Ink supply system for a printhead

• US 6,994,430 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• 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:
  US11/045,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 347 84- 87, 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 supplying ink to a printhead contained in a portable electronic device, is provided. The ink supply system comprises: (a) at least one ink reservoir; (b) a corresponding ink chamber for each ink reservoir, each ink chamber being in fluid communication with its respective reservoir, wherein each ink chamber comprises a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system; and (c) an ink manifold in fluid communication with each ink chamber, the ink manifold comprising 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 inkjet printer suitable for a portable electronic device, said printer comprising a printhead and an ink supply system for supplying ink to the printhead, wherein said ink supply system comprises:

at least one ink reservoir;

a corresponding ink chamber for each ink reservoir, each ink chamber being in fluid communication with its respective reservoir, wherein 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 each ink chamber, the ink manifold comprising a plurality of ink channels configured to distribute ink from each ink chamber to a plurality of ink inlets in a printhead.

2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the or each ink reservoir is contained inside a former, said former having a roll of media substrate wound thereon.

3. The printer of claim 1, wherein a plurality of ink chambers are formed by a baffle unit sealingly cooperating with a housing, the baffle unit being divided into a plurality of separate sections, each section corresponding to a respective ink chamber.

4. The printer of claim 3, wherein the baffle unit is elongate and divided into a plurality of elongate sections.

5. The printer of claim 4, wherein the baffle unit comprises a plurality of transverse baffles.