An ink jet nozzle arrangement includes a magnetic actuator that is located between a nozzle chamber and an ink supply reservoir and is actuated by externally supplied magnetic pulse cycles to eject ink. Each nozzle further includes a blocking mechanism for blocking movement of the magnetic actuator of those nozzles from which ink is not to be ejected during one of magnetic pulse cycles.
The problem with a micro-functional unit produced by hybrid-integration microstructure technology, comprising microcomponents which can be used in microstructure technology and codetermine the functioning of the micro-functional unit and at least one support comprising a piece of flat material for receiving the microcomponents, is that of positioning at least some of the microcomponents exactly relative to the support, which can be accomplished in that a freely extending finger is formed from the piece of flat material of the respective support by means of two openings located opposite one another and passing through the entire support and that the finger serves as a holding element for one of the microcomponents.
The invention relates to a thermal bend actuator 7 including: a first anchor portion 9 for securing to a fixed substrate 2; a first thermally conductive active beam member 10 secured at a proximal end to said first anchor portion 9 and extending to a movable distal end; a second beam member 12 similarly anchored at a proximal end to said first anchor portion 9 so as to extend parallel to said first active beam member 10, each of said first and second beam members being directly or indirectly interconnected at their respective proximal ends remote said first anchor portion 9; wherein said first thermally conductive active beam member 10 is configured to define a labyrinthine conductive pathway 14 having a combined effective length in a direction extending between said fixed proximal end and said movable distal end that exceeds twice the effective direct linear path therebetween.
An ink jet nozzle assembly includes a nozzle chamber having an inlet receiving ink from a reservoir and a nozzle through which the ink can be ejected. The chamber includes a fixed portion and a movable portion configured for relative movement in an ejection phase and alternate relative movement in a refill phase. A pair of spaced apart actuating arms is connected with the movable portion and undergoes differential thermal expansion upon heating to effect periodically the relative movement. The inlet is positioned and dimensioned relative to the nozzle such that ink is ejected preferentially from the chamber through the nozzle in droplet form during the ejection phase, and ink is alternately drawn preferentially into the chamber from the reservoir through the inlet during the refill phase.
An ink jet print head includes a nozzle chamber for storage of ink to be ejected from an ink ejection nozzle formed in one wall of the nozzle chamber; and a movable paddle actuator mechanism formed in a first wall of the nozzle chamber, one end of the paddle actuator traversing along a second wall of the nozzle chamber, the second wall being substantially perpendicular to the first wall; the one end further including a flange having a surface abutting the second wall, the movable paddle actuator mechanism being operable to cause the ejection of ink from the ink ejection nozzle with the flange moving substantially tangentially to the second wall.
