Inkjet printhead device, fluid ejection device, and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016279931-A1
Application number	US-201615083258-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 24, 2011
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inkjet printhead device, fluid ejection device and method thereof are disclosed. The fluid ejection device includes a fluid supply chamber to store fluid, an ejection chamber including a nozzle and a corresponding ejection member to selectively eject the fluid through the nozzle, and a channel to establish fluid communication between the fluid supply chamber and the ejection chamber. The fluid ejection device also includes a pressure sensor unit having a sensor plate to output a voltage value corresponding to a cross-sectional area of an amount of fluid in the at least ejection chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fluid ejection device, comprising:
a plurality of ejection chambers comprising nozzles and corresponding ejection members to selectively eject a fluid through the respective nozzles, wherein a diameter of a first nozzle in a first ejection chamber is greater than a diameter of a second nozzle in a second ejection chamber.

2 . The fluid ejection device of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor in the first ejection chamber.

3 . The fluid ejection device of claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor is a ABD MEMS pressure sensor.

4 . The fluid ejection device of claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensor produces a potential based on the amount of pressure applied to a pressure plate.

5 . The fluid ejection device of claim 4 , wherein the potential is measured relative to a firing electrode.

6 . The fluid ejection device of claim 4 , wherein the potential is measured relative to ground.

7 . The fluid ejection device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is located on a surface opposite the first nozzle in the first ejection chamber.

8 . An inkjet printhead device capable of measuring the size of an ejector bubble over time, the device comprising:
a plurality of ejection chambers comprising nozzles and corresponding ejection members to selectively eject the fluid through the respective nozzles; an electrode in a first ejection chamber; a counter-electrode; a comparator detecting a potential between the electrode and the counter-electrode, where the potential is dependent on a cross-sectional area of an amount of fluid in the first ejection chamber as assessed by a current flowing between the electrode and the counter-electrode.

9 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising hardware components to output a signal from the device using a single data line and a shared reference line.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the data line is a potential relative to a potential of the shared reference line.

11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the data line is a binary output based on the potential and a threshold value.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the electrode functions as a firing electrode for ejecting a droplet from the first ejection chamber.

13 . A method of detecting a pre-exhaust condition of an ink reservoir associated with a printhead, the method comprising:
measuring at least one of: a firing chamber pressure and a firing chamber refill time; comparing the measurement with previous measurements; determining based on the comparison that the ink reservoir is in a pre-exhaust condition, wherein the determination is based on at least one of: a marked rise in refill time and a marked decrease in firing chamber pressure. providing a notice of the detected pre-exhaust condition in a user detectable format.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the measuring and determination are based on refill time.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the measure and determination are based on firing chamber pressure.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Van Brocklin Andrew L
• Ghozeil Adam L
• Anderson Daryl E

Classifications

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/04573 Primary

  Timing; Delays · CPC title

• B41J2/0451 Primary

  for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator · CPC title

• G01F23/185

  for discrete levels · CPC title

• B41J2202/07

  dealing with air bubbles · CPC title