Pagewidth inkjet printer for duplex printing with transfer rollers

• US 7,528,972 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; James A
• Application Number:
  US11/202,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.12, 358/1.13, 358/1.18, 358/1.9
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/002 Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00216 using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
• 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 2/04508 aiming at correcting other parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0451 for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator
• 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 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2139 Compensation for malfunctioning nozzles creating dot place or dot size errors generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• 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 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/393 Enlarging or reducing

Abstract

An inkjet pagewidth printer includes a chassis. A print media feed mechanism is mounted on the chassis to feed print media along a feed path. A pair of opposed transfer rollers are rotatably mounted on the chassis to contact the print media as it is moved along the feed path. A displacement mechanism is operatively engaged with the transfer rollers to displace the rollers into and out of engagement with the print media. A pair of opposed pagewidth printhead assemblies is mounted on the chassis to carry out a printing operation on respective transfer rollers so that print can be transferred to the print media. A cleaning station is operatively positioned with respect to the transfer rollers to clean the rollers subsequent to the print being transferred to the rollers. Control circuitry controls operation of the printer. A memory stores data related to images and text to be printed.

Claims

1. An inkjet pagewidth printer that comprises

a chassis;

a print media feed mechanism mounted on the chassis to feed print media along a feed path;

a pair of opposed transfer rollers that are rotatably mounted on the chassis to contact the print media simultaneously on both sides of the print media as it moves along the feed path;

a pair of pagewidth color inkjet printhead assemblies mounted on the chassis to eject ink on a respective one of the transfer rollers so that ink can be transferred simultaneously to both sides of the print media by the transfer rollers;

a displacement mechanism operatively engaged with the transfer rollers to displace the transfer rollers out of biased engagement with the respective printheads, when the printheads are inoperative, and into engagement with the print media, when the printheads are operative, so as to transfer the ink on the transfer rollers to the print media;

a cleaning station operatively positioned with respect to the transfer rollers to clean remaining ink from the transfer rollers subsequent to the ink being transferred from the transfer rollers to the print media;

control circuitry to control operation of the printer; and

a memory for storing data related to images and text to be printed.

2. An inkjet pagewidth printer as claimed in claim 1, in which the print media feed mechanism includes a platen and driven roller assembly to feed sheets of print media along the feed path.

3. An inkjet pagewidth printer as claimed in claim 1, which includes a number of ink cartridges for storing respective inks, and ink conduits that interconnect respective cartridges and the printhead assemblies.

4. An inkjet pagewidth printer as claimed in claim 1, in which the control circuitry includes:

a control and data bus;

a network controller connected to the control and data bus to permit the printer to be connected to a network;

a processor connected to the control and data bus to receive and process data to be printed;

a pair of print engine controllers connected to the control and data bus to control operation of the printhead assemblies; and

interface circuitry to permit the memory to be connected to the control and data bus.

5. An inkjet pagewidth printer as claimed in claim 4, in which each print engine controller includes:

a control and data bus;

memory interface circuitry connected to the control and data bus;

expansion circuitry connected to the control and data bus to receive compressed data and to expand said compressed data;

bus interface circuitry connected to the control and data bus to communicate data from a printer controller bus to the control and data bus; and

printhead interface circuitry connected to the control and data bus to communicate control and print data to the printhead assemblies.

6. An inkjet pagewidth printer as claimed in claim 5, in which the expansion circuitry includes decoding, dithering and compositing circuitry.

7. An inkjet pagewidth printer as claimed in claim 1, in which the memory is a hard disk.