Inkjet printer incorporating an ink transfer roller

• US 7,144,095 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Judy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crenshaw, Marvin P.
• Application Number:
  US10/693,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 347/103, 347/104, 347/2, 347/171, 347/40, 347/44, 347/29
• US Class Current: 347/29
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0095 Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/42 Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/076 Construction of rollers; Bearings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/202 Drive control means for carriage movement
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/00 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed mounting, arrangement or disposition of types or dies B41J1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04551 using several operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/165 Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16508 connected with the printer frame
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/023 with reduced dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/04 Means for attaching machines to baseboards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/17 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 : Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 : for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/10 : using a liquid developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 : Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6529 : Transporting G03G15/6555 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1642 : for the transfer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 : Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 : Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 : Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/00 : Methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/102 : using ink jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/16 : Means for paper feeding or form feeding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1814 : including print-ready data, i.e. data already matched to the printing process
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1815 : Receiving print data in mixed format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/23 : Reproducing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 : using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32587 : Controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32593 : Using a plurality of controllers, e.g. for controlling different interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32603 : Multi-bus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 : Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/504 : Reproducing the colour component signals line-sequentially

Abstract

An inkjet printer includes a support structure. An ink reservoir arrangement is mounted on the support structure. An array of printhead chips is mounted on the ink reservoir arrangement to receive ink from the ink reservoir arrangement. An ink transfer roller is rotatably mounted on the support structure operatively with respect to the array of printhead chips so that the printhead chips can carry out a printing operation on the transfer roller. A retaining mechanism is mounted on the support structure to bear against the ink transfer roller. A sheet of print medium is receivable between the retaining mechanism and the transfer roller so that ink printed on the transfer roller is transferred to the sheet of print medium. A feed mechanism feeds the sheet of print medium between the ink transfer roller and the retaining mechanism.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer which comprises

a support structure;

an ink reservoir arrangement mounted on the support structure;

an array of printhead chips defining a stationary pagewidth printhead mounted on the ink reservoir arrangement to receive ink from the ink reservoir arrangement, a sealing arrangement being defined about the array;

an ink transfer roller that is rotatably mounted on the support structure operatively with respect to the array of printhead chips so that the printhead chips can carry out a printing operation on the transfer roller as the transfer roller rotates;

a retaining mechanism that is mounted on the support structure to bear against the ink transfer roller, a sheet of print medium being receivable between the retaining mechanism and the transfer roller so that ink printed on the transfer roller is transferred to the sheet of print medium as the transfer roller rotates; and

a feed mechanism mounted on the support structure for feeding the sheet of print medium between the ink transfer roller and the retaining mechanism,

wherein the ink reservoir arrangement is operatively arranged to, during a printing operation, maintain a spaced relationship of the array of printhead chips and the transfer roller, and, during a non-printing operation, place the array of printhead chips against the transfer roller so that the printhead chips are sealed by the sealing arrangement and transfer roller.

2. An inkjet printer as claimed in claim 1, which includes

a housing that defines a receiving formation;

a chassis that is positioned in the housing; and

a media tray assembly that is received in the receiving formation and is displaceably engageable with the chassis to permit the media tray assembly to be received in, and withdrawn from, the receiving formation, the media tray assembly and the housing defining a print medium feed path, the media tray assembly having a media tray in which a stack of print medium sheets can be stored, the feed mechanism being positioned on the media tray to feed the sheets from the tray, the support structure being defined by the media tray at a downstream end of the media tray.

3. An inkjet printer as claimed in claim 2, in which the ink reservoir arrangement defines a number of ink reservoirs in which respective inks can be stored.

4. An inkjet printer as claimed in claim 3, which includes an ink connector arrangement that is in fluid communication with the ink reservoirs, the ink connector arrangement being configured to permit an ink cartridge to be connected to the media tray to supply the reservoirs with ink.

5. An inkjet printer as claimed in claim 2, in which a power and data supply arrangement for the printhead chip array is positioned on the housing and the housing and media tray assembly include complementary releasable electrical connectors that engage each other when the media tray assembly is received in the receiving formation and disengage each other when the media tray assembly is withdrawn from the receiving formation, the electrical connector of the media tray assembly being connected to the array of printhead chips so that power and data can be supplied to the printhead chips.

6. An inkjet printer as claimed in claim 5 in which the electrical connectors are in the form of complementary contact moldings.

7. An inkjet printer as claimed in claim 6, in which a flexible PCB is connected between the contact molding on the media tray assembly and the array of printhead chips.

8. An inkjet printer which comprises

a support structure;

a pair of opposed ink reservoir arrangements mounted on the support structure;

an array of printhead chips mounted on each ink reservoir arrangement to receive ink from the ink reservoir arrangement and so as to define a stationary pagewidth printhead on each ink reservoir arrangement, a sealing arrangement be inn defined about each array;

a pair of ink transfer rollers that is rotatably mounted on the support structure, each ink transfer roller being positioned adjacent one respective array of printhead chips so that the printhead chips can carry out a printing operation on the transfer rollers as the transfer rollers rotate, the transfer rollers being positioned to bear against each other, a sheet of print medium being receivable between the transfer rollers so that ink printed on the transfer rollers is transferred to both sides of the sheet of print medium as the transfer rollers rotate; and

a feed mechanism for feeding the sheet of print medium between the ink transfer rollers,

wherein each ink reservoir arrangement is operatively arranged to, during a printing operation, maintain a spaced relationship of the associated array of printhead chips and transfer roller, and, during a non-printing operation, place said associated array of printhead chips against said transfer roller so that the printhead chips are sealed by the associated sealing arrangement and transfer roller.