Print assembly for a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer, having a plurality of printhead chips

• US 6,994,420 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• 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): NGUYEN, LAMSON D
• Application Number:
  US10/923,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 347/13, 347/42, 347/48, 347/50, 347/12, 347/40
• 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

A print assembly for a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer, the assembly comprising:

• • an elongate carrier that is mountable on a support structure of the printer;
  • a plurality of printhead chips mounted on the carrier to define a printing zone adjacent the carrier, the printhead chips being provided in a number and configuration such that the printing zone has a length of at least 36 inches (914 mm), each printhead chip being of the type that incorporates a plurality of nozzle arrangements, each nozzle arrangement being in the form of a micro electromechanical system to achieve the ejection of ink from the nozzle arrangement; and
  • control circuitry that is positioned on the carrier and is operatively connected to the printhead chips to control operation thereof.

Claims

1. A print assembly for a wide format pagewidth inkjet printer, the assembly comprising:

an elongate carrier that is mountable on a support structure of the printer;

a plurality of printhead chips mounted on the carrier to define a printing zone adjacent the carrier, the printhead chips being provided in a number and configuration such that the printing zone has a length of at least 36 inches (914 mm), each printhead chip being of the type that incorporates a plurality of nozzle arrangements, each nozzle arrangement being in the form of a micro electromechanical system to achieve the ejection of ink from the nozzle arrangement; and

control circuitry that is positioned on the carrier and is operatively connected to the printhead chips to control operation thereof.

2. A print assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which each printhead chip is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique carried out on a silicon wafer substrate that incorporates CMOS drive circuitry for each nozzle arrangement.

3. A print assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which the printhead chips together incorporate at least fifty thousand nozzle arrangements.

4. A print assembly as claimed in claim 3, in which the printhead chips together incorporate at least one hundred thousand nozzle arrangements.

5. A print assembly as claimed in claim 4, in which the printhead chips together incorporate at least two hundred thousand nozzle arrangements.

6. A print assembly as claimed in claim 5, in which the printhead chips together incorporate between three hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand nozzle arrangements.

7. A print assembly as claimed in claim 5, in which between forty and one hundred printhead chips are mounted in the carrier.

8. A print assembly as claimed in claim 7, in which the printhead chips are each positioned at a common angle of greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees with respect to a straight line extending at right angles to a feed direction, with consecutive ends of the printhead chips overlapping to ensure continuous printing in the printing zone.

9. A print assembly as claimed in claim 7, in which the carrier includes a plurality of modules, one printhead chip being incorporated into each module, and the modules being detachably mounted on the carrier to facilitate replacement of the modules, if necessary.

10. A print assembly as claimed in claim 7, in which an ink reservoir assembly is also mounted on the carrier to be in fluid communication with the printhead chips, the ink reservoir assembly being configured to supply the printhead chip with at least three inks of different colors.

11. A print assembly as claimed in claim 2, which includes at least one flexible printed circuit board that is interconnected between the control circuitry and the CMOS layer of each printhead chip so that communication can take place between the control circuitry and the CMOS layers.