Valve element for use in an ink-jet printer head

摘要

A valve for an ink jet printer is made by vacuum depositing, sputtering, and plating various layers of metal on a glass substrate. A photoresist and etch technique is used to form a window area in one of the layers and a fine slit for forming a tongue in another of the layers within the window area. When the window area is formed, an elongated projection remains in the window area to prevent the tongue from bending in one direction while enabling it to bend in an opposite direction. This way ink pressure on one side opens the valve and pressure on the opposite side choses the valve.