Inkjet printhead having dynamic response to pressure changes

• US 10,343,402 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Inventors: Thelander, Jason, Burke, David, Thomas, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Anh T
• Application Number:
  US15/888,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14145 Structure of the manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/19 for removing air bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/21 for multi-colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2103 Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages

Abstract

An inkjet printhead includes: a rigid elongate manifold having one or more ink supply channels extending along its length, each ink supply channel having a base defining a plurality of ink outlets and a roof comprising an elongate flexible film; and a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets The flexible film includes a plurality of operatively independent bellows positioned along a length of one or more ink supply channels.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a rigid elongate manifold having one or more ink supply channels extending along its length, each ink supply channel having a base defining a plurality of ink outlets and a roof comprising an elongate flexible film; and

a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets,

wherein the flexible film comprises a plurality of operatively independent bellows positioned along a length of one or more ink supply channels, the bellows being operatively separated from each other by baffles.

2. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein each bellows comprises a corrugated region of the flexible film.

3. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the baffles extend upwards from a continuous corrugated film so as to divide the film into contiguous and operatively independent bellows.

4. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate engaged with the manifold and positioned for covering the flexible film, the cover plate having a plurality of vent holes open to atmosphere.

5. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the flexible film is comprised of a polymer.

6. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein each ink supply channel has a manifold port at one longitudinal end and the bellows hang into the ink supply channel from sidewalls thereof.

7. The inkjet printhead of claim 6, wherein a level of the manifold port corresponds to a level of a lowest part of the bellows hanging into the ink supply channel.

8. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a rigid elongate manifold having one or more ink supply channels extending along its length, each ink supply channel having a base defining a plurality of ink outlets and a roof comprising an elongate flexible film;

a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets; and

a cover plate engaged with the manifold and positioned for covering the flexible film, the cover plate having a plurality of vent holes open to atmosphere.

wherein the flexible film comprises bellows positioned along a length of one or more ink supply channels.

9. The inkjet printhead of claim 8, wherein each bellows comprises a corrugated region of the flexible film.

10. The inkjet printhead of claim 9, wherein baffles extend upwards from a continuous corrugated film so as to divide the film into contiguous and operatively independent bellows.

11. The inkjet printhead of claim 8, wherein the flexible film is comprised of a polymer.

12. The inkjet printhead of claim 8, wherein each ink supply channel has a manifold port at one longitudinal end and the bellows hang into the ink supply channel from sidewalls thereof.

13. The inkjet printhead of claim 12, wherein a level of the manifold port corresponds to a level of a lowest part of the bellows hanging into the ink supply channel.

14. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a rigid elongate manifold having one or more ink supply channels extending along its length, each ink supply channel having a base defining a plurality of ink outlets and a roof comprising an elongate flexible film;

a manifold port at each longitudinal end of each ink supply channel; and

a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets,

wherein ;

the flexible film comprises a plurality of bellows positioned along a length of one or more ink supply channels;

the bellows hang into the ink supply channels; and

a level of the manifold port corresponds to a level of a lowest part of the bellows hanging into the ink supply channel.

15. The inkjet printhead of claim 14, wherein each bellows comprises a corrugated region of the flexible film.

16. The inkjet printhead of claim 14, wherein the baffles extend upwards from a continuous corrugated film so as to divide the film into contiguous and operatively independent bellows.

17. The inkjet printhead of claim 14, further comprising a cover plate engaged with the manifold and positioned for covering the flexible film, the cover plate having a plurality of vent holes open to atmosphere.

18. The inkjet printhead of claim 14, wherein the flexible film is comprised of a polymer.