Printhead reservoir with siphon vents

• US 7,682,008 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Brick, Jonathan R., Platt, David P., Berger, Sharon S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier; Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia, Jr.; Rene
• Application Number:
  US11/567,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 347/92, 347/65, 347/50, 347 68- 72, 347 84- 88, 347/71, 347/49
• US Class Current: 347/92
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17593 Supplying ink in a solid state
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/19 for removing air bubbles

Abstract

A printhead reservoir assembly has at least one reservoir to hold ink. The assembly includes an outlet plate having siphon vents to allow air to exit an ink path, a manifold plate having at least one manifold to channel ink and manifold outlets to corresponding to the siphon vents, a jet stack having an array of jets to transfer ink out of the printhead reservoir assembly to a printing substrate and jet stack outlets corresponding to the siphon vents, and a circuit board between the jet stack and the manifold plate to operate the jet stack, the circuit board having outlets corresponding to the siphon vents.

Claims

1. A printhead reservoir assembly, comprising:

a reservoir having at least one reservoir to hold ink;

an outlet plate having siphon vents to allow air to exit an ink path;

a manifold plate having at least one manifold to channel ink and manifold outlets to corresponding to the siphon vents;

a jet stack having an array of jets to transfer ink out of the printhead reservoir assembly to a printing substrate and jet stack outlets corresponding to the siphon vents; and

a circuit board between the jet stack and the manifold plate to operate the jet stack, the circuit board having outlets corresponding to the siphon vents.

2. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises four reservoirs.

3. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises an air vent.

4. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises siphons to channel the air to the siphon vents.

5. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 4, wherein the siphons are angled and the siphon vents reside at peaks of the siphons.

6. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises at least one air trap.

7. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 6, wherein the air trap further comprises a scalloped edge of the manifold.

8. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 1, wherein the manifold plate comprises at least one diverter channel to divert the air into the manifold outlets.

9. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 1, wherein the siphon outlets, the manifold outlets, the jet stack outlets and the circuit board outlets comprise outlet channels for venting.

10. The printhead reservoir assembly of claim 9, wherein the vent orifices have a size large enough to allow air to exit the orifices in a First direction and small enough to hold a meniscus of sufficient strength to prevent air from entering in a second direction.