Inkjet printhead assembly having modular printhead chip carriers defining convergent ink galleries

• US 9,796,182 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LAMSON D
• Application Number:
  US15/436,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20170157927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/145 Arrangement thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/21 for multi-colour printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14459 Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An inkjet printhead assembly includes: a support structure having a recess, the recess having a wall defining a plurality of ink supply apertures; and a plurality of print modules received in the recess in a neighboring arrangement. Each print module includes: a printhead chip carrier having a plurality of convergent ink galleries, each ink gallery receiving ink from an ink supply aperture; and a single printhead chip mounted on the printhead chip carrier, the printhead chip receiving ink from the plurality of convergent ink galleries.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead assembly comprising:

a support structure having a recess, the recess having a wall defining a plurality of ink supply apertures; and

a plurality of print modules received in the recess in a neighboring arrangement, each print module comprising;

a printhead chip carrier having a plurality of convergent ink galleries, each ink gallery receiving ink from at least one ink supply aperture; and

a single printhead chip mounted on the printhead chip carrier, the single printhead chip receiving ink from the plurality of convergent ink galleries.

2. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the printhead chips are positioned in an overlapping arrangement.

3. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1, wherein each printhead chip carrier is configured to supply a plurality of different colored inks to its respective printhead chip.

4. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shield plate covering external surfaces of the printhead chip carriers, wherein each printhead chip is exposed through a respective slot defined in the shield plate.

5. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 4, wherein the shield plate is bonded to the printhead chip carriers.

6. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 4, wherein the shield plate provides a seal around the printhead chips when the printhead chips are capped during idle periods.

7. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1, wherein each printhead chip carrier has a recess for mounting its respective printhead chip.

8. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1, wherein the printhead chip comprises a plurality of nozzle rows, and wherein a first nozzle row receives ink from a first ink supply aperture aligned with one side of the printhead chip carrier and a second nozzle row receives ink from a second ink supply aperture aligned with an opposite second side of the printhead chip carrier.

9. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shim positioned between the support structure and the plurality of printhead chip carriers.

10. A method of delivering one or more inks to a plurality of printhead chips, the method comprising the steps of:

delivering ink through a plurality of ink supply apertures defined in a wall of a recess in a support structure;

delivering the ink from sets of the ink supply apertures to respective print modules positioned in the recess, each print module receiving ink from a respective set and each print module having a plurality of ink inlets aligned with corresponding ink supply apertures; and

converging the ink from ink inlets at opposite sides of each print module towards a respective printhead chip,

wherein the print modules are positioned in a neighboring arrangement within the recess.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein different colored inks are converged from opposite sides of each print module.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the printhead chip comprises a plurality of nozzle rows, and wherein a first nozzle row receives ink from a first ink supply aperture aligned with a first ink inlet at one side of the print module and a second nozzle row receives ink from a second ink supply aperture aligned with a second ink inlet at an opposite second side of the print module.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein each print module comprises a convergent ink delivery structure and a single printhead chip.