Droplet deposition head and actuator component therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875302-B2
Application number	US-201616334258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

actuator component for a droplet deposition head made up of a number of patterned layers, each layer extending in a plane normal to a layering direction, with the layers being stacked one upon another in said layering direction. A row of fluid chambers is formed within the layers, with the row extending in a row direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the layering direction. Each fluid chamber is provided with a respective nozzle and a respective actuating element, which is actuable to cause the ejection of fluid from the chamber in question through the corresponding one of the nozzles. A row of inlet passageways is also formed within the layers of the actuator component, with the row extending in the row direction. Each inlet passageway is fluidically connected so as to supply fluid to a respective one of said fluid chambers. In some embodiments, either a row of outlet passageways or a second row of inlet passageways is additionally formed within the layers; in either case, such row extends in the row direction. Where outlet passageways are present, each is fluidically connected so as to receive fluid from a respective one of said fluid chambers. At least one of the rows of passageways is staggered, whereby at least some of the members of the staggered row in question are offset from their neighbours in an offset direction for the staggered row in question that is perpendicular to the row direction. The row of fluid chambers may also be staggered.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator component for a droplet deposition head comprising:
a plurality of layers, each layer extending in a plane having a normal in a layering direction, the layers being stacked in the layering direction;
fluid chambers formed within the plurality of layers, the fluid chambers arranged in a corresponding row extending in a row direction, which is perpendicular to the layering direction, each fluid chamber being provided with a nozzle and an actuating element, each actuating element being actuable to cause ejection of fluid from a respective chamber through a corresponding nozzle;
inlet passageways formed within the plurality of layers, the inlet passageways arranged in a corresponding first row extending in the row direction, each inlet passageway being fluidically connected to one of the fluid chambers;
wherein at least a subset of the inlet passageways is in a first staggered row, whereby at least the inlet passageways of the first staggered row are offset from neighboring inlet passageways in a first offset direction that is perpendicular to the row direction; and
wherein at least a subset of the fluid chambers is in a second staggered row, whereby at least the fluid chambers of the second staggered row of fluid chambers are offset from neighboring fluid chambers in a second offset direction that is perpendicular to the row direction.

2. The actuator component of claim 1 , further comprising further inlet passageways formed within the plurality of layers, the further inlet passageways formed within the plurality of layers being arranged in a second row of inlet passageways extending in the row direction, each inlet passageway being fluidically connected to one of the fluid chambers and each fluid chamber having separate connections to one inlet passageway of the first row and one of the inlet passageways of the second row.

3. The actuator component of claim 2 , wherein at least one inlet passageway of the second row of inlet passageways is in a third staggered row of inlet passageways, whereby at least the members of the third staggered row of inlet passageways are offset from neighboring inlet passageways in an offset direction that is perpendicular to the row direction.

4. The actuator component of claim 3 ,
wherein the members of each of the first, second and third staggered rows are assigned, according to a repeating pattern, to two or more groups corresponding to the respective staggered row and for each one of the staggered rows, members within the same group are aligned in the offset direction for the respective staggered row and members within different groups are offset by a distance in the offset direction for the respective staggered row.

5. The actuator component of claim 4 , wherein the members of each group are formed in a subset of the layers and for at least one of the staggered rows, the subset of layers for one group row is different to the subset of layers for another group.

6. The actuator component of claim 3 , wherein each of the inlet passageways of the second row of inlet passageways is elongate in a direction parallel to a second inlet passageway length direction, wherein the second inlet passageway length direction is perpendicular to the layering direction and wherein each inlet passageway of the second row of inlet passageways comprises a second inlet passageway wall and for at least a group of the inlet passageways of the second row of inlet passageways, each second inlet passageway wall includes at least one strengthening rib, which extends parallel to the second inlet passageway length direction.

7. The actuator component of claim 3 , wherein each of the inlet passageways of the second row of inlet passageways is elongate in a direction parallel to a second inlet passageway length direction, wherein the second inlet passageway length direction is parallel to the layering direction and wherein each inlet passageway of the second row of inlet passageways comprises a second inlet passageway wall and for at least a group of the inlet passageways of the second row of inlet passageways, each second inlet passageway wall includes at least one strengthening rib, which extends parallel to the second inlet passageway length direction.

8. The actuator component of claim 1 , further comprising outlet passageways formed within the plurality of layers, the outlet passageways being arranged in a row of outlet passageways extending in the row direction, each outlet passageway being fluidically connected to one of the fluid chambers.

9. The actuator component of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the outlet passageways is in a fourth staggered row of outlet passageways, whereby at least the members of the fourth staggered row of outlet passageways are offset from neighboring outlet passageways in an offset direction that is perpendicular to the row direction.

10. The actuator component of claim 9 ,
wherein the members of each first, second and fourth staggered rows are assigned, according to a repeating pattern, to two or more groups corresponding to the respective staggered row and for each one of the staggered rows, members within the same group are aligned in the offset direction for the respective staggered row and members within different groups are offset by a distance in the offset direction for the respective staggered row.

11. The actuator component of claim 10 , wherein the members of each group are formed in a subset of the layers and for at least one of the staggered rows, the subset of layers for one group is different to the subset of layers for another group.

12. The actuator component of claim 9 , wherein each of the outlet passageways is elongate in a direction parallel to an outlet passageway length direction, wherein the outlet passageway length direction is perpendicular to the layering direction and wherein each outlet passageway comprises an outlet passageway wall and for at least a group of the outlet passageways, each outlet passageway wall includes at least one strengthening rib, which extends parallel to the outlet passageway length direction.

13. The actuator component of claim 9 , wherein each of the outlet passageways is elongate in a direction parallel to an outlet passageway length direction, wherein the outlet passageway length direction is parallel to the layering direction and wherein each outlet passageway comprises an outlet passageway wall and for at least a group of the outlet passageways, each outlet passageway wall includes at least one strengthening rib, which extends parallel to the outlet passageway length direction.

14. The actuator component of claim 1 , wherein members of each first and second staggered rows are assigned, according to a repeating pattern, to two or more groups corresponding to the respective staggered row and for each one of the staggered rows, members within the same group are aligned in an offset direction for the respective staggered row and members within different groups are offset by a distance in the offset direction for respective staggered rows.

15. The actuator component of claim 14 , wherein the members of each group are formed in a subset of the layers and for at least one of the staggered rows, the subset of layers for one group is different to the subset of layers for another group.

16. The actuator component of claim 1 , wherein each of the inlet passageways is elongate in a direction parallel to a first inlet passageway length direction, wherein the first inlet passageway length direction is perpendicular to the layering direction and wherein each inlet passageway comprises a firs

Assignees

• Mcmullen Robert Errol
• Mardilovich Peter
• Boltryk Peter
• Xaar Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Mcmullen Robert Errol
• Mardilovich Peter
• Boltryk Peter

Classifications

• B41J2/14233 Primary

  of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2/14274

  of stacked structure type, deformed by compression/extension and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title

• B41J2002/14241

  having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element · CPC title