Ink supply system for a portable printer

• US 6,824,257 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/853,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 188 Days
• Field of Search: 347/84, 347/85, 347/92, 347/94
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04506 aiming at correcting manufacturing tolerances
• 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 2/04553 detecting ambient temperature
• 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 2/04573 Timing; Delays
• 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 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• 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 2/1626 etching
• 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 2/1634 : laser 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 2/175 : Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 : Ink filters
• 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 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An ink supply system suitable for use in a portable printer is disclosed. The ink supply system comprises at least one ink reservoir and a corresponding respective ink chamber for each ink reservoir. The ink chamber is in fluid communication with its respective reservoir and each ink chamber comprises a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system. The ink supply system also comprises an ink manifold in fluid communication with each ink chamber. The ink manifold comprises a plurality of ink channels configured to distribute ink from each ink chamber to a plurality of ink inlets in a printhead.

Claims

1. An ink supply system suitable for a portable printer, said ink supply system comprising:

at least one ink reservoir;

a corresponding respective ink chamber for each ink reservoir, said ink chamber being in fluid communication with its respective reservoir, wherein the or each ink chamber comprises a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system; and

an ink manifold in fluid communication with the at least one ink chamber, said ink manifold comprising a plurality of ink channels configured to distribute ink from the or each ink chamber to a plurality of ink inlets in a printhead.

2. The ink supply system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of ink reservoirs and a plurality of corresponding respective ink chambers.

3. The ink supply system of claim 2, wherein said ink chambers are formed by a baffle unit sealingly cooperating with a housing, said baffle unit being divided into a plurality of separate sections, each section corresponding to a respective ink chamber.

4. The ink supply system of claim 3, wherein said baffle unit is elongate and divided into a plurality of elongate sections.

5. The ink supply system of claim 4, wherein said baffle unit comprises a plurality of transverse baffles.

6. The ink supply system of claim 5, wherein said baffle unit comprises a longitudinally recessed base and said ink manifold is elongate and mounted within said recessed base, wherein said ink channels in said manifold communicate with a plurality of ink outlets in the base of said baffle unit.

7. The ink supply system of claim 4, wherein said baffle unit comprises a plurality of pierceable end wall portions, each end wall portion being in fluid communication with a corresponding respective ink reservoir.

8. The ink supply system of claim 3, wherein said housing comprises a plurality of hydrophobically sealed breather openings, said openings being permeable to air and impervious to ink.

9. A printhead assembly comprising an ink supply system according to claim 1 and an inkjet printhead chip mounted on said manifold, said printhead chip comprising a plurality of ink inlets, wherein each ink inlet is in fluid communication with a respective ink channel in said manifold.

10. A printhead assembly comprising an ink supply system according to claim 6 and an elongate inkjet printhead chip longitudinally mounted on said manifold, said printhead chip comprising a plurality of ink inlets, wherein each ink inlet is in fluid communication with a respective ink channel in said manifold.

11. An inkjet printer comprising a printhead assembly according to claim 10.

12. A portable electronic device comprising a printer according to claim 11.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12, which is a camera.