Hot melt ink delivery reservoir pump subassembly
US8083327B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 2007 |
| Grant date | Dec 27, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 25, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J2002/14419
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A print head pump assembly has a piezo element plate having an array of piezoelectric elements, a channel plate having an array of channel regions corresponding to the array of piezoelectric elements, and a valve plate having an array of reed valve pairs corresponding to the array of channel regions. A print head assembly has at least one ink reservoir, an upper routing plate to receive ink from the ink reservoir, a lower routing plate to direct ink out of the print head, and a pump assembly to draw ink from the upper routing plate and deliver ink to the lower routing plate using piezoelectric diaphragms. A method of delivering ink to a print substrate includes providing ink to a low-pressure reservoir of a print head, drawing ink out of the low-pressure reservoir through an upper routing plate using a pump assembly internal to the print head, and pumping ink out of the print head through a lower routing plate using the pump assembly, such that the drawing and pumping processes continuously alternate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.