US Patent 7465011 Thermal bend actuator arrangement with a diagnostic sensor

A thermal bend actuator arrangement is provided for an inkjet printer. The actuator arrangement includes an actuating arm. The actuating arm includes a pair of spaced bending portions which are mechanically coupled together and electrically isolated from each other. An active one of the bending portions includes a pair of electrical terminals. A current source is provided to which the electrical terminals are connected and is configured to induce current flow in the active bending portion to thereby cause bending of the actuating arm. A diagnostic sensor is configured to provide diagnostic feedback from the actuating arm to permit fault detection of the actuating arm.