Micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism that incorporates lever actuation

摘要

A micro-electromechanical ink ejection mechanism for a printer includes a substrate that defines an ink inlet. A drive circuitry layer is positioned on the substrate. An elongate thermal bend actuator is connected at a fixed end to the drive circuitry layer and is configured to be displaced reciprocally with respect to the substrate on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer. An ink ejection member spans the ink inlet and is operatively connected to the bend actuator to be reciprocally displaceable with respect to the substrate upon reciprocal displacement of the bend actuator. A motion transfer structure is interposed between the actuator and the ink ejection member to transfer movement of the actuator to the ink ejection member. A nozzle chamber structure is positioned on the substrate and defines an ink chamber in which the ink ejection member is positioned and a region in which the bend actuator is positioned, such that the motion transfer structure is interposed between the ink chamber and said region. The nozzle chamber structure further defines an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber such that said reciprocal movement of the ink ejection member serves to eject ink from the ink ejection port.