1. A capacitor, comprising:
a roll of four adjacent strips comprising first and second electrode strips alternating with first and second dielectric strips;
wherein, each of the dielectric strips is shorter at a radially outer end thereof than an inwardly adjacent one of the electrode strips effective to expose a radially outer end of each electrode strip on an outer side surface of the roll.
2. A capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the radially outer ends of the first and second electrode strips are exposed on respective first and second opposite sides of the roll.
3. A capacitor according to claim 2, wherein the radially outer end of at least one of the electrode strips is exposed on both the first and second sides of the roll.
4. A capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the radially outer ends of the first and second electrode strips are exposed only on respective first and second opposite sides of the roll.
5. A capacitor according to claim 1, wherein:
the radially outer end of the first electrode strip is exposed on both a first side and an opposed second side of the capacitor; and
the radially outer end of the second electrode strip is exposed only on the first side of the capacitor.
6. First and second capacitors according to claim 5, wherein placing the first sides of the two capacitors together creates a series interconnection of the two capacitors, and placing the second sides of the two capacitors together creates a parallel interconnection of the two capacitors.
7. A capacitor according to claim 1, wherein:
the radially outer end of the first electrode strip is exposed on both a first side and an opposed second side of the capacitor; and
the radially outer end of the second electrode strip is exposed on both the first side and on the opposed second side of the capacitor.
8. First and second capacitors according to claim 7, wherein placing the second side of the first capacitor against the first side of the second capacitor creates a parallel interconnection of the two capacitors.
9. A stack of capacitors comprising the first and second capacitors according to claim 8, and further comprising third and fourth roll capacitors on respective opposite ends of the stack, wherein each of the third and fourth roll capacitors comprises:
a radially outer end of a first electrode strip exposed on both first and second opposite sides of the roll capacitor; and
a radially outer end of a second electrode strip exposed on only the second side of the roll capacitor;
wherein the capacitors in the stack are all interconnected in parallel by direct stacking contact between the exposed ends of the respective electrodes of each of the adjacent capacitors.
10. A capacitor, comprising:
a roll of four adjacent strips comprising inner and outer electrode strips alternating with inner and outer dielectric strips;
wherein each of the dielectric strips is shorter at a radially outer end thereof than an inwardly adjacent one of the electrode strips effective to expose a radially outer end of each electrode strip on respectively different portions of an outer side surface of the roll;
wherein \u201cinner\u201d and \u201couter\u201d mean radially inward and outward in a sequence of the four adjacent strips in an innermost lap of the four adjacent strips.
11. A capacitor according to claim 10, wherein the radially outer ends of the inner and outer electrode strips are exposed on respective first and second opposite sides of the roll.
12. A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the radially outer end of at least one of the electrode strips is exposed on both the first and second sides of the roll.
13. A capacitor according to claim 10, wherein the radially outer ends of the inner and outer electrode strips are exposed only on respective first and second opposite sides of the roll.
14. A capacitor according to claim 10, wherein:
the radially outer end of one of the electrode strips is exposed on both a first side and an opposed second side of the capacitor; and
the radially outer end of the other one of the electrode strips is exposed only on the first side of the capacitor.
15. First and second capacitors according to claim 14, wherein placing the first sides of the two capacitors together creates a series interconnection of the two capacitors, and placing the second sides of the two capacitors together creates a parallel interconnection of the two capacitors.
16. A capacitor according to claim 10, wherein:
the radially outer end of the inner dielectric strip is exposed on both a first side and an opposed second side of the capacitor; and
the radially outer end of the outer dielectric strip is exposed on both the first side and on the opposed second side of the capacitor.
17. First and second capacitors according to claim 16, wherein placing the second side of the first capacitor against the first side of the second capacitor creates a parallel interconnection of the two capacitors.
18. A stack of capacitors comprising the first and second capacitors according to claim 17, and further comprising third and fourth roll capacitors on respective opposite ends of the stack, wherein each of the third and fourth roll capacitors comprises:
a radially outer end of a first electrode strip exposed on both first and second opposite sides of the roll capacitor; and
a radially outer end of a second electrode strip exposed on only the second side of the roll capacitor;
wherein the capacitors in the stack are all interconnected in parallel by direct stacking contact between the exposed ends of the respective electrode strips of each of the capacitors.
