EP1301349B1 - A print engine including an air pump - Google Patents

A print engine including an air pump Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1301349B1
EP1301349B1 EP00938318A EP00938318A EP1301349B1 EP 1301349 B1 EP1301349 B1 EP 1301349B1 EP 00938318 A EP00938318 A EP 00938318A EP 00938318 A EP00938318 A EP 00938318A EP 1301349 B1 EP1301349 B1 EP 1301349B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
printhead
fluid
print engine
print
assembly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP00938318A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1301349A1 (en
EP1301349A4 (en
Inventor
Kia Silverbrook
Tobin Allen King
Garry Raymond Jackson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd filed Critical Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
Publication of EP1301349A1 publication Critical patent/EP1301349A1/en
Publication of EP1301349A4 publication Critical patent/EP1301349A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1301349B1 publication Critical patent/EP1301349B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/165—Prevention or detection of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
    • B41J2/16517—Cleaning of print head nozzles
    • B41J2/16552—Cleaning of print head nozzles using cleaning fluids
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J23/00—Power drives for actions or mechanisms
    • B41J23/02—Mechanical power drives
    • B41J23/025—Mechanical power drives using a single or common power source for two or more functions

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a print engine.
  • the invention has particular application in a print engine for use in an instantaneous print, digital camera. More particularly, the invention relates to a pump assembly for a print engine.
  • the page width printhead of the present invention uses a nozzle guard through which ink droplets are ejected. It is important to maintain the nozzle guard free of foreign particles and detritus so that the ink is not contaminated by such foreign matter and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) ink ejection devices are not blocked by the foreign matter.
  • MEMS microelectromechanical systems
  • One of the simplest ways of achieving this is to blow out over a surface of the nozzle guard and a zone between the nozzle guard and that surface of a silicon wafer of the printhead carrying the MEMS devices.
  • page width is meant that the printhead prints one line at a time on the print media without traversing the print media, or rastering, as the print media moves past the printhead.
  • GB 2 280 149 describes a system for preventing nozzle clogging in inkjet printers.
  • the system comprises a fan blowing solvent vapours over the printhead, thereby mitigating against solvent evaporation from ink, either during printing or during idle periods.
  • the preamble of claim 1 is based on this document.
  • EP-A-0 765 751 describes an inkjet printer comprising a motor and gear train, wherein the gear train is configurable either to drive a paper feed assembly or a suction pump for a capping device.
  • a print engine comprising: a printhead; and a pump assembly including:
  • the inlet may communicate with a filter means, which filters the fluid, via a coupling device in the form of an air inlet pin. It is envisaged that the filter means will be incorporated in a print cartridge to be replaced when the print cartridge is replaced such that air blown over the printhead by the pump assembly is filtered prior to being ejected from the pump assembly.
  • the pump may include a housing in which the impeller is rotatably mounted, a part of the housing being defined by a chassis which supports the coupling device and which defines a fluid supply path which supplies the fluid to the printhead.
  • the drive means may be a drive motor connected to the impeller by a first gear arrangement and to a feed means of a print roll of a print cartridge of the print engine via a second gear arrangement.
  • the drive motor is a stepper motor so that air is supplied to the printhead only when the printhead is operational.
  • reference numeral 500 generally designates a print engine, in accordance with the invention.
  • the print engine 500 includes a print engine assembly 502 on which a print roll cartridge 504 is removably mountable.
  • the print cartridge 504 is described in greater detail in our co-pending applications entitled “A Print Cartridge” ⁇ docket number CAo2) and “An Ink Cartridge” (docket number CAo4) filed simultaneously herewith as International Patent Application numbers PCT/AUoo/oo741 and PCT/AUoo/oo742 respectively.
  • the print engine assembly 502 comprises a first sub-assembly 506 and a second, printhead sub-assembly 508.
  • the sub-assembly 506 includes a chassis 510.
  • the chassis 510 comprises a first molding 512 in which ink supply channels 514 are molded.
