Patent ID: 6817702
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A thermal actuator for a micro-electromechanical device comprising:(a) a base element; (b) a cantilevered element including a thermo-mechanical bender portion extending from the base element and a free end tip residing in a first position, the thermo-mechanical bender portion having a base end and base end width, wb, adjacent the base element, and a free end and free end width, wf, adjacent the free end tip, wherein the base end width is substantially greater than the free end width; and (c) apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse having a spatial thermal pattern directly to the thermo-mechanical bender portion, causing the deflection of the free end tip of the cantilevered element to a second position, and wherein said spatial thermal pattern results in a substantially greater temperature increase of the base end than the free end of the thermo-mechanical bender portion.