Patent ID: 6070972
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: B41J,Y10T

Abstract:
A face shooter ink jet printer head, oriented relative to an x, y, z coordinate system defining an x-direction, a y-direction and a z-direction, comprising:a nozzle plate having a nozzle row in the z-direction for ejecting ink in the y-direction, said nozzle row containing nozzles in a plurality of nozzle groups, with each nozzle group including a plurality of nozzles;a first chamber plate disposed at a first level relative to said nozzle plate, said first chamber plate having a first side facing toward said nozzle plate and a second, opposite side and containing a plurality of ink-containing chambers disposed in said first side and arranged in a first plurality of chamber groups;a second chamber plate disposed at a second level relative to said nozzle plate between said nozzle plate and said first chamber plate, said second chamber plate having a side facing said nozzle plate and containing a plurality of ink-containing chambers, disposed at said side, arranged in a second plurality of chamber groups;a plurality of channels respectively connecting said nozzles to said chambers with the nozzles in said groups being respectively allocated to said first and second chamber groups, said chambers in said first plurality of chamber groups being connected to respective nozzles by channels extending through said second chamber plate;said chambers in each chamber group in said second chamber plate being offset in at least the z-direction relative to said chambers in each chamber group in said first chamber plate so that chambers in each of said second plurality of chamber groups partially overlap chambers in respective ones of said first plurality of chamber groups;said nozzle plate having a plurality of membrane regions of reduced thickness in the y-direction respectively in registration with chambers in said second plurality of chamber groups, and said first chamber plate having a plurality of membrane regions of reduced thickness in the y-direction respectively adjacent said chambers in said first plurality of chamber groups; anda plurality of actuators on said nozzle plate and on said second side of said first chamber plate respectively adjacent said membrane regions in said nozzle plate and in said first chamber plate, each of said actuators being actuatable to force ink from the chamber adjacent thereto and thereby causing ejection of ink from a nozzle connected to said chamber adjacent thereto.