Pagewidth inkjet printhead assembly with an integrated printhead circuit

• US 7,264,333 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• 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): Nguyen; Thinh
• Application Number:
  US11/225,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 347/42, 347/50, 347/59
• US Class Current: 347/42
• 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 inkjet printhead assembly includes an elongate chassis that spans a printing zone. An ink supply arrangement is mounted on the chassis and has an ink distribution assembly and a housing enclosing the ink distribution assembly. At least one elongate integrated printhead circuit is mounted on the ink distribution assembly to receive ink from the ink distribution assembly and to span the printing zone. Power and ground busbars are arranged on the housing. A tape automated bond strip interconnects the busbars and the, or each, integrated printhead circuit.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead assembly that comprises

an elongate chassis that spans a printing zone;

an ink supply arrangement mounted on the chassis and having an ink distribution assembly and a housing enclosing the ink distribution assembly;

at least one elongate integrated printhead circuit mounted on the ink distribution assembly to receive ink from the ink distribution assembly and to span the printing zone;

power and ground busbars arranged on the housing; and

a tape automated bond strip that interconnects the busbars and the, or each, integrated printhead circuit.

2. An inkjet printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the ink distribution arrangement includes a baffle unit which, together with the housing, defines a number of longitudinally extending ink storage chambers for storing respectively colored inks, the baffle unit defining a plurality of baffles transversely positioned in each storage chamber for inhibiting acceleration of ink in the storage chambers resulting from movement of the printhead assembly.

3. An inkjet printhead assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which the ink distribution arrangement includes an ink distribution manifold mounted on the baffle unit to receive ink from the ink storage chambers, the manifold defining rows of slots, each row in fluid communication with a respective ink storage chamber, the slots terminating at outlet openings to define converging ink flow paths in fluid communication with ink supply passages in the, or each, integrated printhead circuit.

4. An inkjet printhead assembly as claimed in claim 3, in which the ink distribution manifold is a micro-molding and defines an elongate recess in which the, or each, integrated printhead circuit is received.

5. An inkjet printhead assembly as claimed in claim 3, in which the, or each, integrated circuit includes a substrate that defines a plurality of the ink supply passages, drive circuitry arranged on the substrate, a plurality of nozzle chamber structures positioned on the substrate to define nozzle chambers in fluid communication with respective ink supply passages and ink ejection ports in fluid communication with respective nozzle chambers, and a plurality of corresponding micro-electromechanical actuators operatively arranged with respect to the nozzle chambers and connected to the drive circuitry to eject ink from the ink ejection ports on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry.

6. An inkjet printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the housing and the busbars have complementary locating formations to facilitate positioning of the busbars on the housing.

7. An inkjet printhead assembly as claimed in claim 6, in which the complementary locating formations are in the form of protuberances that extend from the housing to engage openings defined in the busbars.