Carrier for an ink distribution assembly of an ink jet printhead

• US 7,914,133 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• 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): LEGESSE, HENOK D
• Application Number:
  US11/874,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/13, 347/41, 347/42, 347/43, 347/54, 347/49
• 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

A carrier for a page width ink jet printhead having a printhead integrated circuit including sets of ink inlet openings, each set having at least one inlet opening for receiving ink of a particular color. The carrier comprises: feed openings, each in fluid communication with a respective set of the inlet openings; an ink supply side defining a number of feed formations, each configured to receive one of the inks and to be in fluid communication with a respective set of inlet openings, via the feed openings; a printhead side engageable with the printhead and defining at least one ink supply formation; at least one passage in fluid communication between the at least one ink supply formation and at least one of the feed formations; and a pair of side wall portions defining a longitudinally extending channel including one of the feed openings.

Claims

1. A carrier for a page width ink jet printhead having a printhead integrated circuit including sets of ink inlet openings, each set having at least one inlet opening for receiving ink of a particular color, the carrier comprising:

feed openings, each in fluid communication with a respective set of the inlet openings;

an ink supply side defining a number of feed formations, each configured to receive one of the inks and to be in fluid communication with a respective set of inlet openings, via the feed openings;

a printhead side engageable with the printhead and defining at least one ink supply formation;

at least one passage in fluid communication between the at least one ink supply formation and at least one of the feed formations; and

a pair of side wall portions defining a longitudinally extending channel including at least one of the feed openings.

2. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a row of laterally extending walls positioned on the pair of side wall portions defining rows of ink feed channels terminating at the pair of side wall portions, each ink feed channel including one of the feed openings.

3. The carrier according to claim 2, wherein the side wall portions are shaped so that an ink flow pathway is defined between each of the side wall portions and a cover covering the molded component, wherein each ink flow pathway is in fluid communication with a respective row of ink feed channels.

4. The carrier according to claim 2, wherein a central ink feed channel is defined between the rows of ink feed channels.

5. The carrier according to claim 4, wherein the central ink feed channel is defined by a number of dividing walls which define a plurality of conduits.

6. The carrier according to claim 5, wherein each dividing wall has a narrowed portion proximate a respective longitudinal wall.

7. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the printhead side includes a recess which tight fittingly receives the printhead.

8. The carrier according to claim 7, wherein the recess includes a floor including the feed openings.

9. The carrier according to claim 8, wherein the feed openings are positioned in a staggered manner in the floor of the recess.

10. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is a product of an injection molding process.

11. The carrier according to claim 10, wherein the carrier is a plastics material.

12. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has a generally planar central portion, wherein the central portion and the sidewall portions define a region in which a cover is receivable.

13. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein an outer side of each side wall portion defines guide formations for rollers which drive a print medium past the printhead during printing.