Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6188415?dq=6,563,928
Timestamp: 2015-10-06 11:07:55
Document Index: 511825432

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART01', 'ART02', 'ART03', 'ART04', 'ART06', 'ART07', 'ART08', 'ART09']

Patent US6188415 - Ink jet printer having a thermal actuator comprising an external coil spring - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsIn accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal actuator activated by conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, the actuator including: a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of the strip and adapted to...http://www.google.com/patents/US6188415?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6188415 - Ink jet printer having a thermal actuator comprising an external coil springAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6188415 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/112,811Publication dateFeb 13, 2001Filing dateJul 10, 1998Priority dateJul 15, 1997Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS6855264, US7210767, US7390421, US7549731, US7901048, US8029101, US20050145599, US20050146552, US20080252696, US20090237460, US20110109700, US20120007924Publication number09112811, 112811, US 6188415 B1, US 6188415B1, US-B1-6188415, US6188415 B1, US6188415B1InventorsKia SilverbrookOriginal AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty LtdExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (1), Referenced by (38), Classifications (99), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetInk jet printer having a thermal actuator comprising an external coil spring
US 6188415 B1Abstract
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal actuator activated by conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, the actuator including: a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of the strip and adapted to apply a force to a load at a second end of the strip; a second conductive strip of material formed along one side of the first strip, the second conductive strip including a first wire strip running from substantially the first end to the second end and a second wire strip running from substantially the second end to the fist end, the wire strips being joined together at the second end so as to form a circuit, the wire strips being further connected to a controlled power supply at the first end such that activation of the controlled power supply causes heating of the conductive material so as to actuate the thermal actuator thereby applying a force to the load. Preferably, the first strip is in the form of a coil and the second conductive material is formed along a radial inner surface.
What is claimed is: 1. A thermal actuator activated by means of conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, said actuator comprising:
a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of said strip and adapted to apply a force to a load at a second end of said strip; a second conductive strip of material formed along one side of said first strip said second conductive strip including a first wire strip running from substantially said first end to said second end and a second wire strip running from substantially said second end to said first end, said wire strips being joined together at said second end so as to form a circuit, said wire strips being further connected to a controlled power supply at said first end such that activation of said controlled power supply causes heating of said conductive material so as to actuate said thermal actuator thereby applying a force to said load. 2. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first strip is in a form of a coil and said second conductive material is formed along a radially inner surface of said strip.
3. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first wire and said second wire are electrically insulated from one another by a layer of said first non-conductive material.
4. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second conductive material comprises a material having a high Young's modulus.
5. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first non-conductive strip is substantially thicker than said second conductive material.
6. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises an electronic circuitry layer of a silicon wafer.
7. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second conductive material comprises substantially titanium diboride.
8. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first non-conductive material comprises substantially glass.
9. A thermal actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator is interconnected through a slot in a nozzle chamber to a paddle type device, said nozzle chamber being filled with ink and said actuator being activated to eject ink from a port defined in one wall of said nozzle chamber.
10. An ink jet printer having a series of ink ejection nozzle chambers, each of said nozzle chambers containing:
an ink ejection port defined in one wall of the chamber for the ejection of ink therefrom; a paddle within said chamber, actuated by an actuator for the ejection of ink from said nozzle chamber via said ink ejection port; a slot defined in a second wall thereof for the communication with said paddle of an actuator device; a thermal actuator activated by means of conductive heating of an electrically conductive material, said actuator comprising: a first non-conductive strip of material attached to a substrate at a first end of said strip and adapted to apply a force to a load at a second end of said strip; a second conductive material formed along one side of said first strip said second conductive strip including a first wire strip running from substantially said first end to said second end and a second wire strip running from substantially said second end to said first end, said wire strips being joined together at said second end so as to form a circuit, said wire strips being further connected to a controlled power supply at said first end such that activation of said controlled power supply causes heating of said conductive material so as to actuate said thermal actuator thereby applying a force to said load. 11. An ink jet printer as claimed in claim 10 wherein said nozzle chambers are formed on a silicon wafer and include a series of ink supply channels etched through said wafer for a supply of ink to said nozzle chambers.
The following Australian provisional patent applications are hereby incorporated by cross-reference. For the purposes of location and identification, U.S. patent applications identified by their U.S. patent application serial numbers (U.S.S.N.) are listed alongside the Australian applications from which the US patent applications claim the right of priority.
CROSSS-REFERENCED
ART01 PO8505
09/113.070
ART02 PO7988
09/113.073
ART03 PO9395
ART04 PO8017
ART06 PO8014
ART07 PO8025
09/112.750
ART08 PO8032
ART09 PO7999
IJ01 PO8072
IJ02 PO8040
IJ03 PO8071
IJ04 PO8047
IJ05 PO8035
IJ06 PO8044
IJ07 PO8063