Printing mechanism for a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer

• US 6,848,780 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Feggins, K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, An H.
• Application Number:
  US10/753,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 347/12, 347/13, 347/20, 347/40, 347/42, 347/49, 347/56, 347/104, 400/642, 400584-585, 399/377, 399/379, 271/9.02, 271/9.04, 101/477
• US Class Current: 347/104
• 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

A printing mechanism includes a housing. A pair of spaced support members is positioned on either side of the housing. First and second primary rollers are mounted between the support members. A first platen is mounted between the support members and is positioned on one side of the rollers to define the print area. A second platen is mounted between the support members and is positioned on an opposite side of the rollers. The primary rollers and the platens define a print medium feed path that extends over an inner side of the second platen, the second primary roller, and an outer side of the first platen. The first and second primary rollers are configured to engage a length of print medium and to drive the print medium along the feed path on rotation of the primary rollers. A support assembly is mounted between the support members. A printhead assembly is positioned on the support assembly and includes an array of printhead chips that are positioned to span the print area. Each printhead chip incorporates a plurality of nozzle arrangements that are directed towards the first platen to carry out a printing operation on the print medium as it passes over the first platen.

Claims

1. A printing mechanism that comprises

a housing;

a pair of spaced support members that are positioned on either side of the housing;

first and second primary rollers that are mounted between the support members;

a first platen that is mounted between the support members and is positioned on one side of the rollers to define the print area;

a second platen that is mounted between the support members and is positioned on an opposite side of the rollers, the primary rollers and the platens defining a print medium feed path that extends over an inner side of the second platen, the second primary roller, and an outer side of the first platen, the first and second primary rollers being configured to engage a length of print medium and to drive the print medium along the feed path on rotation of the primary rollers;

a support assembly that is mounted between the support members;

a printhead assembly that is positioned on the support assembly and that includes an array of printhead chips that are positioned to span the print area, each printhead chip incorporating a plurality of nozzle arrangements that are directed towards the first platen to carry out a printing operation on the print medium as it passes over the first platen; and

a cutting mechanism mounted between the support members, the cutting mechanism including a cutter that is displaceable with respect to the first platen to traverse the first platen thereby carrying out a cutting operation on the print medium.

2. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which the primary rollers are rotatable to drive the length of print medium successively over the inner surface of the second platen, the second primary roller and the outer surface of the first platen.

3. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which the support assembly includes a chassis and a channel member that is mounted on the chassis, the printhead assembly including an ink distribution structure that is positioned in a channel defined by the channel member and the array of printhead chips, which are positioned on the ink distribution structure.

4. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 3, in which the chassis is displaceable towards and away from the first platen, the support assembly including a displacement mechanism that is operable to displace the chassis towards and away from the first platen.

5. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which a brush member is mounted in the housing adjacent the second primary roller, the brush member having a profile that corresponds to the second primary roller such that the print medium feed path extends between the brush member and the second primary roller.