Claims
- 1. A fluid flow system comprising:a laminate gasket manifold containing a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels therein, said laminate gasket manifold further including a bonding material which resists dissolution upon contact with said fluid; a plurality of laminate sub-layers etched to form said channels, each laminate sub-layer including a stiffening element and one or two layers of bonding material, said bonding material applied to one or both sides of said stiffening element forming a lamination on the stiffening elements; a silicon aperture structure forming a top layer over said laminate gasket manifold, apertures in the silicon aperture structure being in fluid communication with respective fluid-flow channels in the manifold; and means for receiving and transmitting fluid for flow through said channels of the laminate gasket manifold and for exiting from the apertures of said silicon aperture structure.
- 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the stiffening elements are chosen from the group consisting of: stainless steel, Invar and copper.
- 3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the number of said laminate sub-layers is proportional to the number of different fluid-flow channel exit applications.
- 4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said laminate sub-layers are stacked in an aligned manner to register apertures formed therein to each other.
- 5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said silicon aperture structure further comprises a plurality of alignment apertures forming nozzles designed to constrain the fluid flow via said channels.
- 6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means for receiving and transmitting fluid for flow through said channels of the laminate gasket manifold is housed in a substrate comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a ceramic and glass.
- 7. The system according to claim 6 wherein said mounting block is attached to a fluid reservoir for providing fluid for flow through said laminate gasket manifold.
- 8. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means for receiving and transmitting fluid for flow through said channels of the laminate gasket manifold is operative as a vacuum.
- 9. A fluid flow apparatus for use in an ink jet system comprising:a laminate gasket manifold containing a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels therein, said laminate gasket manifold further including a bonding material which resists dissolution upon contact with ink; a plurality of plurality of laminate sub-layers etched to form said channels, each laminate sub-layer comprises one layer including a stiffening element and one or two layers of said bonding material, said bonding material applied to one or both sides of the stiffening elements and forming a lamination on the stiffening elements; a silicon aperture structure forming a top layer over said gasket manifold, said silicon aperture structure including alignment apertures for aligning flow of the ink from the channels for exit from the alignment apertures; and means for feeding ink for transmitting ink for flow through said channels of the laminate gasket manifold and for exit from the alignment apertures of said silicon aperture structure.
- 10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said stiffening elements are chosen from the group consisting of: stainless steel, Invar and copper.
- 11. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the number of said laminate sub-layers is proportional to the number of different fluid-flow channel exit applications.
- 12. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said laminate sub-layers are stacked in an aligned manner and a top one thereof is in register with the alignment apertures of the silicon aperture structure.
- 13. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for feeding ink comprises a mounting block formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a ceramic and a glass.
- 14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said mounting block is attached to an ink reservoir for providing ink flow through said laminate gasket manifold.
- 15. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for feeding ink comprises a mounting block formed as a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, zirconium oxide and quarts.
- 16. An ink jet printhead comprising:a laminate gasket manifold containing fluid-flow channels therein, said laminate gasket manifold being comprised of a plurality laminate sub-layers having etched through channels formed therethrough, each laminate sub-layer including one or two layers of bonding material associated with each stiffening element, said bonding material applied to one or both sides of said stiffening element and forming a lamination of said stiffening elements; a silicon aperture structure forming a top layer over said laminate gasket manifold, said silicon aperture structure having apertures therein that are in fluid communication with respective ones of the fluid-flow channels in the laminate gasket manifold; and a mounting block mounting the laminate gasket manifold and including channels for receiving ink therethrough and for transmitting ink in the fluid-flow channels of the laminate gasket manifold for exiting through the apertures of the silicon aperture structure.
- 17. The printhead of claim 16 wherein said stiffening elements are chosen from the group consisting of: stainless steel, Invar and copper.
- 18. The printhead of claim 17 wherein said mounting block comprises stainless steel.
- 19. The printhead of claim 17 wherein said mounting block comprises a ceramic.
- 20. The printhead of claim 16 wherein said laminate sub-layer comprises lateral and vertical fluid-flow channels for conveying ink.
- 21. A laminate gasket manifold comprising:a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels therein, said laminate gasket manifold including a plurality of laminate sub-layers etched to form said channels, each laminate sub-layer including a stiffening element and at least one layer of a photoresist material used as a mask during an etch process to form the flow channels, the photoresist acting as a bonding material between adjacent sub-layers.
- 22. A laminate gasket manifold as recited in claim 21 further comprising:a silicon aperture structure forming a top layer over said laminate gasket manifold, apertures in the silicon aperture structure being in fluid communication with respective fluid-flow channels in the manifold.
- 23. A laminate gasket manifold as recited in claim 22 further comprising:means for receiving and transmitting fluid for flow through said channels of the laminate gasket manifold and for exiting from the apertures of said silicon aperture structure.
- 24. A fluid flow apparatus for use in an ink jet system comprising:a laminate gasket manifold containing a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels therein, said laminate gasket manifold including a plurality of laminate sub-layers etched to form said channels, each laminate sub-layer including a stiffening element and at least one layer of a photoresist material used as a mask during an etch process performed to form the flow channels, the photoresist acting as a bonding material between adjacent sub-layers, the photoresist resisting dissolution upon contact with ink.
- 25. A fluid flow apparatus for use in an ink jet system as recited in claim 24 further comprising:a silicon aperture structure forming a top layer over said gasket manifold, said silicon aperture structure including alignment apertures for aligning flow of the ink from the channels for exit from the alignment apertures.
- 26. A fluid flow apparatus for use in an ink jet system as recited in claim 25 further comprising:means for feeding ink for transmitting ink for flow through said channels of the laminate gasket manifold and for exit from the alignment apertures of said silicon aperture structure.
- 27. An ink jet printhead comprising:a laminate gasket manifold containing fluid-flow channels therein, said laminate gasket manifold including a plurality of laminate sub-layers etched to form said channels, each laminate sub-layer including a stiffening element and at least one layer of a photoresist material used as a mask during an etch process performed to form the flow channels, the photoresist acting as a bonding material between adjacent sub-layers; and a silicon aperture structure forming a top layer over said laminate gasket manifold, said silicon aperture structure having apertures therein that are in fluid communication with respective ones of the fluid-flow channels in the laminate gasket manifold.
- 28. An ink jet prmthead as recited in claim 27 further comprising:a mounting block mounting the laminate gasket manifold and including channels for receiving ink therethrough and for transmitting ink in the fluid-flow channels of the laminate gasket manifold for exiting through the apertures of the silicon aperture structure.
- 29. An ink jet printhead as recited in claim 28 wherein: said stiffening elements are chosen from the group consisting of: stainless steel, Invar and copper.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/606,293, filed Jun. 29, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,656, entitled “A LAMINATE AND GASKET MANIFOLD FOR INK JET DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND SIMILAR DEVICES”.
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