Patent ID: 6767083
Filing Date: 2004-07-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A method of controlling ink drop volume in an ink-jet printhead comprising the steps of:providing a piezoelectric module having a plate with an integrated ink chamber in flow communication with an integrated ink supply manifold and an integrated ink orifice, the ink chamber including a main channel that connects the ink supply manifold to the ink orifice and multiple piezoelectric actuators depending from the main channel and spaced apart by ink subchannels in flow communication with the main channel the multiple piezoelectric actuators defining an away of piezoelectric actuators, a ground electrode in contact with a first end of each of the actuators, and a cover plate bonded to the piezoelectric plate to seal the chamber and the manifold, the cover plate being in contact with a control electrode and configured to conduct control signals from the control electrode to the actuators; and selectively activating one or more of the piezoelectric actuators in the array of piezoelectric actuators to create a pressure wave that propagates through the ink supply and ejects an ink drop the volume of which is dependent on the number of actuators that are activated.