Nozzle Arrangement With Laminated Ink Ejection Member And Ink Spread Prevention Rim

Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for a printhead integrated circuit includes a nozzle chamber; an ink ejection nozzle in fluid communication with said nozzle chamber, the ink ejection nozzle defining a nozzle rim around an aperture of the ink ejection nozzle; an elongate actuator adapted to displace towards and away from the ink ejection nozzle; an ink ejection paddle attached to an end of elongate actuator and positioned within the nozzle chamber for acting on ink within the nozzle chamber upon displacement of the elongate actuator; and an ink spread prevention rim provided partially around the nozzle rim, the ink spread prevention rim for catching ink spread from the nozzle rim. The elongate actuator includes an actuator arm of a laminated structure comprising a resiliently flexible inner layer, a conductive layer and a compensation layer. The inner layer is interposed between the conductive and compensation layers.

1 . A nozzle arrangement for a printhead integrated circuit, the nozzle arrangement comprising:
 a nozzle chamber;   an ink ejection nozzle in fluid communication with said nozzle chamber, the ink ejection nozzle defining a nozzle rim around an aperture of the ink ejection nozzle;   an elongate actuator adapted to displace towards and away from the ink ejection nozzle;   an ink ejection paddle attached to an end of elongate actuator and positioned within the nozzle chamber for acting on ink within the nozzle chamber upon displacement of the elongate actuator; and   an ink spread prevention rim provided partially around the nozzle rim, the ink spread prevention rim for catching ink spread from the nozzle rim, wherein   the elongate actuator includes an actuator arm of a laminated structure comprising a resiliently flexible inner layer, a conductive layer and a compensation layer, the inner layer being interposed between the conductive and compensation layers.   
   
   
       2 . The nozzle arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is positioned between the inner layer and a substrate of the printhead integrate circuit, the conductive layer defining an electrical heating circuit. 
   
   
       3 . The nozzle arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein heating of the elongate actuator via the heating circuit expansion of the conductive layer whereby the actuator arm bends towards the nozzle rim, and cooling of the actuator arm causes contraction of the conductive layer whereby the actuator arm bends away from the nozzle rim. 
   
   
       4 . The nozzle arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the ink ejection paddle is connected to the conductive layer, and the conductive layer includes a discontinuity between the ink ejection paddle and the heating circuit to insulate the ink ejection paddle from the heating circuit. 
   
   
       5 . The nozzle arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer and the compensation layer are of substantially the same material to compensate for stresses that are generated in the actuator arm as a result of reciprocal bending of the actuator arm.