  • the ink supply channels 514 supply inks from the print cartridge 504 to a printhead 516 ( Figures 5 to 7) of the printhead sub-assembly 508.
  • the printhead 516 prints in four colors or three colors plus ink which is visible in the infrared light spectrum only (hereinafter referred to as 'infrared ink').
  • four ink supply channels 514 are defined in the molding 512 together with an air supply channel 518.
  • the air supply channel 518 supplies air to the printhead 516 to inhibit the build up of foreign particles on a nozzle guard of the printhead 516.
  • the chassis 510 further includes a cover molding 520.
  • the cover molding 520 supports a pump 522 thereon.
  • the pump 522 is a suction pump, which draws air through an air filter in the print cartridge 504 via an air inlet pin 524 and an air inlet opening 526. Air is expelled through an outlet opening 528 into the air supply channel 518 of the chassis 510.
  • the chassis 510 further supports a first drive motor in the form of a stepper motor 530.
  • the stepper motor 530 drives the pump 522 via a first gear train 532.
  • the stepper motor 530 is also connected to a drive roller 534 ( Figure 5) of a roller assembly 536 of the print cartridge 504 via a second gear train 538.
  • the gear train 538 engages an engagable element 540 ( Figure 2) carried at an end of the drive roller 534.
  • the stepper motor 530 thus controls the feed of print media 542 to the printhead 516 of the sub-assembly 508 to enable an image to be printed on the print media 542 as it passes beneath the printhead 516.
  • the pump 522 is only operational to blow air over the printhead 516 when printing takes place on the print media 542.
  • the molding 512 of the chassis 510 also supports a plurality of ink supply conduits in the form of pins 544 which are in communication with the ink supply channels 514.
  • the ink supply pins 544 are received through an elastomeric collar assembly 546 of the print cartridge 504 for drawing ink from ink chambers or reservoirs 548 ( Figure 5) in the print cartridge 504 to be supplied to the printhead 516.
  • a second motor 550 which is a DC motor, is supported on the cover molding 520 of the chassis 510 via clips 552.
  • the motor 550 is provided to drive a separating means in the form of a cutter arm assembly 554 to part a piece of the print media 542, after an image has been printed thereon, from a remainder of the print media.
  • the motor 550 carries a beveled gear 556 on an output shaft thereof.
  • the beveled gear 556 meshes with a beveled gear 558 carried on a worm gear 560 of the cutter assembly 554.
  • the worm gear 560 is rotatably supported via bearings 562 in a chassis base plate 564 of the printhead sub-assembly 508.
  • the cutter assembly 554 includes a cutter wheel 566, which is supported on a resiliently flexible arm 568 on a mounting block 570.
  • the worm gear 560 passes through the mounting block 570 such that, when the worm gear 560 is rotated, the mounting block 570 and the cutter wheel 566 traverse the chassis base plate 564.
  • the mounting block 570 bears against a lip 572 of the base plate 564 to inhibit rotation of the mounting block 570 relative to the worm gear 560.
  • the cutter wheel 566 bears against an upper housing or cap portion 574 of the printhead sub-assembly 508.
  • This cap portion 574 is a metal portion. Hence, as the cutter wheel 566 traverses the capped portion 574, a scissors-like cutting action is imparted to the print media to separate that part of the print media 542 on which the image has been printed.
  • the sub-assembly 506 includes an ejector mechanism 576.
  • the ejector mechanism 576 is carried on the chassis 510 and has a collar 578 having clips 580, which clip and affix the ejector mechanism 576 to the chassis 510.
  • the collar 578 supports an insert 582 of an elastomeric material therein.
  • the elastomeric insert 582 defines a plurality of Openings 584.
  • the openings 584 close off inlet openings of the pins 544 to inhibit the ingress of foreign particles into the pins 544 and, in so doing, into the channels 514 and the printhead 516.
  • the insert 584 defines a land or platform 586 which closes off an inlet opening of the air inlet pin 524 for the same purposes.
  • a coil spring 588 is arranged between the chassis 510 and the collar 578 to urge the collar 578 to a spaced position relative to the chassis 510 when the cartridge 504 is removed from the print engine 500, as shown in greater detail in Figure 3 of the drawings.
  • the ejector mechanism 576 is shown in its retracted position in Figure 4 of the drawings.
  • the printhead sub-assembly 508 includes, as described above, the base plate 564.
  • a capping mechanism 590 is supported displaceably on the base plate 564 to be displaceable towards and away from the printhead 516.
