Printing mechanism having elongate modular structure

• US 7,008,041 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• 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, King, Tobin Allen, Walmsley, Simon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAMSON D
• Application Number:
  US11/082,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 347/12, 347/13, 347/40, 347/42, 347/49, 347/65, 347/67
• US Class Current: 347/42
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/06 Flat page-size platens or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens B41J11/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• 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 2/16 Production of nozzles
• 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 2/175 : Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• 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 2/25 : Print wires
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 : Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 : Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 : Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 : Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 : in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 : Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 : Authenticate client device independently of the user
• 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 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• 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 is provided comprising an elongate support structure having ink distribution structures, print engine controllers and busbars mounted thereon. Printhead modules are mounted on the ink distribution structures. Each printhead module has a printhead integrated circuit mounted on a carrier. Each printhead integrated circuit has nozzle arrangements incorporating micro-electromechanical actuators for ejecting ink from respective ink chambers. Flexible connectors connect the printhead integrated circuits to the print engine controllers. The print engine controllers are configured to control operation of a number of the printhead integrated circuits by transmitting data signals thereto via the flexible connectors. The busbars transmit electrical power to the print engine controllers and the printhead integrated circuits.

Claims

1. A printing mechanism comprising:

an elongate support structure;

a plurality of ink distribution structures mounted on the support structure;

a plurality of printhead modules mounted on respective ink distribution structures, each printhead module having a printhead integrated circuit mounted on a carrier, each printhead integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzle arrangements incorporating micro-electromechanical actuators for ejecting ink from respective ink chambers;

a plurality of flexible connectors each connected to a respective printhead integrated circuit;

a plurality of print engine controllers mounted on the support structure, each print engine controller being configured to control operation of a number of the printhead integrated circuits by transmitting data signals thereto via the flexible connectors; and

busbars mounted on the support structure for transmitting electrical power to the print engine controllers and the printhead integrated circuits.

2. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the print engine controllers incorporate a plurality of integrated circuits supported on respective printed circuit boards.

3. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the support structure has an elongate chassis, the printed circuit boards being supported on a first side of the chassis and the ink distribution structures being supported on a second side of the chassis;

the busbars are interposed between the printed circuit boards and the first side of the chassis; and

the flexible connectors connect the print engine controllers on the first side of the chassis to the printhead integrated circuits on the second side of the chassis.

4. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support structure further has a channel member mounted on the second side of the chassis, the ink distribution structures mounted in a channel defined by the channel member.

5. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein each ink distribution structure defines a plurality of ink reservoirs that extend through the ink distribution structure such that ink reservoirs extend a length of the channel member when the ink distribution structures are mounted in the channel.

6. A printing mechanism as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an ink connection assembly mounted to an endmost ink distribution structure for connecting a plurality of ink conduits in fluid communication with respective ink reservoirs in the endmost ink distribution structure.