Positionally stable array of abutting integrated chips on a printhead

• US 6,984,019 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAMSON D
• Application Number:
  US10/943,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 347/42, 347/13, 347/40, 347/12, 347/43
• US Class Current: 347/42
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/145 Arrangement thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/515 line printer type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules

Abstract

A integrated chip in an array of integrated chips on a printhead for an ink jet printer having rows of unit cells, each unit cell having an ink ejection nozzle; and,

• • at least one side surface with a non-linear profile for nesting against a complementary side surface of an adjacent integrated chip to maintain positional stability of the integrated chips within the array.

Claims

1. A printhead for an ink jet printer, the printhead comprising:

a support member;

an array of integrated chips mounted thereto, each of the integrated chips comprising;

rows of unit cells, each unit cell having an ink ejection nozzle; and

,

at least one side surface with a non-linear profile for nesting against a complementary side surface of an adjacent integrated chip to restrict any relative lateral movement of the integrated chips within the array; and

,

biasing means at one or both ends of the array of integrated chips for maintaining a force through the array that causes the end surfaces of the integrated chips to remain abutted.

2. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein the unit cells of each row are positioned such that the ink ejection nozzles is equally spaced along the row.

3. A printhead according to claim 1 comprising twelve rows of unit cells.

4. A printhead according to claim 3 wherein the twelve rows of unit cells are made up of six pairs of rows, each pair printing ink of one color.

5. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein a pair of the unit cells rows is dedicated to one color in one of the integrated chips is longitudinally aligned with a pair of the unit cell rows of an adjoining integrated chip printing a different color.

6. A printhead according to claim 5 wherein there is a dimension between end-most nozzles across abutting end surfaces of the chips that is equivalent to double a dimension between the nozzles along any row of one of the integrated chips.

7. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein the non-liner profile of the side of each integrated chip is a zig-zag formation.

8. A printhead according to claim 7 wherein the zig-zag formation includes a sequence of angled portions and a sequence of aligned longitudinal portions interspersed therewith.