Part design geometry for stenciling epoxies through orifices in film adhesive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207310-A1
Application number	US-201514599920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus has a first structure, an adhesive layer having a first height adhered to the first structure, the adhesive layer having an array of openings, the adhesive layer having a region adjacent each opening having a height less than a first height. A print head has a stack of plates forming a jet stack, the jet stack having a nozzle plate with an array of nozzles, an array of transducers in contact with the jet stack opposite the nozzle plate, an adhesive layer having a first height adhered to the array of transducers, the adhesive layer having openings adjacent the transducers and regions adjacent the openings having a height less than the first height, and a conductive material in the openings of the adhesive layer in contact with the transducers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a first structure; an adhesive layer having a first height adhered to the first structure, the adhesive layer having an array of openings, the adhesive layer having a region adjacent each opening having a height less than a first height.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second structure attached to the adhesive layer opposite the first structure.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a conductive material fills the openings and forms an electrical connection between the first and second structure.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second structure is attached to the adhesive layer through a coverlay, where the regions having a height less than a first height are under the coverlay.

5 . A print head, comprising:
a stack of plates forming a jet stack, the jet stack having a nozzle plate with an array of nozzles; an array of transducers in contact with the jet stack opposite the nozzle plate; an adhesive layer having a first height adhered to the array of transducers, the adhesive layer having openings adjacent the transducers and regions adjacent the openings having a height less than the first height; and a conductive material in the openings of the adhesive layer in contact with the transducers.

6 . The print head of claim 5 , further comprising a coverlay attached to the adhesive layer such that the regions having a height less than the first height form gaps between the adhesive layer and the coverlay, the coverlay having openings corresponding to the openings in the adhesive layer.

7 . The print head of claim 5 , further comprising a flex circuit attached to the adhesive layer, wherein the conductive material forms an electrical connection between the transducers and the flex circuit.

8 . The print head of claim 7 , wherein the flex circuit attaches to the adhesive layer by a coverlay, the coverlay having openings corresponding to the openings in the adhesive layer.

8 . A method of manufacturing a print head, comprising:
forming a jet stack, the jet stack including a nozzle plate having an array of nozzles; attaching an array of transducers to the jet stack, wherein the array of transducers has a transducer corresponding to each nozzle; adhering an adhesive layer to the array of transducers; forming opening in the adhesive layer, each opening adjacent a transducer in the array of transducers; partially removing the adhesive layer in regions adjacent the openings, such that the adhesive layer is less thick in the regions adjacent the openings than in other regions; filling the openings with a conductive material, such that when the conductive material is applied, any air in the openings moves into the regions of the adhesive layer with less thickness adjacent the openings.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising attaching a coverlay to the adhesive layer prior to filling the openings with conductive material.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the openings in the adhesive layer comprises forming the openings before the adhesive layer is adhered to the array of transducers.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the openings in the adhesive layer comprises forming the openings after the adhesive layer is adhered to the array of transducers.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the openings in the adhesive layer comprises one of laser ablation, cutting or etching.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein partially removing the adhesive layer comprises one of etching or laser ablation.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein filling the openings with conductive material comprises filling the openings with conductive paste.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein filling the openings with conductive material comprises:
applying a stencil to the adhesive layer; using the stencil to apply conductive material to the openings; and removing the stencil.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the stencil to the adhesive layer comprises applying the stencil to the adhesive layer through a coverlay.

17 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising attaching a flex circuit to the adhesive layer such that the conductive material forms electrical connections between the array of transducers and the flex circuit.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Freitag Chad D
• Luy Chanthy
• Schultz Samuel V
• Jones Garry A

Classifications

• B41N1/24

  Stencils; Stencil materials; Carriers therefor (stencilling apparatus for office or other commercial use B41L13/00) · CPC title

• B41J2/14 Primary

  Structure thereof {only for on-demand ink jet heads} · CPC title

• B32B2255/00

  Coating on the layer surface · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B41J2/1623

  bonding and adhesion · CPC title