Actuators for fluid delivery systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498334-B2
Application number	US-202117194786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2021
Priority date	Dec 19, 2016
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus includes a reservoir and a printhead. The printhead includes a support structure including a deformable portion defining at least a top surface of a pumping chamber, a flow path extending from the reservoir to the pumping chamber to transfer fluid from the reservoir to the pumping chamber, and an actuator disposed on the deformable portion of the support structure. A trench is defined in a top surface of the actuator. Application of a voltage to the actuator causes the actuator to deform along the trench, thereby causing deformation of the deformable portion of the support structure to eject a drop of fluid from the pumping chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printhead comprising:
a support structure comprising a deformable portion defining at least a top surface of a pumping chamber;
an actuator disposed on the deformable portion of the support structure;
a first trench defined in a top surface of the actuator; and
a second trench connected to the first trench, wherein a perimeter of the second trench comprises a rounded portion.

2. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein the second trench is disposed at an end of the first trench.

3. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein the first trench comprises a first end proximate a center of the deformable portion and a second end proximate a perimeter of the deformable portion, wherein the second trench is disposed at the second end of the first trench.

4. The printhead of claim 3 , wherein the first trench is parallel to an axis.

5. The printhead of claim 4 , wherein the axis is a radial axis extending through the center of the deformable portion.

6. The printhead of claim 4 , further comprising a third trench disposed at the second end of the first trench.

7. The printhead of claim 6 , wherein the third trench forms a non-zero angle with the second trench.

8. The printhead of claim 6 , further comprising:
a fourth trench connected to the third trench; and
a fifth trench connected to the fourth trench, the fifth trench comprising a perimeter comprising a rounded portion.

9. The printhead of claim 6 , wherein the third trench forms a loop surrounding a central region of the deformable portion.

10. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein the second trench is wider than the first trench.

11. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein a width of the first trench is between 0.1 and 10 micrometers, and a width of the second trench is between 0.1 and 100 micrometers.

12. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein the rounded portion of the perimeter of the second trench is circular.

13. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein the rounded portion of the perimeter of the second trench is elliptical.

14. The printhead of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first trenches comprising the first trench; and
a plurality of second trenches comprising the second trench, each of the plurality of second trenches comprising a corresponding rounded portion, and each of the plurality of first trenches being adjoined to a corresponding second trench of the plurality of second trenches.

15. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the first trench and an entirety of the second trench are positioned within an outer perimeter of the deformable portion.

16. The printhead of claim 15 , wherein the outer perimeter of the deformable portion is aligned with an outer perimeter of the pumping chamber.

17. The printhead of claim 1 , wherein the second trench is adjoined to a single trench corresponding to the first trench.

18. The printhead of claim 17 , comprising a plurality of trenches comprising the first trench and the second trench, wherein the second trench is an outermost trench of the plurality of trenches.

19. An apparatus comprising:
a reservoir;
the printhead of claim 1 ; and
a flow path extending from the reservoir to the pumping chamber of the printhead.

20. The printhead of claim 1 , comprising:
a trench defined in the top surface of the actuator, the trench having a terminal end portion, wherein a perimeter of the terminal end portion is rounded.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Dimatix Inc

Inventors

• Menzel Christoph
• Sugimoto Shinya
• Ottoson Mats G
• Liu Wayne

Classifications

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• B41J2202/12

  with ink circulating through the whole print head · CPC title

• B41J2/14032

  Structure of the pressure chamber · CPC title

• B41J2/17596

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J2/1626

  etching · CPC title