Ink supply arrangement for a printing mechanism of a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer

• US 6,786,570 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• 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): Meler, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/753,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/40-44, 347/48, 347/54, 347/56, 347/84, 347/85
• US Class Current: 347/42
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/15 for serial printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1629 wet 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 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1645 thin film formation by spincoating
• 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 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 : Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 : Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 : Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• 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 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 : by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 : multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 : 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• 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

An ink supply arrangement for a pagewidth printing mechanism includes an elongate support structure. A plurality of ink distribution structures is positioned in the support structure. Each ink distribution structure defines a number of ink channels in fluid communication with ink channels of an adjacent ink distribution structure such that the ink distribution structures together define ink channels that extend a length of the support structure. A connector assembly is engageable with an endmost ink distribution structure. An ink supply assembly is engageable with the connector assembly. The ink supply assembly has a number of conduits for supplying ink to respective ink channels. The connector assembly is configured to permit the ink supply assembly to be connected to the endmost ink distribution structure such that each conduit can supply ink to each respective ink channel.

Claims

1. An ink supply arrangement for a pagewidth printing mechanism that includes a number of printhead chips that are positioned in an array to span a print medium, the ink supply arrangement comprising

an elongate support structure;

a plurality of ink distribution structures that are positioned in the support structure, each ink distribution structure defining a number of ink channels in fluid communication with ink channels of an adjacent ink distribution structure such that the ink distribution structures together define ink channels that extend a length of the support structure;

a connector assembly that is engageable with an endmost ink distribution structure; and

an ink supply assembly that is engageable with the connector assembly, the ink supply assembly having a number of conduits for supplying ink to respective ink channels, the connector assembly being configured to permit the ink supply assembly to be connected to the endmost ink distribution structure such that each conduit can supply ink to each respective ink channel.

2. An ink supply arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the support structure includes an elongate channel member that defines a channel in which the ink distribution structures are positioned.

3. An ink supply arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the connector assembly includes an end cap member having a plurality of connectors that correspond with respective ink channels to be engageable with the endmost ink distribution structure and with respective conduits.

4. An ink supply arrangement as claimed in claim 3, in which the supply assembly includes a number of ink containers in which respective inks can be received, each conduit of the ink supply assembly being an ink hose that is connected to a respective ink container to supply ink to a respective ink channel.

5. An ink supply assembly as claimed in claim 4, which includes a number of ink cartridges that are detachably mounted on the support structure, each ink cartridge being in fluid communication with a respective ink container.

6. An ink supply assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which each ink distribution structure is in the form of a molding that defines the channels as ink reservoirs.

7. A printing mechanism that comprises

an ink supply arrangement that comprises

an elongate support structure;

a plurality of ink distribution structures that are positioned in the support structure, each ink distribution structure defining a number of ink channels in fluid communication with ink channels of an adjacent ink distribution structure such that the ink distribution structures together define ink channels that extend a length of the support structure;

a connector assembly that is engageable with an endmost ink distribution structure; and

an ink supply assembly that is engageable with the connector assembly, the ink supply assembly having a number of conduits for supplying ink to respective ink channels, the connector assembly being configured to permit the ink supply assembly to be connected to the endmost ink distribution structure such that each conduit can supply ink to each respective ink channel; and

a plurality of printhead chip carriers that are mounted on the support structure; and

a plurality of printhead chips, each printhead chip being mounted on a respective carrier.