Wide-format printer with a pagewidth printhead assembly

• US 7,571,983 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• 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, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Lamson D
• Application Number:
  US11/545,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 347/42, 347/49, 347/104, 347/105
• US Class Current: 347/42
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/06 Flat page-size platens or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens B41J11/0085 takes precedence
• 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 2/15 for serial printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• 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 2/17513 : Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 : Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/25 : Print wires
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 : Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 : Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 : Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 : Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• 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 1/2154 : 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

A printer includes a pair of feet upon which the printer can rest. A pair of spaced apart and upright legs extends from respective feet. A supply spool is rotationally mounted between the legs and is configured to carry a wound length of print media. A printhead assembly is fast between the legs and defines a passage through which print media unwound from the supply spool can pass. The printhead assembly includes a printhead which can eject ink onto the print medium passing through the passage. An uptake spool is rotationally mounted between the legs and the printed print medium can be wound thereon.

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

an elongate support structure;

a wide-format, pagewidth printhead assembly mounted on the support structure;

a pair of spaced legs which extend from respective ends of the support structure so that the printhead assembly can be supported in a conventional wide-format manner above a substrate;

a supply spool rotationally mounted between the legs and being configured to carry a wound length of print media;

a printhead assembly fast between the legs and defining a passage through which print media unwound from the supply spool can pass, the printhead assembly including a plurality of printheads mounted on the support structure to span a printing zone in the passage, the printheads being configured to perform a printing operation on the print medium as it passes through the printing zone; and

an uptake spool rotationally mounted between the legs and onto which the printed print medium can be wound.

2. A printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of feet is mounted on ends of respective legs.

3. A printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the supply spool is located between the printhead assembly and the uptake spool.

4. A printer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an elongate electronics enclosure which extends between the legs at a location proximal to the feet and houses electronics components for controlling the operation of the printer.

5. A printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printhead assembly comprises:

a pair of spaced apart end moldings; and

a lid which extends between the end moldings and is pivotal with respect to the end moldings.

6. A printer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the printhead assembly further comprises:

a pair of spaced apart rollers which are rotationally mounted between the end moldings and are arranged so that the print media passes over the rollers in opposite directions; and

a pair of spaced apart platens which extend between the rollers and support the print media passing between the rollers in respective directions.

7. A printer as claimed in claim 5, further comprising one or more releasable ink cartridges in fluid communication with the printhead assembly, and which can be removed from the printhead assembly when the lid is pivoted to an open position.

8. A printer as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a pair of covers which extend between the end moldings and together with the lid define a housing, one of the covers being pivotally connected with respect to the end moldings to enable access to the printhead assembly.