CN1374193A - High-density ejector - Google Patents

Abstract

The high-density ejector for ink jet printer includes one manifold pipe, at least two fluid cavities with nozzle on two sides of the manifold pipe, and several jetting elements near the nozzles. When the fluid cavities are filled with fluid, and jetting elements produce one first bubble as virtual valve and one second bubble for jetting the fluid via the nozzles. Owing to the opposite or crossed arranging of the fluid cavities and the nozzles along the manifold pipe, the present invention has increased effective nozzle number and reduced bubbling effect and thus raised ink jetting print quality.

Description

High-density ejector

The present invention relates to a kind of high-density ejector, relate in particular to a kind of number of the arrangement that can increase spray orifice, can reduce the high-density ejector that increases the flow-disturbing effect that is caused because of the number of the arrangement of spray orifice again.

Among the application of ink-jet printer, the raising of print quality is not to use the target of person and producer's unanimity always.

See also Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 is the structural representation of the ink gun of prior art.See also Fig. 1, Fig. 1 is C.J.Kim, F.G.Tseng and C.M.Ho, US No.6,102, the ink discharge device of 530-" Apparatus and method for using bubbles as virtual valve in microinjector toeject fluid " with a virtual valve.As shown in Figure 1, ink gun comprises a silicon base 10, one manifolds 11 to carry an ink (not shown), a fluid cavity 12, be located at a side of manifold 11, in order to holding this ink, a spray orifice 13 is located at the surface of fluid cavity 12, be used for for this ink ejection, and an injection component 14a, 14b, be located at spray orifice 13 around.

As US Pat.NO.6, described in 102,530, the difference that ink gun utilizes injection component 14a and 14b to reach on the speed of predetermined temperature sprays this ink.That is to say, when desire sprays this ink, make injection component 14a take the lead in reaching this predetermined temperature earlier, produce one first bubble (not shown) earlier with position at fluid cavity 12 close manifolds 11, be used for completely cutting off fluid cavity 12 and manifold 11, producing the effect of a virtual valve, and reduce the influence of flow-disturbing effect.Then make injection component 14b reach this predetermined temperature subsequently again, produce one second bubble (not shown), be used for pushing this ink jointly, and then make this ink from spray orifice 13 ejections with this first bubble with right side in this first bubble.Wherein, this second bubble combines with this first bubble, also can reduce the generation of satellite ink droplet.

Yet, US No.6,102,530 disadvantage promptly is and need makes manifold 11 and fluid cavity 12 in the mode of anisotropic etching, and because the technology of anisotropic etching has different etching speeds for the different crystalline lattice direction, therefore desire is used US No.6, and 102,530 method is made a hole that penetrates silicon base 10 from the back side, will certainly stay next perforate (also as shown in Figure 3) at the back side of silicon base 10, and cause the greatest waste on the space much larger than the front.In addition, in the process of assembling ink gun, the back side of silicon base 10 also needs enough spaces and is used for gluing, with fluid-tight engagement one a black casket (not shown) and a wafer (not shown).

For example, have only in the ink discharge device of 200 μ m a manifold stenosis, its back side perforate is 1156 μ m, adds the gluing district that both sides keep, about each 1200 μ m, then back side width needs 3556 μ m at least.Hence one can see that, and on same silicon base, the manifold width in its silicon base front adds the width of fluid cavity, still adds the width of glue application region much smaller than the manifold width at the silicon base back side.

In addition, in order to improve resolution, except using more multistage printing color.Outside the more accurate image software, the most direct method is exactly the arranging density that increases the spray orifice of ink gun, so just can obtain preferable print quality under identical wafer size.Can adopt (1) to reduce injection diameter to increase the mode of effectively utilizing area and desire to reach this effect with (2).

See also Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is the schematic diagram that directly increases the arranging density of spray orifice.As shown in Figure 2, only arrange the spray orifice 23 of row around each manifold 21, therefore when the resolution of 600dpi, just must arrange 600 spray orifices 23 (only showing three) on one inch silicon base in Fig. 2, promptly in unit length, must fill in many one times spray orifice, this can make that making degree of difficulty significantly increases.Then see also Fig. 3, another mode then is to make two manifolds 31, and around each manifold 31 all a study plot arrange 300 spray orifices 33 (only showing two) in Fig. 3.But this measure can significantly increase wafer size (as previously mentioned), and causes the rising of product cost and the decline of competitiveness.

Therefore, in order to improve above-mentioned shortcoming, certainly will will focus on increases on the same manifold spray orifice number of the arrangement on every side, but increase the spray orifice number of the arrangement, distance between each fluid cavity also will be dwindled thereupon, and when distance is dwindled between fluid cavity, also will produce a flow-disturbing effect between the fluid cavity, cause the reduction of print quality.

Therefore, main purpose of the present invention is to provide a kind of jet orifice arrangement mode that more conforms with economic benefits, to solve above-mentioned awkward problem.

