Patent · US Expired

Thermal inkjet printhead orifice plate and method of manufacture

US5167776A · kind A · utility

50Cited by
1References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 16, 1991
Grant dateDec 1, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 16, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/1625
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A new and improved orifice or nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead and method of manufacture wherein the orifice or nozzle plate thickness has been increased significantly to a value on the order of 75 micrometers or greater while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the convergent contour of the multiple orifice openings formed therein. In a first embodiment of this invention, metal layer stacking through the use of successive electroforming processes is used to achieve a desired orifice plate structure, architecture and convergent orifice geometry. In a second embodiment of this invention, anisotropic electroplating on a metal surface and over the edges of an inorganic dielectric mask is used to produce this orifice plate of increased orifice bore thickness and convergent orifice bore geometry. In yet a third embodiment of the invention, a selected metal is plated upon a permanent insulating mandrel having a metal pattern thereon to form convergent orifice openings in the plated metal. Openings are then formed in the insulating layer which are aligned with electroplated convergent openings in the metal layer to thereby form a composite metal-insulator orifice plate of incr…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.