Patent ID: 6286943
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: B41J,C23C,Y10T

Abstract:
Droplet deposition apparatus comprising:a bottom sheet comprising piezo-electric material and formed with a multiplicity of parallel, open-topped channels mutually spaced in an array direction normal to the length of the channels, each channel being defined at least in part by facing side walls and by a bottom surface extending between said side walls;at least the side walls comprising said piezo-electric material and electrodes for applying an electric field to said piezo-electric material, thereby to effect transverse displacement of said side wall, each electrode extending substantially the length of the channel;a top sheet facing said bottom surfaces of said channels and bonded to said side walls to close said channels at the tops thereof;the channels being supplied with droplet fluid and communicating with a nozzle for ejection of droplets therefrom; each channel having one portion open on a side lying parallel to the channel axis for communication with droplet fluid supply means and another portion which is closed on all sides lying parallel to the channel axis;characterised in that the respective side walls comprising said piezo-electric material in said one portion of each channel are disabled such that transverse displacement of said side walls in said one portion of each channel does not take place.