Recirculation bypass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12023937-B2
Application number	US-202017798902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A fluid ejection die may include a fluid actuator, a substrate supporting the fluid actuator, a chamber layer supported by the substrate and a bypass passage in the substrate. The substrate may include a closed inlet channel having an inlet opening for connection to an outlet of a fluid source and an outlet channel having an outlet opening of a first size for connection to an inlet of the fluid source. The chamber layer includes a recirculation passage to supply fluid for ejection by the fluid actuator through an ejection orifice and to circulate fluid across the fluid actuator from the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel. The bypass passage is of a second size less than the first size and connects the inlet channel to the inlet of the fluid source while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid ejection die comprising:
a fluid actuator;
a substrate supporting the fluid actuator, the substrate comprising:
a closed inlet channel having an inlet opening for connection to an outlet of a fluid source, wherein the closed inlet channel comprises a ceiling and wherein the bypass passage extends through a portion of the ceiling and wherein the bypass passage comprises a hole of an array of holes extending through the portion of the ceiling; and
an outlet channel having an outlet opening of a first size for connection to an inlet of the fluid source;

a chamber layer supported by the substrate, the chamber layer comprising a recirculation passage associated with the fluid actuator to supply fluid for ejection by the fluid actuator through an ejection orifice and to circulate fluid across the fluid actuator from the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel; and
a bypass passage of a second size less than the first size in the substrate to connect the inlet channel to the inlet of the fluid source while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice.

2. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 , wherein the closed inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib therebetween, wherein the bypass passage extends through the rib.

3. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 , wherein the closed inlet channel has a floor, wherein the bypass passage extends through the floor to the outlet channel.

4. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 , wherein the closed inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib therebetween, wherein the closed inlet channel has a floor and a ceiling, and wherein the bypass passage connects the closed inlet channel to the outlet by extending through two of the rib, the ceiling and the floor while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice.

5. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 , wherein the closed inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib therebetween, wherein the closed inlet channel has a floor and a ceiling, wherein the bypass passage connects the closed inlet channel to the outlet by extending through one of the rib, the ceiling and the floor without extending across any fluid actuator provided for displacing fluid through an ejection orifice and wherein the fluid ejection die further comprises a second bypass passage in the chamber layer connecting the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice.

6. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 further comprising a second recirculation passage associated with a second fluid actuator to supply fluid for ejection by the second fluid actuator through a second ejection orifice and to circulate fluid across the second fluid actuator from the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel, wherein the closed inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib and wherein the bypass passage extends through the rib between the recirculation passage and the second recirculation passage.

7. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 , wherein the recirculation passage is one of a series of recirculation passages and wherein the bypass passage extends from the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel at an end of the series of recirculation passages.

8. The fluid ejection die of claim 1 further comprising a body providing the inlet and the outlet of the fluid source wherein the bypass passage extends through the substrate directly to the inlet of the fluid source.

9. A fluid ejection die comprising:
a fluid actuator;
a substrate supporting the fluid actuator, the substrate comprising:
a closed inlet channel having an inlet opening for connection to an outlet of a fluid source; and
an outlet channel having an outlet opening of a first size for connection to an inlet of the fluid source;

a chamber layer supported by the substrate, the chamber layer comprising a recirculation passage associated with the fluid actuator to supply fluid for ejection by the fluid actuator through an ejection orifice and to circulate fluid across the fluid actuator from the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel; and
a bypass passage of a second size less than the first size in the substrate to connect the inlet channel to the inlet of the fluid source while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice, wherein the fluid ejection die comprises a total number of recirculation passages extending across fluid actuators for ejection of fluid by the fluid actuator through corresponding ejection orifices and wherein the fluid ejection die comprises a total number of bypass passages connecting the closed inlet channel to the outlet such that a first portion of fluid within the closed inlet channel is to flow to the outlet through the recirculation passages and a second portion of the fluid within the closed inlet channel is to flow to the outlet through the bypass passages.

10. The fluid ejection die of claim 9 , wherein the closed inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib therebetween, wherein the bypass passage extends through the rib.

11. The fluid ejection die of claim 9 , wherein the closed inlet channel has a floor, wherein the bypass passage extends through the floor to the outlet channel.

12. The fluid ejection die of claim 9 , wherein the closed inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib therebetween, wherein the closed inlet channel has a floor and a ceiling, wherein the bypass passage connects the closed inlet channel to the outlet by extending through one of the rib, the ceiling and the floor without extending across any fluid actuator provided for displacing fluid through an ejection orifice and wherein the fluid ejection die further comprises a second bypass passage in the chamber layer connecting the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice.

13. A method for forming a fluid ejection die, the method comprising:
providing a substrate supporting a fluid actuator, the substrate forming a closed inlet channel and an outlet channel, the outlet channel having an outlet opening of a first size for connection to an inlet of a fluid source, wherein the inlet channel has a floor and a ceiling;
forming a second layer on the substrate, the second layer comprising a recirculation passage associated with the fluid actuator to supply fluid for ejection by the fluid actuator through an ejection orifice and to circulate fluid across the fluid actuator from the closed inlet channel to the outlet channel; and
forming a bypass passage of a second size less than the first size in the substrate to connect the closed inlet channel to the inlet of the fluid source while bypassing any fluid actuator provided for ejecting fluid through an ejection orifice, wherein the bypass passage comprises a hole of an array of holes extending through a portion of the ceiling.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the inlet channel and the outlet channel are separated by a rib therebetween, wherein the bypass passage connects the inlet channel to the inlet of the fluid source by extending through one of the rib, the ceiling and the floor without extending across any fluid actuator provided for displacing fluid through an ejection orifice.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the closed inlet channel has a floor, wherein the bypass passage extends through the floor to the outlet channel.

16. The method of claim 13

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Lum Jacob M
• Choy Si-Lam J
• Pollard Jeffrey R
• Yamashita Tsuyoshi
• Sells Jeremy
• Clark Garrett E

Classifications

• B41J2/1408

  Structure dealing with thermal variations, e.g. cooling device, thermal coefficients of materials · CPC title

• B41J2002/14459

  Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers · CPC title

• B41J2002/14403

  including a filter · CPC title

• B41J2/1404

  Geometrical characteristics · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title