Printhead with non-priming cavities for pulse damping

US7837297B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd · AU

Inventors

• Brian Robert Brown · Chatswood, AU
• Norman Micheal Berry · Sydney, AU
• Garry Raymond Jackson · Sydney, AU
• Paul Timothy Sharp · Sydney, AU
• John Douglas Peter Morgan · Sydney, AU
• Kia Silverbrook · Sydney, AU
• Akira Nakazawa · Yokohama, JP
• Michael John Hudson · Sydney, AU
• Christopher Hibbard · Sydney, AU
• Samuel George Mallinson · Sydney, AU
• Paul Justin Reichl · Sydney, AU

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 21, 2007
• Grant date: Nov 23, 2010
• Expiry date: May 12, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B41J2202/20
• WIPO field: Textile and paper machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A printhead for an inkjet printer that has a printhead integrated circuit (68) with nozzles for ejecting ink and a support structure (64, 174, 176) for supporting the printhead IC. The support structure having ink conduits (182) for supplying the array of nozzles. A plurality of cavities (200), each cavity having an opening that establishes fluid communication with the ink conduits, the openings being configured such that the cavities do not prime with ink when the ink conduits are primed from the ink supply. By leaving unprimed cavities throughout the support structure, any pressure pulses in the ink are damped by compression of the trapped gas pockets. Distributing the cavities rather than using one relatively large cavity, means that the pressure pulse is being damped along the length of the printhead IC, instead of allowing the pulse to travel the length of the ink conduit until it reaches the single damper and compresses the gas.