Printhead chip array having dummy color channel

• US 10,377,137 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• 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:
  US15/888,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 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 manifold having a plurality of ink outlets defined in a manifold surface; a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold surface, each printhead chip having an odd number of color channels and each color channel having one or more respective rows of inkjet nozzle devices. A central color channel of each printhead chip is a dummy color channel that does not receive ink from the manifold.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of ink outlets defined in a manifold surface;

a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold surface, each printhead chip having an odd number of color channels, each color channel having at least one respective row of thermally-actuated inkjet nozzle devices, each one of the inkjet nozzle devices having one corresponding nozzle,

wherein a central color channel of each printhead chip is a dummy color channel having non-ejecting nozzles that do not receive ink from the manifold.

2. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the dummy color channel is absent an ink delivery slot defined in a backside surface of the printhead chips.

3. The inkjet printhead of claim 2, wherein a longitudinal rib of the manifold surface is aligned with the dummy color channel.

4. The inkjet printhead of claim 3, wherein the printhead chips are mounted to the manifold surface via a shim.

5. The inkjet printhead of claim 4, wherein the shim has a shim rib aligned with the longitudinal rib of the manifold surface and a pair of longitudinal shim slots at either side of the shim rib for receiving ink from respective ink outlets of the manifold.

6. The inkjet printhead of claim 3, wherein only color channels at either side of the dummy color channel receive ink from the manifold.

7. The inkjet printhead of claim 6, wherein each printhead chip receives two different colors of ink from the manifold.

8. The inkjet printhead of claim 6, wherein a pair of longitudinal ink feed channels are defined at either side of the longitudinal rib, each longitudinal ink feed channel delivering ink to at least one respective color channel.

9. The inkjet printhead of claim 8, wherein each longitudinal ink feed channel delivers ink to a plurality of respective color channels.

10. The inkjet printhead of claim 9, wherein each printhead chip comprises five color channels including a central dummy channel, and wherein a first pair of color channels at one side of the dummy color channel print a first ink and a second pair of color channels at an opposite side of the dummy color channel print a second ink.

11. The inkjet printhead of claim 10, wherein each color channel comprises a pair of rows of inkjet nozzle devices.

12. The inkjet printhead of claim 10, wherein, in use, the dummy color channel facilitates temperature regulation of a respective printhead chip via actuation of the inkjet devices in the dummy color channel.

13. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein inkjet nozzles devices of the dummy color channel are electrically to a PCB.

14. A printhead chip having an odd number of color channels, each color channel comprising at least one row of thermally-actuated inkjet nozzle devices, each one of the inkjet nozzle devices having one corresponding nozzle, wherein a central color channel of the printhead chip is a dummy color channel having non-ejecting nozzles that do not receive any ink.

15. The printhead chip of claim 14, wherein the dummy color channel is absent an ink delivery slot defined in a backside surface of the printhead.

16. The printhead chip of claim 15, wherein only color channels at either side of the dummy color channel have ink delivery slots for supplying to respective rows of inkjet nozzle devices.

17. The printhead chip of claim 14, wherein inkjet nozzle devices of the dummy color channel are electrically connected to drive electronics in the printhead chip.

18. The printhead chip of claim 14, wherein each color channel comprises a pair of rows of inkjet nozzle devices.