110) which form part of a passageway communicating between opposite surfaces of a semiconductor substrate (130). Each nozzle (110) has an integrally formed heater (120) which permits heating of ink (106) within the respective nozzle (110) for the ejection of an ink drop (108) therefrom. The heater (120) can provide a fault tolerant structure through the provision of a main heater (121,441) and a redundant heater (122,443) each of which can be separately energised from a corresponding electronic drive circuit (160,165). Several methods of manufacturing the device (100) using semiconductor fabrication techniques are also disclosed. A bubblejet print head (200) incorporating the device (100) can form part of an image reproducing apparatus (531,533,535,537) and is capable of printing full colour images at 400 dpi and monochrome images up to 1600 dpi. An ink drop size of about 3 picolitres is used for these image intensities. A thermal shunt (140) or diffuser (491) are used to transport heat away from the heater (120) to prevent formation of hot spots thereabout after the ejection of an ink drop (108). Electronic circuitry (310,302-305) is disclosed which is used to couple data to the device (100) to provide full width page printing using a stationary head (200) and a moving paper medium (220).
Inventors
- 👤 Kia Silverbrook
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:43
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/16; B41J2/1621; B41J2/1626; B41J2/1628; B41J2/14; B41J2/14016; B41J2/14032; B41J2/1404; B41J2/14056; B41J2/14088; B41J2/14112; B41J2/14137; B41J2/14145; B41J2/1601; B41J2/1603; B41J2/1623; B41J2/1629; B41J2/1631; B41J2/1632; B41J2/1635; B41J2/164; B41J2/1642; B41J2/1643; B41J2/1645; B41J2/17; B41J2/175; B41J2/17563; B41J2002/1437; B41J2202/00; B41J2202/01; B41J2202/11; B41J2202/13
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A bubblejet print device characterized by comprising a plurality of nozzles each communicating with a corespondent passageway for the supply of ink to the nozzle, and a plurality of heater means each of which is associated with a corresponding nozzle or passageway, characterised in that said heater means comprises a plurality of heaters each of which has a corresponding electronic drive circuit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said heater means surrounds the corresponding nozzle or passageway.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said heater means is substantially annular.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that said heater means comprises two heaters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that each said heater is serpentine within a semi-circular configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that each said heater is a flat spiral having a part-turn or turns interleaved with the other heater.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the electronic drive circuit of one of said heaters is connected with the drive circuit of the other heater and operable only in the event that said other heater fails to operate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said device is fabricated on a semiconductor substrate and the two drive circuits are fabricated on said substrate at locations which are not adjacent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A device as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that said heater means is located between said two drive circuits.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that each said drive circuit contains a heater switching semiconductor switch, said switches are of a like polarity type, and the connection between said one drive circuit and the other drive circuit includes voltage level shifting means connected to the switching input of said semiconductor switch of said one drive circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
79 words
A bubblejet print device characterised by comprising a plurality of nozzles each communicating with a corresponding passageway for the supply of ink to the nozzle and a plurality of heater means each of which is associated with a corresponding nozzle or passageway, characterized in that each said heater means has a plurality of electronic drive circuits, said heater means and the corresponding electronic drive circuits being integrally formed on a substrate and spaced apart in relation to each other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that each said heater means comprises two heaters each with a corresponding said electronic drive circuit, said heater means being located between said drive circuits.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A device as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that said drive circuits are arranged adjacent the periphery of the substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
115 words
A bubblejet print device characterised by comprising a first plurality and a second plurality of nozzles each communicating with a corresponding passageway for the supply of ink to the nozzle, and a first plurality and a second plurality of heater means each associated with a corresponding one of said nozzles or passageways, characterised in that for each of said first plurality of nozzles and heater means there is a corresponding one of said second plurality of nozzles and heater means allocated thereto, and each heater means of said second plurality of nozzles is interconnected to the allocated one of said first pluralily of said heater means to sense the failure thereof and be enabled thereby.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
A device as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that the interconnection of said second plurality of said heater means include compensation means adapted to compensate for any spacial separation of said second plurality of nozzles from said first plurality of nozzles.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A device as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterised in that each of said first plurality of said heater means comprises two independently energizable heaters and each of said second plurality of heater means is energizable after failure of both said heaters of the corresponding one of said first plurality of heater means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
113 words
A bubblejet printing assembly characterised by comprising a plurality of bubblejet printing devices each comprising a plurality of nozzles each communicating with a corresponding passageway for the supply of ink to the nozzle and heater means associated with each said nozzle or passageway, characterised in that for each intended print location of said assembly one or more nozzles of each said device is allocated thereto, and sensing means interconnect each nozzle of one of said devices with its corresponding allocated nozzle on another of said devices to sense the failure of the heater means, of that nozzle and enable operation of the heater means of the allocated nozzle of said another said device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
51 words
An assembly as claimed in claim 17, further characterised by comprising compensating means associated with each said sensing means for compensation for any spacial separation between said devices thereby permitting printing by said allocated nozzles of said another device at the print locations of the corresponding nozzles of said one device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0244214A1
Cited
EP0321075A2
Cited
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