  • the capping mechanism 590 includes an elongate rib 592 arranged on a carrier 593.
  • the carrier is supported by a displacement mechanism 594, which displaces the rib 592 into abutment with the printhead 516 when the printhead 516 is inoperative. Conversely, when the printhead 516 is operational, the displacement mechanism 594 is operable to retract the rib 592 out of abutment with the printhead 516.
  • the printhead sub-assembly 508 includes a printhead support molding 596 on which the printhead 516 is mounted
  • the molding 596 together with an insert 599 arranged in the molding 596, defines a passage 598 through which the print media 542 passes when an image is to be printed thereon.
  • a groove 700 is defined in the molding 596 through which the capping mechanism 590 projects when the capping mechanism 590 is in its capping position.
  • An ink feed arrangement 702 is supported by the insert 599 beneath the cap portion 574.
  • the ink feed arrangement 702 comprises a spine portion 704 and a casing 706 mounted on the spine portion 704.
  • the spine portion 704 and the casing 706, between them, define ink feed galleries 708 which are in communication with the ink supply channels 514 in the chassis 510 for feeding ink via passages 710 ( Figure 7) to the printhead 516.
  • An air supply channel 711 ( Figure 8) is defined in the spine portion 704, alongside the printhead 516.
  • TAB film 712 which is held captive between the insert 599 and the ink feed arrangement 702.
  • the molding 596 includes an angled wing portion 714.
  • a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) 716 is supported on and secured to the wing portion 714.
  • the flex PCB 716 makes electrical contact with the TAB film 712 by being urged into engagement with the TAB film 712 via a rib 718 of the insert 599.
  • the flex PCB 716 supports busbars 720 thereon.
  • the busbars 720 provide power to the printhead 516 and to the other powered components of the print engine 500.
  • a camera print engine control chip 721 is supported on the flex PCB 716 together with a QA chip (not shown) which authenticates that the cartridge 504 is compatible and compliant with the print engine 500.
  • the PCB 716 includes contacts 723, which engage contacts 725 in the print cartridge 504.
  • the printhead itself includes a nozzle guard 722 arranged on a silicon wafer 724.
  • the ink is supplied to a nozzle array (not shown) of the printhead 516 via an ink supply member 726.
  • the ink supply member 726 communicates with outlets of the passages 710 of the ink feed arrangement 702 for feeding ink to the array of nozzles of the printhead 516, on demand.
  • the air supply path for supplying air to the printhead 516 is shown in greater detail.
  • the pump 522 includes an impeller 728 closed off by an end cap 730.
  • the cover molding 520 of the chassis forms a receptacle 732 for the impeller 728.
  • the cover molding 520 has the air inlet opening 734 and the air outlet opening 736.
  • the air inlet opening 734 communicates with the pin 524.
  • the air outlet opening 736 feeds air to the air supply channel 518 which, in Figure 10, is shown as a solid black line.
  • the air fed from the air supply channel 518 is blown into the printhead 516 to effect cleaning of the printhead.
  • the air drawn in via the pump 522 is filtered by an air filter 738, which is accommodated in the print cartridge 504.
  • the air filter 738 has a filter element 740 which may be paper based or made of some other suitable filtering media.
  • the filter element 740 is housed in a canister, having a base 742 and a lid 744.
  • the lid 744 has an opening 746 defined therein.
  • the opening 746 is closed off by a film 748 which is pierced by the pin 524.
  • an air pump 522 is driven by the stepper motor 530, which also controls feed of the print media to the printhead 516. In so doing, fewer components are required for the print engine 500 rendering it more compact. In addition, as the same motor 530 is used for operating the air pump 522 and for feeding the print media 542 to the printhead 516, fewer power consuming components are included in the print engine 500 rendering it more compact and cheaper to produce.
  • the size of the print engine assembly 502 is such that most of the components of the assembly 502 are received within a footprint of an end of the print cartridge 504.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Exhaust Gas After Treatment (AREA)
  • Accessory Devices And Overall Control Thereof (AREA)
  • Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
  • Paper (AREA)
EP00938318A 2000-06-30 2000-06-30 A print engine including an air pump Expired - Lifetime EP1301349B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/AU2000/000745 WO2002002345A1 (en) 2000-06-30 2000-06-30 A print engine including an air pump

