High speed pagewidth inkjet printer

• US 20050140714A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/066,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/002 Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00216 using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04508 aiming at correcting other parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0451 for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2139 Compensation for malfunctioning nozzles creating dot place or dot size errors generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/393 Enlarging or reducing

Abstract

An inkjet printer with a pair of inkjet printheads, each having an array of nozzles for ejecting ink, each nozzle having a corresponding nozzle in the array of the other printhead; wherein, defective nozzles in both of the arrays are identified and the printheads are paired such that the corresponding nozzles in each of the arrays are not both defective.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer for printing sheets of media, the printer comprising:

a pair of inkjet printheads, each having an array of nozzles for ejecting ink, each nozzle having a corresponding nozzle in the array of the other printhead;

wherein,

defective nozzles in both of the arrays are identified and the printheads are paired such that the corresponding nozzles in each of the arrays are not both defective.

2. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 further comprising a transfer roller for receiving ink from the nozzles in each of the arrays, and transferring it to a sheet of the media.

3. An inkjet printer according to claim 2 further comprising a cleaning station for engaging the transfer roller after ink has been transferred to the sheet of media but prior to receiving ink from the array of nozzles, the cleaning station having first and second cleaning members, the first cleaning member having a porous member for engaging the transfer roller to remove ink and the second cleaning member having an elongate resilient member for engaging the transfer roller after the first cleaning member for removing residual ink.

4. An inkjet printer according to claim 3 further comprising drying equipment for aiding drying of a printed image on the sheet of media.

5. An inkjet printer according to claim 4 wherein the drying equipment for aiding drying of a printed image on the sheet of media comprises a feed path along which the web of print media containing the printed image is fed after printing of the image on the print media;

a drive means for driving the web along the feed path at a predetermined rate; and

opposed IR lamps mounted on either side of the feed path.

a drive means for driving the web along the feed path at a predetermined rate; and

opposed IR lamps mounted on either side of the feed path.

6. An inkjet printer according to claim 3 wherein the first cleaning member is an elongate sponge that contacts the transfer roller along its entire length, and the second cleaning member is an elongate elastomeric wiper.

7. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the defective nozzles identified in each array are recorded as a characterisation vector for each individual printhead respectively such that if one of the printheads in the pair of printhead is replaced, a replacement printhead is selected to have a compatible characterisation vector that will ensure that corresponding nozzles in the pair of printheads will not both be defective.

8. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the printheads are pagewidth printheads.