Patent ID: 7025443
Filing Date: 2006-04-11
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A liquid drop emitter comprising: (a) a chamber, formed in a substrate, filled with a liquid and having a nozzle for emitting drops of the liquid; (b) a thermo-mechanical actuator, having a cantilevered element extending from an anchor wall of the chamber and a free end residing in a first position proximate to the nozzle, (c) the cantilevered element having a bending portion which bends when heated, the bending portion having at least one actuator opening for passage of the liquid; and (d) apparatus adapted to apply heat pulses to the bending portion actuator resulting rapid deflection of the free end to a second position, ejection of a liquid drop, and passage of liquid through the at least one actuator opening, wherein the thermo-mechanical actuator is a laminate including a deflector layer constructed of a deflector material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion and a low expansion layer, attached to the deflector layer, constructed of a low expansion material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and the deflector material is electrically resistive and the apparatus adapted to apply a heat pulse includes a resistive heater formed in the deflector layer, and the resistive heater is configured to have a first resistor segment and a second resistor segment each extending from the anchor wall and the at least one actuator opening is located between the first and second resistor segments, and the at least one actuator opening includes slot portions that define a central stationary portion of the cantilevered element that does not bend when the bending portion is heated.