For achieving the above object, the invention provides a kind of high-density ejector that can be used for ink-jet printer, its include a manifold (manifold), at least two fluid cavitys (chamber) and spray orifice (orifice) be located at this manifold about two, and a plurality of injection components are located at respectively near this spray orifice, be used for when this fluid cavity is full of fluid, produce earlier one first bubble with as a virtual valve (virtual valve), and then produce one second bubble so that this fluid is penetrated by this spray orifice.

Because this fluid cavity of the present invention and this spray orifice are relatively or the arrangement of alternating expression along this manifold, thus can increase nozzle hole number effectively and reduce the flow-disturbing effect, and then reach the purpose that improves the inkjet printing quality.

Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described.In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 is the structural representation of the ink gun of prior art.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are the process schematic representation of high-density ejector of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is the top view of high-density ejector of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is the second embodiment schematic diagram of high-density ejector of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is the 3rd an embodiment schematic diagram of high-density ejector of the present invention.

The drawing reference numeral explanation:

10,40 silicon base

11,21,31,41,71,81 manifolds

12,42a, 42b fluid cavity

13,23,33,48,78,88 spray orifices

14a, 14b, 43,49,73,83 injection components

44 roof structure layers

45 protective layers

46,76,86 conductive layers

47,77,87 resistive layers

See also Fig. 4 to Fig. 6, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are the process schematic representation of high-density ejector of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is the top view of high-density ejector of the present invention.As shown in Figure 4, the present invention provides a silicon base 40 earlier, and its thickness for example is about 675 μ m, then uses potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution of a high concentration to come silicon base 40 is carried out an etch process, to form a manifold 41.Since along silicon＜100 and＜110〉direction etching speed much larger than along＜111 the etching speed of direction, so when carrying out this etch process of boring a hole from the back side, can on silicon base 40, produce the inclined-plane of about 54.74 degree, and then cause the phenomenon (as previously mentioned) of back side perforate much larger than the front.

As shown in Figure 5, carry out a wet etching (wet etching) or dry ecthing (dry etching) technology subsequently again, respectively form a row fluid cavity 42a, 42b (in Fig. 5, only showing two) in the both sides of manifold 41, and two row fluid cavity 42a, 42b, with manifold 41 is benchmark, is left-right symmetry and arranges.Than structure shown in Figure 3, even after structure of the present invention is added the width of two fluid cavity 42a, 42b, the front usable floor area of silicon base 40 is still far below its back side.That is to say that in same manifold 41, the present invention can be under the prerequisite that does not increase wafer size, is two times with the number of the arrangement amplification of spray orifice, makes resolution originally significantly increase to twice.

And then on fluid cavity 42a, 42b, deposit a roof structure layer 44, and roof structure layer 44 is for example by silicon nitride or similar tool high strength, and the film of anti-ink corrosion constitutes.Then on roof structure layer 44, deposit a resistive layer 47 again; one conductive layer 46 (label 46,47 is shown in Fig. 6) and a protective layer 45; and resistive layer 47 and conductive layer 46 promptly constitute a plurality of injection components 43,49 in the surface of fluid cavity 42a, 42b; be used as heating element heater, add the energy of thermojet so that this ink to be provided.At last, directly form a plurality of spray orifices 48 again, and respectively this spray orifice 48 is arranged with mode of left and right symmetry, as shown in Figure 6 with a laser or an etching mode.Wherein, roof structure layer 44 is in order to carrying heating element heater 43,49, and the contacting of isolated heating element heater 43,49 and this fluid (for example ink), and protective layer 45 is used for completely cutting off contacting of heating element heater 43,49 and air.

When being full of this fluid among fluid cavity 42a, the 42b, injection component 43 can produce one first bubble with as a virtual valve in fluid cavity 42a, 42b, the energy that provides this fluid to spray, injection component 49 can produce one second bubble so that the spray orifice 48 of this fluid by fluid cavity 42a, 42b penetrated then.

See also Fig. 7, Fig. 7 is the schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention.Second embodiment shown in Figure 7 and Fig. 4 are the relative position of each spray orifice 78 and manifold 71 to the difference among the embodiment shown in Figure 6, that is second embodiment shown in Figure 7 is the design that walks by injection component 73, and present the asymmetrical arrangement mode in the left and right sides, increase the number of the arrangement of spray orifice 78, improve print quality.Wherein injection component 73 is promptly constituted (as previously mentioned) by resistive layer 77 and conductive layer 76.

Yet as ink droplet during from spray orifice 78 ejection, bubble is to the strength of pushing that ink produced, the mobile strength that is produced when reaching the ink backfill, it all is the reason that causes flow-disturbing effect in the ink discharge device, that is to say, when the spread length of spray orifice 78 reduced, it is serious that the interactive interference between the adjacent spray orifice 78 will more become.Therefore bad for reducing the caused print quality of this flow-disturbing effect, the present invention just proposes the 3rd embodiment.

