Patent ID: 6568792
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A segmented heater device usable to heat and vaporize fluid, comprising:a power supply; a plurality of driver transistors; a plurality of heater devices, each heater device electrically connected in between a corresponding driver transistor and the power supply; wherein: the heater device have a segmented heater structure having a plurality of heater segments, each of the heater segments of each of the heater devices having a same length, but varying in width so to at the heater segments cause bubble nucleation to sequentially occur in one direction beginning with the heater segment closest to an area where the fluid is ejected; and the heater segments are electrically connected to the driver transistor and the power supply on side areas of the heater segments by leads that extend from the power supply and the drive transistor in opposite directions.