Ink distribution assembly for an ink jet printhead

• US 7,284,843 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, SHIH WEN
• Application Number:
  US10/485,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/86
• US Class Current: 347/85
• 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 2/16 Production of nozzles
• 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 2/17509 : Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 : Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 : Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 : Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 : Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• 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 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• 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

An ink distribution assembly (10) for a page width ink jet printhead (12) in the form of at least one printhead chip (14) having sets of ink inlet openings (18), each set for receiving an ink of a particular colour. A carrier (22) with a printhead side (30) that is engageable with the printhead (12) and an opposed ink supply side (28) and defining feed openings (48) through the carrier (22). The ink supply side (28) of the carrier (22) defines a number of discrete feed formations (60) being configured to receive ink of a particular colour. The printhead side (30) of the carrier (22) defines ink supply formations and passages in fluid communication between the ink supply formations and one of the feed formations. A cover (78) is engageable with the carrier (22) at the ink supply side (28) and is shaped to define a roof for the feed formations (60) and defines ink pathways (86) in fluid communication with respective feed formations (60). The carrier (22) defines ink supply openings (94) in fluid communications with respective pathways (86).

Claims

1. An ink distribution assembly for a page width ink jet printhead in the form of at least one printhead chip having sets of ink inlet openings, each set having at least one inlet opening for receiving an ink of a particular color to be supplied to the printhead chip, the assembly comprising:

a carrier having an elongate structure with a printhead side that defines a longitudinal recess for receiving the printhead and an opposed ink supply side, and defining feed openings through the carrier to be in fluid communication with respective ink inlet openings of the printhead, the ink supply side of the carrier defining a pair of feed formations, one on either side of the longitudinal recess, each feed formation being configured to receive ink of a particular color and each feed formation includes a plurality of ink feed channels each ink feed channel being in fluid communication with at least one respective feed opening, and the printhead side of the carrier defining at least one ink supply formation, the carrier defining pair of ink supply passages, one in fluid communication with each ink supply channel, and the other of the ink supply passages extending between one of the ink supply openings and the ink supply channels; and

a cover that is engageable with the carrier at the ink supply side, the cover and the ink supply side of the carrier being shaped so that, when the cover is in position, the cover serves to define a roof for the feed formations and so that the cover and the ink supply side of the carrier define ink pathways that are in fluid communication with respective feed formations, one of the carrier and the cover defining ink supply openings in fluid communication with respective ink pathways;

wherein,

a pair of side wall portions are positioned on the carrier to define a longitudinally extending channel in which one set of the feed openings are positioned, a row of spaced, laterally extending walls being positioned on each side of the longitudinally extending walls, so that that laterally extending walls define rows of the ink feed channels terminating at the longitudinally extending walls, a feed opening being positioned in each of the ink feed channels at the longitudinally extending walls, each lateral wall defining a passage from one of the ink supply channels on the printhead side of the carrier to the longitudinally extending channel.

2. An ink distribution assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which at least the carrier is a product of an injection molding process.

3. An ink distribution assembly as claimed in claim 2, in which at least the carrier is of a plastics material.

4. An ink distribution assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the carrier has a generally planar central portion and a pair of opposed sidewall portions so that the central portion and the sidewall portions define a region in which the cover is received.

5. An ink distribution assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the printhead side of the carrier defines a longitudinal recess, the printhead being received in the recess.

6. An ink distribution assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the carrier defines a pair of ink supply passages, one in fluid communication with each ink supply channel, and the other of the ink supply passages extending between one of the ink supply openings and the ink supply channels.

7. An ink distribution assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the side wall portions and the cover are shaped so that an ink flow pathway is defined between the cover and each of the side wall portions, each ink flow pathway being in fluid communication with a respective row of ink feed channels.