High volume pagewidth printing

• US 6,679,584 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/120,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 347/42, 347/13, 347/75
• US Class Current: 347/42
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/001 Handling wide copy materials
• 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 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A print assembly for pagewidth inkjet printing that includes an elongate carrier that is mountable on a support structure of a printer in an operative position with respect to a platen of the printer. A number of printhead chips are positioned on the carrier. The printhead chips together define a printhead that is configured to eject at least one billion drops per second into a printing zone defined between the printhead and the platen of the printer. Control circuitry is also positioned on the carrier and is configured to control operation of the printhead chips.

Claims

1. A method of pagewidth printing, the method comprising the steps of:

feeding a print medium through a printing zone; and

ejecting drops of ink at a rate of at least one billion drops per second from a print assembly on to the print medium in the printing zone to generate an image on the print medium.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, which includes the step of ejecting at least ten billion drops per second from the print assembly on to the print medium.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, which includes the step of ejecting at least twenty billion drops per second from the print assembly on to the print medium.

4. A print assembly for pagewidth inkjet printing, the print assembly comprising

an elongate carrier that is mountable on a support structure of a printer in an operative position with respect to a platen of the printer;

a number of printhead chips that are positioned on the carrier, the printhead chips together defining a printhead that is configured to eject at least one billion drops per second into a printing zone defined between the printhead and the platen of the printer; and

control circuitry that is also positioned on the carrier and that is configured to control operation of the printhead chips.

5. A print assembly as claimed in claim 4, in which the printhead chips together define a printhead that is configured to eject at least ten billion drops per second into the printing zone.

6. A print assembly as claimed in claim 5, in which the printhead chips together define a printhead that is configured to eject at least twenty billion drops per second into the printing zone.

7. A print assembly as claimed in claim 6, in which the printhead chips together incorporate at least one hundred thousand nozzle arrangements.

8. A print assembly as claimed in claim 7, in which the printhead chips together incorporate at least two hundred thousand nozzle arrangements.

9. A print assembly as claimed in claim 8, which includes between forty and one hundred printhead chips positioned on the carrier.

10. A print assembly as claimed in claim 4, in which each printhead chip is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication process.

11. A print assembly as claimed in claim 10, in which each printhead chip includes a wafer substrate and a CMOS drive circuitry layer positioned on the wafer substrate with the nozzle arrangements positioned on the wafer substrate and the CMOS drive circuitry layer.

12. A print assembly as claimed in claim 11, in which each nozzle arrangement is in the form of a micro electromechanical system that is electrically connected to the CMOS drive circuitry layer.

13. A print assembly as claimed in claim 12, which includes a plurality of printhead modules, each printhead module incorporating a printhead chip, the printhead modules being mounted on the carrier.

14. A print assembly as claimed in claim 13, in which a flexible printed circuit board is mounted on each printhead module and connected between the CMOS drive circuitry layer of each printhead chip and the control circuitry.

15. A print assembly as claimed in claim 14, in which the printhead modules are configured so that the printhead chips are each positioned at a common angle of greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees with respect to a line extending a length of the printing zone, so that consecutive printhead chips overlap at their ends.

16. An inkjet printer that comprises

a support structure;

a platen positioned in the support structure;

a print assembly positioned operatively with respect to the platen, the print assembly comprising

an elongate carrier;

a number of printhead chips positioned on the carrier, the printhead chips together defining a printhead that is configured to eject at least one billion drops per second into a printing zone defined between the printhead and the platen; and

control circuitry that is also positioned on the carrier and that is configured to control operation of the printhead chips; and

a feed mechanism positioned on the support structure for feeding a print medium though the printing zone.