Baffle unit for an ink supply system in a portable printer

• US 7,004,577 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• 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
• Application Number:
  US11/124,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 347/92, 347/94, 347/85, 347/86
• US Class Current: 347/94
• 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 chamber, suitable for an ink supply system in a portable printer, is provided. The ink chamber comprises a baffle unit with plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system. The ink chamber and the baffle unit are typically elongate and divided into a plurality of elongate sections, each section corresponding to a different colored ink. The baffles are typically transverse baffles in the elongate ink chamber.

Claims

1. A baffle unit arranged for operation in an ink chamber of an ink supply system in a portable printer, the baffle unit cooperating sealingly with a housing and comprising a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system, wherein the baffle unit is divided into a plurality of separate sections, wherein each section corresponds to a different colored ink.

2. A baffle unit arranged for operation in an ink chamber of an ink supply system in a portable printer, the baffle unit cooperating sealingly with a housing and comprising a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system, wherein the baffle unit is divided into a plurality of separate sections, wherein the baffle unit is elongate and divided into a plurality of elongate sections, and wherein the baffle unit comprises a plurality of transverse baffles.

3. The baffle unit of claim 2, wherein the baffle unit comprises a longitudinally recessed base for mounting an ink manifold.

4. The baffle unit of claim 3, wherein the recessed base comprises a plurality of ink outlets for fluid communication with a corresponding plurality of ink inlets in the ink manifold.

5. A baffle unit arranged for operation in an ink chamber of an ink supply system in a portable printer, the baffle unit cooperating sealingly with a housing and comprising a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system, wherein the baffle unit is divided into a plurality of separate sections, wherein each section of the baffle unit comprises a pierceable end wall portion for providing fluid communication with a corresponding ink reservoir.

6. A baffle unit arranged for operation in an ink chamber of an ink supply system in a nortable printer, the baffle unit cooperating sealingly with a housing and comprising a plurality of baffles for minimizing ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system, wherein the baffle unit is divided into a plurality of separate sections, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of hydrophobically sealed breather openings, the openings being permeable to air and impervious to ink.