Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

Zamtec Limited

Jan Waszczuk

William Granger

Kia Silverbrook

Jason Mark Thelander

Eric Patrick O'Donnell

Stephen Richard O'Farrell

Stephen John Sleijpen

Craig Donald Strudwicke

David Bernardi

Akira Nakazawa

Garry Raymond Jackson

David Oliver Burke

Jonathan Mark Bulman

Joseph Tharion

David Charles Psaila

Peter John Morley Sobey

Mark Janos

Desmond Bruce Boyton

Nagesh Ramachandra

James Andrew

Toby Desmond Oste

Susan Williams

Seung Jin Lee

The invention provides for a placement head for a die placing assembly of an assembler for assembling dice on a carrier. The assembler has an enclosure with a support assembly for operatively supporting a wafer with dies thereon, a die picking assembly for picking dice from said wafer, a die placement assembly for placing the dies onto the carrier, a die conveyance mechanism operatively conveying the dies from the die picking and placement assemblies, and a control system controlling the assembler. The placement head includes a first translation stage mounted on the die placement assembly, said first stage operatively displaceable along a first axis relative to the die placement assembly. The placement head also includes a second translation stage mounted on the first stage, the second stage displaceable perpendicular to the first stage. The placement head further includes a third translation stage mounted on the second stage, the third stage displaceable orthogonally to the first and second stages, as well as a die placer head mounted to the third stage, the placer head shaped and dimensioned to operatively receive a die from the dice conveyance mechanism and to place the dice onto the carrier.

Placement head for a die placing assembly

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 printer is provided having a printhead assembly having a carrier frame, a pagewidth printhead with a corresponding pagewidth print zone defined by a plane adjacent the printhead assembly mounted at a base of the carrier frame, an approach guide mounted to the carrier frame on a first side of the printhead and an exit guide mounted to the carrier frame on a second side of the printhead, and a feed mechanism for continuously feeding a web of print media through the print zone. The web is unsupported in the print zone and is guided therethrough by the guides. The approach guide curves about the carrier frame base to terminate upstream with a leading angular edge abutting with the web such that the natural path of the web is deflected downwards and around the approach guide, and the exit guide curves about the carrier frame base to terminate downstream.

Printer having guided print zone

A feed mechanism for a wide format printer is provided having a supply spool for supplying media web to a printhead, a take-up spool for receiving the web after printing, a take-up motor connected to the take-up spool, a take-up control system for controlling the take-up motor torque, a drive roller system positioned between the supply and take-up spools, a drive motor connected to the drive roller system, and a braking motor connected to the supply spool for generating tension in the web between the supply spool and the drive roller system. The take-up, drive and braking motors are separate motors and are separately connected to the take-up spool, drive roller system and supply spool, respectively. The web fed from the drive roller system to the take-up spool is maintained under substantially constant tension by regulating the torque of the take-up motor using the take-up control system.

Feed mechanism for wide format printer

A pagewidth printhead assembly includes a plurality of printhead integrated circuits linked end to end across a width of the pagewidth printhead assembly; a support molding to which the plurality of printhead integrated circuits are sealed, the support molding defining a plurality of ink channels; a plurality of etched channels provided on an underside of each printhead integrated circuit, each etched channel defining along a length thereof a plurality of ink inlets for receiving ink from one of the plurality of ink channels; and a polymer sealing film for sealing the printhead integrated circuits to the support molding, the polymer sealing film defining therethrough a plurality of openings. Each of the plurality of etched channels is divided into two or more separate channel sections separated by respective channel wall structures. Each opening of the polymer film is in fluid communication with ink inlets of two separate channel sections.

Printhead assembly incorporating plural printhead integrated circuits sealed to support member with polymer sealing film

The present invention relates to a fastening apparatus for fastening a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a printhead assembly. The printhead assembly includes a printhead carrier and an ink ejection printhead carried by the carrier. The fastening apparatus includes a support assembly. An authentication system is arranged on the support assembly and is configured to authenticate the printhead assembly. At least one bonding assembly is configured to bond the PCB to the printhead assembly. A controller is configured to control the bonding assembly to bond the PCB to the printhead assembly subsequent to the authentication of the printhead assembly.

