Patent ID: 7857432
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A drop generator comprising: a pressure chamber; a flexible diaphragm plate disposed on the chamber and forming a wall of the pressure chamber; a piezoelectric transducer having a bottom surface attached to the diaphragm plate, the diaphragm plate including a recess that forms a perimeter around the bottom surface of the transducer, the recess partially underlying at least one edge of the bottom surface; an inlet channel connected to the pressure chamber and configured to direct ink to the pressure chamber from a manifold; an outlet channel connected to the pressure chamber and configured to receive ink from the pressure chamber and having a channel axis that is perpendicular to the diaphragm plate, the outlet channel including a first outlet channel section and a second outlet channel section, the first outlet channel section including a plurality of subsections having alternating diameters, the second outlet channel section including an aperture disposed at an end thereof, the second outlet channel section having a substantially continuous cross-sectional shape and a length that is greater than a length of the first outlet channel section.