Ink chamber having a baffle unit

• US 7,152,967 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/329,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 347 84- 87, 347 92- 94
• 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 for an ink supply system in a printer. The ink chamber comprises a baffle unit housed within a housing. The baffle unit comprises a plurality of baffles. The baffle unit is divided into a plurality of separate sections.

Claims

1. An ink chamber for an ink supply system in a printer, the ink chamber comprising:

a housing; and

,

a baffle unit housed within the housing, the baffle unit comprising a plurality of baffles,

wherein the baffle unit is divided into a plurality of separate sections, each separate section corresponding to a different colored ink, and

wherein the housing comprises a plurality of positioning protuberances.

2. The ink chamber according to claim 1, wherein the housing sealingly cooperates with the baffle unit.

3. The ink chamber according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of baffles comprises a plurality of first baffles and a plurality of second baffles, wherein the first baffles are larger than the second baffles.

4. The ink chamber of claim 3, wherein the second baffles are positioned between the first baffles.

5. The ink chamber according to claim 1, wherein the baffles are arranged to restrict ink flow fluctuations in the ink supply system.

6. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein the baffle unit is elongate and divided into a plurality of elongate sections.

7. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein the baffle unit comprises a plurality of transverse baffles.

8. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein the baffle unit comprises a longitudinally recessed base for mounting an ink manifold.

9. The ink chamber of claim 8, wherein the recessed base comprises a plurality of ink outlets for fluid communication with a corresponding plurality of ink inlets in the ink manifold.

10. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein each separate section of the baffle unit comprises a pierceable end wall portion for providing fluid communication with a corresponding ink reservoir.

11. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of hydrophobically sealed breather openings, the openings being permeable to air and impervious to ink.

12. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein the baffle unit is welded to the housing.

13. The ink chamber of claim 1, wherein the baffle unit is ultrasonically welded to the housing.

14. The ink chamber according to claim 1, wherein the baffles are configured to reduce acceleration of ink in the ink supply system during movement of the printer.