Robust printhead chip mounting suitable for long inkjet printheads

• US 10,442,200 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• 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): Thies, Bradley W
• Application Number:
  US15/888,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 ink supply channels extending along its length and a plurality of ink outlets defined therein; a shim attached to the manifold, the shim having a plurality of shim apertures for receiving ink from the ink outlets; and a plurality of printhead chips adhesively bonded directly to the shim, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets. The the shim is formed of a metal alloy having a CTE of 5 ppm/° C. or less.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a rigid elongate manifold having one or more longitudinal ink supply channels extending along its length and a plurality of through-holes extending transversely from a respective ink supply channel, each through-hole meeting with a lower surface of the manifold to define an ink outlet;

a shim attached to the lower surface of the manifold, the shim having a plurality of shim apertures for receiving ink from the ink outlets; and

a plurality of printhead chips adhesively bonded directly to the shim, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets via one or more of the shim apertures,

wherein the shim and the manifold are each comprised of a metal alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion of 5 ppm/°

C. or less.

2. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the shim and the manifold are each comprised of an alloy of iron and at least one other metal selected from the group consisting of:

nickel, cobalt and chromium.

3. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the manifold is a one-piece structure.

4. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the manifold is comprised of a same material as the shim.

5. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the manifold has a longitudinal ink cavity defined in a lower surface thereof, and wherein the shim is attached to a lower surface of the manifold so as to bridge across the longitudinal ink cavity.

6. The inkjet printhead of claim 5, wherein the longitudinal ink cavity has a roof and sidewalls extending between the roof and the lower surface, the plurality of ink outlets being defined in the roof.

7. The inkjet printhead of claim 6, wherein a longitudinal rib divides the ink cavity into longitudinal ink feed channels at either side of the rib, the rib having a lower surface coplanar with the lower surface of the manifold.

8. The inkjet printhead of claim 7, wherein the shim is bonded to the lower surfaces of the rib and the manifold.

9. The inkjet printhead of claim 7, wherein each printhead chip has a central portion aligned with the rib and opposite side portions overlapping with respective longitudinal ink feed channels.

10. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein the shim and a printed circuit board are adjacently bonded to a lower surface of the manifold.

11. The inkjet printhead of claim 10, wherein the shim and the printed circuit board have coplanar lower surfaces.

12. The inkjet printhead of claim 11, wherein the lower surface of the manifold is stepped to accommodate different thicknesses of the shim and the printed circuit board.