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1301349A1 EP1301349A1 (en) 2003-04-16
EP1301349A4 EP1301349A4 (en) 2004-09-29
EP1301349B1 true EP1301349B1 (en) 2007-08-01

Family

ID=3700826

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00938318A Expired - Lifetime EP1301349B1 (en) 2000-06-30 2000-06-30 A print engine including an air pump

Country Status (10)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1301349B1 (zh)
JP (1) JP4426755B2 (zh)
CN (2) CN1196588C (zh)
AT (1) ATE368576T1 (zh)
AU (2) AU5373500A (zh)
DE (1) DE60035806D1 (zh)
IL (2) IL153722A (zh)
SG (1) SG149678A1 (zh)
WO (1) WO2002002345A1 (zh)
ZA (1) ZA200210186B (zh)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6496654B1 (en) 2000-10-20 2002-12-17 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Method and apparatus for fault tolerant data storage on photographs
KR100667847B1 (ko) 2005-12-23 2007-01-11 삼성전자주식회사 잉크젯 화상형성장치
KR20080104509A (ko) * 2007-05-28 2008-12-03 삼성전자주식회사 잉크젯 헤드 클리닝장치와 이를 구비하는 잉크젯화상형성장치

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS54123950A (en) * 1978-03-17 1979-09-26 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Ink jet recorder
US4411706A (en) * 1981-06-25 1983-10-25 Burroughs Corporation Method and apparatus for eliminating dust from ink jet printers
JPS6482962A (en) * 1987-09-25 1989-03-28 Nec Corp Ink jet printer
US4970535A (en) * 1988-09-26 1990-11-13 Tektronix, Inc. Ink jet print head face cleaner
US5519420A (en) * 1992-12-21 1996-05-21 Ncr Corporation Air system to protect ink jet head
EP0765752B1 (en) * 1993-03-11 1999-08-18 Seiko Epson Corporation Ink jet recording apparatus
JPH079680A (ja) * 1993-06-21 1995-01-13 Ricoh Co Ltd インクジェットプリンタ装置
GB2280149A (en) * 1993-06-23 1995-01-25 Willett Int Ltd Preventing nozzle clogging in ink-jet printers.
US5379999A (en) * 1993-07-23 1995-01-10 Eastman Kodak Company Sheet media handling apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE368576T1 (de) 2007-08-15
SG149678A1 (en) 2009-02-27
IL166721A0 (en) 2006-01-15
JP2004504971A (ja) 2004-02-19
CN1631677A (zh) 2005-06-29
AU5373500A (en) 2002-01-14
AU2000253735B2 (en) 2004-04-22
EP1301349A1 (en) 2003-04-16
DE60035806D1 (de) 2007-09-13
IL166721A (en) 2007-05-15
AU2000253735A1 (en) 2002-04-11
IL153722A (en) 2005-06-19
EP1301349A4 (en) 2004-09-29
WO2002002345A1 (en) 2002-01-10
ZA200210186B (en) 2003-08-27
JP4426755B2 (ja) 2010-03-03
CN100349743C (zh) 2007-11-21
CN1196588C (zh) 2005-04-13
CN1454152A (zh) 2003-11-05
IL153722A0 (en) 2003-07-06

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