Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

Memjet Technology Limited

Zamtec Limited

David Bernardi

Eric Patrick O'Donnell

Stephen John Sleijpen

Toby Desmond Oste

Mark Profaca

Jan Waszczuk

Craig Donald Strudwicke

William Granger

Peter John Morley Sobey

Neil Fyfe Edwards

William John Stacey

James Andrew

Julian Paul Kolodko

Stephen Richard O'Farrell

Lance Thomas Brown

Jason Mark Thelander

Joseph Tharion

Mark Janos

Eric Patrick O'donnell

A suspended inkjet printing system includes: a pair of support beams extending across a media path; a mounting frame mounted between the support beams, a print head chassis mounted on the mounting frame, the print head chassis being actuable between at least a printing position and a maintenance position; and a plurality of print heads mounted on the print head chassis, each print head extending across the media path and spaced apart along the media path in a direction of media propagation. A plurality of projections extend from the print head chassis into engagement with the mounting frame, the projections controlling a height of the print head chassis relative to the media path.

Suspended inkjet printing system

A printing method includes the steps of: receiving a color image and separating the color image into a plurality of distinct color planes; dithering a first distinct color plane to obtain dot data for the first distinct color plane; dithering a second distinct color plane to obtain dot data for the second distinct color plane; providing the dot data for the first distinct color plane to a first print head cartridge for printing by a plurality of nozzle rows of the first print head cartridge; and providing the dot data for the second distinct color plane to a second print head cartridge positioned downstream from the first print head cartridge in a direction of print media propagation, the dot data for the second distinct color plane for printing by a plurality of nozzle rows of the second print head cartridge.

Method of providing delayed, shifted or reordered dot data to spatially separated printheads printing different color planes

An inkjet printing system includes: a plurality of print head cartridges; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges; a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the print head chassis between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; and a maintenance chassis supporting a chassis sub-frame having a corresponding plurality of maintenance cradles; and a sub-frame movement mechanism for slidably moving the chassis sub-frame with respect to the maintenance chassis. In the transition position, the print head chassis is held at a height, relative to a platen, that allows the maintenance chassis to be moved from a storage position to an operational positional under the print head chassis. Further, in the operational position, the sub-frame movement mechanism aligns a capper or a wiper with a respective printhead.

Inkjet printing system with manoeverable maintenance chassis

An inkjet printing system includes: a printer frame; a print head chassis mounted on the printer frame, the print head chassis supporting a plurality of print head cartridges, each print head cartridge having a longitudinal axis extending across a direction of print media propagation, each print head cartridge being spaced apart along the direction of print media propagation, and each print head cartridge having a respective monochrome inkjet printhead; a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the print head chassis relative to the printer frame; and a plurality of ink blades slidably received in respective docking slots of the printer frame. Each ink blade includes a blade chassis and an ink reservoir mounted on the blade chassis, the ink reservoir being in fluid communication with a respective printhead.

Inkjet printing system with liftable print head chassis and slidable ink blades

A color ink printing system includes a plurality of print head cartridges each including a modular printhead made up of a plurality of print head tiles; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges; and a maintenance chassis for supporting a plurality of maintenance cradles, the maintenance chassis is actuable between a storage position and an operational position. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated. Each print head cartridge is a monochrome print head cartridge ejecting a fluid different to the remaining print head cartridges. One or more of the plurality of print head cartridges includes a plurality of ventilation slits defined in the vicinity of the print head tiles, having applied thereto a suction force for sucking ink aerosol particles away from the print head tiles.

Multiple monochromatic print cartridge printing system

A colour ink printing system includes a plurality of print head cartridges, each extending across a direction of print media propagation and spaced apart along the direction of print media propagation; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges, the print head chassis actuable between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; and a maintenance chassis for supporting a plurality of maintenance cradles, the maintenance chassis actuable between a storage position and an operational position. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge ejecting a fluid different to the remaining plurality of print head cartridges.

Multiple monochromatic print cartridge printing system and print alignment method

Multiple monochromatic print cartridge printing method separating distinct colour plane into plurality of fake colour planes to form fake colour image

A pressure-based tester for testing an integrity of a printhead integrated circuit (IC) carrier includes a housing assembly; a cradle assembly coupled to the housing assembly and adapted to receive the printhead IC carrier, the cradle assembly further defining spouts adapted to engage with the printhead IC carrier; a regulated gas supply arranged in the housing assembly; a first gas supply line in fluid communication with the regulated gas supply; a pneumatic retaining mechanism in fluid communication with the gas supply via the first gas supply line, the pneumatic retaining mechanism for retaining the carrier in fluid communication with the spouts during testing of the platform assembly; a second gas supply line in fluid communication with the regulated gas supply, the second gas supply line being separated from the first gas supply line by a pressure regulator, the second gas supply line for supplying gas to the spouts; a pressure sensor for measuring a gas pressure at each spout and generating a signal indicative of the measured gas pressure; and a control system for controlling the regulated gas supply and the pneumatic retaining mechanism. The control system is further configured to receive the signal generated by the pressure sensor to determine the presence of any decay in the gas pressure at each spout.

