Printhead assembly having interconnected controllers

• US 8,322,810 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): HUFFMAN, JULIAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/835,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20100277532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 347/13, 347/42
• US Class Current: 347/13
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/001 Handling wide copy materials
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial molding
• 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 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• 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 printhead assembly is provided having a support member, a plurality of ejection integrated circuits supported by the support member, and a plurality of controllers mounted on respective printed circuit boards supported by the support member. Each ejection integrated circuit has a plurality of ejection nozzles. Each controller is connected to a plurality of the ejection integrated circuits via individual flexible printed circuit boards and to the other controllers. Each controller is configured to control operation of at least 10,000 of the ejection nozzles of the connected ejection integrated circuits.

Claims

1. A printhead assembly comprising

a support member;

a plurality of ejection integrated circuits supported by the support member, each ejection integrated circuit having a plurality of ejection nozzles; and

a plurality of controllers mounted on respective printed circuit boards supported by the support member, each controller being connected to a plurality of the ejection integrated circuits via individual flexible printed circuit boards and to the other controllers, and each controller being configured to control operation of at least 10,000 of the ejection nozzles of the connected ejection integrated circuits.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the ejection integrated circuits together have at least one hundred thousand ejection nozzles.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the ejection integrated circuits together have at least two hundred thousand ejection nozzles.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, which includes between forty and one hundred ejection integrated circuits supported by the support member.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, which includes a plurality of printhead modules supported by the support member, each printhead module incorporating one of the ejection integrated circuits.