Ink supply arrangement for a portable ink jet printer

• US 6,508,546 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US09/942,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/86, 347/87
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04565 detecting heater resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04571 detecting viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 : thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 : Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection

Abstract

An ink supply unit including at least one ink storage chamber for holding ink for supply to a portable ink jet printing arrangement, the ink supply unit including a series of spaced apart baffles configured so as to reduce the acceleration of the ink within the unit as may be induced by movement of the portable printer, whilst allowing for flows of ink to the printing arrangement in response to active demand therefrom. Preferably there are several chambers for holding different color inks and are desirably formed through the injection molding of at least two separate parts which are preferably sealed together to form the ink supply unit.

Claims

1. A printhead and ink supply arrangement for a portable inkjet printer that comprises

an elongate pagewidth printhead having a plurality of ink supply passages,

an elongate pagewidth ink distribution manifold connected to said printhead and substantially coextensive therewith, the manifold including a plurality of ink outlets corresponding to said ink supply passages on the printhead, and further including a plurality of ink inlets positioned along the manifold,

an elongate pagewidth ink supply unit connected to said manifold and substantially coextensive therewith and including a baffle unit and a housing that encloses the baffle unit, the baffle unit and the housing defining at least one elongate pagewidth storage chamber for holding ink for supply to said manifold, said baffle unit defining a series of baffles spaced along the storage chamber and extending transversely so that consecutive baffles and the housing define a series of chamber portions within the at least one elongate storage unit, the baffle unit being configured to define holes so that each chamber portion is in fluid communication with each one of said ink inlets so that ink in the chamber portions can flow into the manifold, the baffles acting to reduce excessive acceleration of ink along the storage chamber from one said chamber portion to another as may be induced by movement of the portable printer, whilst allowing for flows of the ink from said chamber portions to the manifold inlets via said holes in response to active demand from said printhead.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the baffle unit and the housing define a number of storage chambers for holding separate color inks.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the baffle unit and the housing define at least three said ink storage chambers.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, in which the baffle unit has a wall portion in that is transversely positioned with respect to each said ink storage chamber each wall portion being capable of being pierced by an ink supply conduit to connect each ink storage chamber to a bulk ink supply source.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the printhead is a printhead chip.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the baffle unit and the housing are constructed from molded components.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said components are injection molded.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines a number of hydrophobically sealed breather holes to permit the passage of air through the holes while inhibiting the passage of liquid through the holes.

9. A printer that includes a printhead and ink supply arrangement as claimed in claim 1.