Pressure tester for printhead integrated circuit carrier

A color ink printing system, includes a plurality of print head cartridges, each extending across a direction of print media propagation and spaced apart along the direction of print media propagation; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges, the print head chassis actuable between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; a maintenance chassis for supporting a plurality of maintenance cradles, the maintenance chassis actuable between a storage position and an operational position; and a platen on which the print media is supported and propagated. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge ejecting a fluid different to the remaining plurality of print head cartridges.

A color ink printing system includes a plurality of print head cartridges, each extending across and spaced apart along a direction of print media propagation; a print head chassis for supporting the plurality of print head cartridges, the print head chassis actuable between a printing position, a transition position, and a maintenance position; a maintenance chassis for supporting a plurality of maintenance cradles, the maintenance chassis actuable between a storage position and an operational position; and a plurality of supporting arms respectively extending upwards from each corner of the print head chassis. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is held stationary with respect to a platen on which print media is propagated to effect printing on the print media. Each of the plurality of print head cartridges is a monochrome print head cartridge ejecting a fluid different to the remaining plurality of print head cartridges.

A cradle assembly for a pressure decay leak tester is provided. The assembly operatively receives a printhead integrated circuit carrier having a plurality of printing fluid paths defined therein, respective fluid inlets in fluid communication with respective fluid paths and a locating formation to facilitate correct location of the carrier on the tester. The assembly includes at least one complementary locating formation for engaging the locating formation of the carrier, and at least one fluid outlet for charging the carrier with fluid via a respective fluid inlet of the carrier. Also included is a clamping device for clamping the carrier to the fluid outlet, so that the integrity of the fluid paths is observable via pressure decay testing, and a control system operatively connected to the clamping device for controlling operation of the clamping device.

Cradle assembly for a pressure decay leak tester

A pneumatic assembly for a pressure decay tester of printhead integrated circuits includes a pressurized air supply. A pneumatic clamping arrangement is in fluid communication with the pressurized air supply for clamping a carrier for the printhead integrated circuits such that the carrier is in fluid communication with the printhead integrated circuits. A valve arrangement applies a predetermined pressure to the carrier. A sensing arrangement senses a static pressure in the carrier. A control system is in communication with the clamping, valve and sensing arrangements to control operation thereof and to generate a discernible signal representing said static pressure such that a decay in said static pressure can be determined.

Pneumatic assembly for a pressure decay tester

The invention provides for a pressure-based tester for testing integrity of a platform assembly. The platform assembly includes a pair of assembled platform components fastened together and a fluid path extending into both components, the platform assembly suitable for supporting printhead integrated circuits to be tested. The tester includes a housing assembly, a regulated gas supply arranged in the housing assembly, and a retaining mechanism in fluid communication with the gas supply and configured to retain the platform assembly in fluid communication with the gas supply during testing of the platform assembly. The tester also includes a pressure measuring apparatus operatively connected to the gas supply and configured to generate a signal corresponding to a pressure value applied to the retaining mechanism, and a control system configured to control operation of the regulated gas supply, the retaining mechanism and configured to receive the signal from the pressure measuring apparatus and to detect decay in the pressure value.

Pressure-based tester for a platform assembly

Provided is a leak tester for a carrier for printhead integrated circuits. The carrier has at least one fluid inlet in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets via discrete fluid paths. The tester includes a support assembly that includes at least one receptacle shaped and configured to receive at least one respective carrier, and a pressurized fluid supply arranged on the support assembly and configured to supply pressurized fluid to the fluid inlets, the pressurized fluid supply incorporating a sealing mechanism configured to engage the fluid inlets in a sealing manner. The tester also includes a pressure measurement arrangement operatively arranged with respect to the pressurized fluid supply to measure pressure applied at the fluid inlets, and a controller operatively connected to the pressure measurement arrangement and pressurized fluid supply, the controller being configured to control the fluid supply to charge the carrier with pressurized fluid until a predetermined pressure is reached, and to monitor the pressure for a predetermined period of time.

Leak tester for a carrier for printhead integrated circuitry

The invention relates to an adhesive application apparatus for use with an assembling machine for assembling operatively upper and lower components for carrying printhead integrated circuits. The application apparatus includes a plate and a dispensing mechanism which includes an adhesive reservoir, said mechanism being operatively engaged with said plate in a sealing and sliding manner, the mechanism configured to dispense adhesive onto the plate when sliding along the plate. The apparatus also includes a displacement mechanism to slide the dispensing mechanism along the plate, and a control system to control operation of the dispensing and displacement mechanisms.

Growing community of inventors

Balmain, Australia

David Bernardi