19. A capacitor, comprising:
at least one roll of four adjacent strips comprising first and second electrode strips alternating with first and second dielectric strips;
wherein each of the dielectric strips is shorter at a radially outer end thereof than an inwardly adjacent one of the electrode strips effective to expose a radially outer end of each electrode strip; and
wherein the capacitor is configured to interconnect with other capacitors in a stack of capacitors by direct contact between the exposed ends of the electrode strips without need for any conductive tab to extend beyond a footprint of the capacitor.
20. A capacitor according to claim 19, comprising two rolls of the four adjacent strips;
wherein the two rolls are interconnected in parallel by extending one of the exposed ends of one of the electrode strips from each of the rolls around the other roll to an opposite side of the other roll.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A thermal actuator for a micro-electromechanical device comprising:
(a) abase element;
(b) a cantilevered element extending from the base element and residing in a first position, the cantilevered element including a first layer constructed of a dielectric material having a low thermal coefficient of expansion and a second layer attached to the first layer, the second layer comprising intermetallic titanium aluminide; and
(c) a pair of electrodes connected to the second layer to allow an electrical current to be passed through the second layer to thereby cause the temperature of the second layer to rise, the cantilevered element deflecting to a second position as a result of the temperature rise of the second layer and returning to the first position when the electrical current through the second layer is ceased and the temperature thereof decreases.
2. A thermal actuator for a micro-electromechanical device comprising:
(a) abase element;
(b) a cantilevered element extending from the base element and residing in a first position, the cantilevered element including a first layer constructed of a dielectric material having a low thermal coefficient of expansion and a second layer attached to the first layer, the second layer composed of an electrically conductive material having an efficiency () that is greater than about 1 and is defined by the equation
Ycp
where Y is Young’s modulus, is density, is the thermal coefficient of expansion, and cp is the specific heat; and
(c) a pair of electrodes connected to the second layer to allow an electrical current to be passed through the second layer to thereby cause the temperature of the second layer to rise, the cantilevered element deflecting to a second position as a result of the temperature rise of the second layer and returning to the first position when the electrical current through the second layer is ceased and the temperature thereof decreases.
3. A thermal actuator inkjet device comprising:
(a) an ink chamber formed in a substrate;
(b) a cantilevered element extending from a wall of the ink chamber and normally residing in a first position, the cantilevered element including a first layer constructed of a dielectric material having a low thermal coefficient of expansion and a second layer attached to the first layer, the second layer comprising intermetallic titanium aluminide, the cantilevered element having a free end residing proximate to an ink ejection port in the ink chamber; and
(c) a pair of electrodes connected to the second layer to allow an electrical current to be passed through the second layer to thereby cause the temperature of the second layer to rise, the cantilevered element deflecting to a second position as a result of the temperature rise of the second layer and returning to the first position when the electrical current through the second layer is ceased and the temperature thereof decreases, the movement of the cantilevered element causing ink in the ink chamber to be ejected through the ink ejection port.
4. A thermal actuator inkjet device as recited in claim 3 wherein:
the ink chamber includes a pumping section, the free end of the cantilevered element residing in the pumping section.
5. A thermal actuator inkjet device as recited in claim 4 further comprising:
(a) at least one open region adjacent the cantilevered element; and
(b) an ink delivery channel in the substrate allowing ink to be delivered through the at least one open region and into the ink chamber.
6. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 1 wherein:
the second layer can be characterized by the relationship
Al4-xTix,
where 0.6×1.4.
7. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 2 wherein:
the second layer is an intermetallic titanium aluminide that can be characterized by the relationship
Al4-xTix,
where 0.6×1.4.
8. A thermal actuator inkjet device as recited in claim 3 wherein:
the second layer can be characterized by the relationship
Al4-xTix,
where 0.6×1.4.
9. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 1 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than about 1, the efficiency () being defined by the equation
Ycp
where Y is Young’s modulus, is density, is the thermal coefficient of expansion, and cp is the specific heat.
10. A thermal actuator inkjet device as recited in claim 3 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than about 1, the efficiency () being defined by the equation
Ycp
where Y is Young’s modulus, is density, is the thermal coefficient of expansion, and cp is the specific heat.
11. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 9 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than 1.
12. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 2 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than 1.
13. A thermal actuator inkjet device as recited in claim 10 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than 1.
14. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 9 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than 1.1.
15. A thermal actuator as recited in claim 2 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than 1.1
16. A thermal actuator inkjet device as recited in claim 10 wherein:
the second layer has an efficiency () greater than 1.1.