Fastening apparatus with authentication system

The invention provides an assembler for constructing a pagewidth inkjet printhead by assembling inkjet ICs on a carrier having tortuous ink supply paths to each IC. The assembler supports and positions a diced wafer having the inkjet ICs, and picks and conveys a predetermined plurality of the ICs from the wafer to be sequentially placed across the carrier thereby constructing the pagewidth printhead. A die placement assembly of the assembler receives a clamp assembly's elongate body which has a pair or elongate retaining plates, an insert below the plates, and a diaphragm which receives the carrier and is pneumatically displaceable to urge the insert against the plates. A base/plate of the assembler's wafer positioning assembly has stages, one of which rotatably mounts a support plate which receives the wafer and has a motor which rotates the support plate underneath the assembler's die picker under control of the assembler's controller.

Wafer positioning system

A printhead assembly includes: a molded ink manifold having a plurality of ink outlets defined in a manifold bonding surface; and printhead integrated circuits bonded to the manifold bonding surface. The manifold bonding surface includes a polymer coating, which plugs fissures in the molded ink manifold.

Printhead assembly with molded ink manifold having polymer coating

This invention relates to a dice placement assembly for placing dice on a carrier. The assembly includes a support platform with a clamp mechanism configured to clamp the carrier onto said platform, and at least one camera operatively directed at the platform to detect alignment fiducials on the carrier. The assembly also includes a placement device having a vacuum mechanism to retrieve the dice from a supply mechanism, said placement device having actuators to align the dice with the carrier and to place the dice thereon once aligned, and a heater to heat the dice prior to placement on the test bed. Further included is a controller operatively controlling the clamp mechanism, the camera and the placement device, to facilitate accurate placement of the dice on the carrier.

Integrated circuit placement system

A method of supplying ink to ink ejection nozzles on a printhead for an inkjet printer with a print engine controller for controlling the printhead operation involving the provision a printhead IC having an array of the ink ejection nozzles formed on a substrate, the provision of circuitry for electrical connection to the print engine controller, the provision of a support member for supporting the printhead integrated circuit and the circuitry within the printer, the provision of a thermoplastic polymer sealing film, and securing the polymer film to a mounting surface of the support member by applying heat and pressure for a predetermined time, mounting the printhead integrated circuit and the circuitry to the support member via the polymer film and, electrically connecting the circuitry to the printhead integrated circuit. The mounting surface has ink feed channels formed in it and the polymer film is attached to the mounting surface between the ink feed channels and the printhead integrated circuits. The polymer film has an array of apertures such that the ejection nozzles are in fluid communication with the ink feed channels.

Method of supplying ink to ink ejection nozzles

The present invention relates to a bonding device for bonding a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) to a printhead assembly. The printhead assembly includes a printhead carrier and an ink ejection printhead carried by the carrier. The bonding device includes a support structure assembly and a first heater assembly arranged on the support structure assembly to be movable along a first path and configured to bond the flexible PCB to the printhead. A bending mechanism is arranged on the support structure and is configured to bend the bonded PCB. A second heater assembly is arranged on the support structure assembly to be movable along a second path and is configured to bond the bent PCB to the printhead carrier. A control system controls operation of the heater assemblies and the bending mechanism.

Printed circuit board bonding device

A printhead assembly includes a molded ink manifold, a plurality of printhead integrated circuits, and an adhesive film sandwiched between the ink manifold and the printhead integrated circuits. A manifold bonding surface of the molded ink manifold includes a polymer coating. The polymer coating plugs fissures resulting from a molding process used to mold the ink manifold.

Molded ink manifold with polymer coating

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.

Growing community of inventors

Balmain, Australia

Jan Waszczuk