See also Fig. 8, Fig. 8 is the schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention.The 3rd embodiment shown in Figure 8 and the main difference part of the foregoing description also are the relative position of each spray orifice 88 and manifold 81.As shown in Figure 8, though the fluid cavity of manifold 81 left and right sides is to arrange relatively, but the design that walks by injection component 83, make the arrangement of each spray orifice 88 distance that staggers, like this then can reach the effect that increases unit length ejection number of ink droplets, and then the distance that can on recording medium, stagger, reach the function that increases resolution, to show exquisiter picture.Wherein injection component 83 is promptly constituted (as previously mentioned) by resistive layer 87 and conductive layer 86.

Characteristics of the present invention promptly are, having broken through in the past can only be with the technical bottleneck of a manifold of a fluid cavity collocation, and simultaneously at two fluid cavitys of the both sides of manifold formation, in addition, when significantly increasing unit are internal fluid chamber quantity,, make the distance that staggers between the spray orifice also by the design that walks of injection component, and avoided flow-disturbing effect of the prior art, and then improve the quality of printing.

Than prior art, the present invention can effectively increase the spray orifice number of the arrangement under same wafer size, and by the design that walks, reduces the influence that is produced because of the flow-disturbing effect, and reaches the dual purpose of promoting print quality and reducing cost.

Though the present invention discloses as above with aforesaid preferred embodiment; yet it is not in order to limit the present invention; those skilled in the art can make some and change and retouching, so protection scope of the present invention should be defined by accompanying Claim without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (19)

1. high-density ejector comprises:

One substrate;

One manifold is formed in this substrate, is used to provide at least one fluid;

At least two fluid cavitys are arranged in the relative both sides of this manifold, are used for carrying this fluid in this manifold, and it is sensible to this substrate surface respectively to include at least one spray orifice in this fluid cavity; And

A plurality of injection components are located at this substrate surface, and respectively are respectively equipped with one first injection component and one second injection component at least near this spray orifice;

Wherein, when this fluid cavity is full of this fluid, this first injection component can produce one first bubble with as a virtual valve in this fluid cavity, the energy of this fluid injection is provided, and this second injection component can produce one second bubble so that this fluid this spray orifice by this fluid cavity is penetrated then.

2. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein this high-density ejector is used as the ink gun of an ink-jet printer.

3. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein this manifold is connected to an ink cartridges, and this fluid comprises the ink in this ink cartridges.

4. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein this injection component comprises a heating element heater.

5. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 4, wherein this injection component comprises a resistive layer and a conductive layer.

6. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 5, wherein this injection component surface is provided with a protective layer in addition, and this protective layer is covered on this resistive layer and this conductive layer, is used for the contacting of isolated this heating element heater and air.

7. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1 wherein be provided with a roof structure layer between this injection component and this fluid cavity in addition, and this roof structure layer is made of a material with high-strength corrosion-resisting.

8. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 7, wherein this roof structure layer comprises a silicon nitride layer.

9. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein this substrate comprises a silicon base.

10. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein this fluid cavity and this manifold utilize a Wet-type etching mode made.

11. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 1, wherein this spray orifice uses a laser or etching mode formed.

12. a high-density ejector comprises:

One substrate, deposition one coating and manufacturing at least two fluid cavitys in this substrate, and each fluid cavity comprises a spray orifice at least;

One in order to when this two fluid cavity is full of fluid, produce one first bubble respectively and produce member with first bubble as virtual valve in this two fluid cavity, and this first bubble generation member is disposed at this spray orifice periphery;

One in order to when this two fluid cavity is full of fluid, after continuous this first bubble of this two fluid cavitys relaying produces, produce the second bubble generation member of one second bubble more respectively, and this second bubble generation member is disposed at this spray orifice periphery so that fluid is penetrated by this two fluid cavity; And

One manifold is located among this substrate, in order to connect a fluid accumulator tank and this two fluid cavity, flow to this two fluid cavity so that this fluid in this fluid storage groove to be provided;

Wherein this two fluid cavity is arranged in the left and right sides of this manifold.

13. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 12, wherein this coating comprises a roof structure layer, a resistive layer and a conductive layer at least.

14. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 13, wherein this two bubble produces member and includes a heating element heater, and this heating element heater is made of this resistive layer, this conductive layer and a protective layer.

15. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 14, wherein this spray orifice is by the design that walks of this resistive layer in this heating element heater and this conductive layer, and is that benchmark is relative arrangement or staggers a distance with this manifold.

16. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 14, wherein this roof structure layer is in order to carrying contacting of this heating element heater and isolated this heating element heater and this fluid, and this protective layer is used for completely cutting off contacting of this heating element heater and air.

17. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 12, wherein this fluid cavity and this manifold utilize a Wet-type etching mode made.

18. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 12, wherein this spray orifice uses a laser or etching mode formed.

19. high-density ejector as claimed in claim 12, wherein this two fluid cavity of this manifold left and right sides is arranged or the distance that staggers relatively.

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