Hewlett-Packard Company

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Aps Engineering

Jaren D Marler

Winthrop D Childers

David W Swanson

Norman E Pawlowski

Ted Tuern Lee

Paul C Ray

Thomas J Tarnacki

Stephen William Bauer

Spencer R Hanson

Avinoam Halpern

Sean W Dobbins

Zeying Ma

Neil Doherty

W Wistar Rhoads

John W Godden

Preston D Seu

William Scott Colburn

Jeffrey A Thoman

Mun Yew Lee

Robert J Manders

Kan Liu

Mark Lauren Baker

A printing system includes a media transport system configured to transport a web of print media through a printing zone at a transport speed in a transport direction proceeding from up-web to down-web. A plurality of printheads each at least spanning the print zone and each configured to eject a radiation-curable ink. At least one PIN is unit positioned between two of the printheads relative the transport direction and configured to emit radiation onto the print media to partially cure the ink emitted by a printhead that is up-web from the PIN unit. A controller controls a power level of the PIN unit so that the radiative power level of the PIN unit decreases as the transport speed increases.

Partial cure of UV inks during printing

A printing system that comprises a media transport system for conveying a print media along a media path in a first direction. A plurality of print modules each spanning the print media path along a second direction. Each print module defines a major axis along the second direction. A minor axis that aligns along the first direction and an intermediate axis with each of the print modules. A printhead array that includes printheads spaced from the media path. A fluid regulator portion configured to regulate a fluid pressure in the printhead portion. Each of the print modules are configured to be installed into and removed from the printing system as an integral unit.

Digital printing press having a modular and reliable ink delivery system

In one embodiment, an inkjet printer includes: a first series of print bars arranged along an arc on a first side of an arched printing unit and a second series of print bars arranged along an arc on a second side of the arched printing unit and a dryer positioned within a footprint of the arched printing unit. A plurality of web guides are arranged to guide the web along a duplex printing path past the first print bars for printing on a first side of the web, then through the dryer for drying the first side of the web, then past the second print bars for printing on a second side of the web, and then through the dryer for drying the second side of the web.

Inkjet web printer and duplex web printing path

Inkjet web printer

A web flow path extends in a first direction opposite a print head and in a second opposite direction from the print head to a dryer.

Web flow path

In the preferred embodiment, an inkjet printer includes a replaceable print cartridge which is inserted into a scanning carriage. An ink tube extends from the scanning carriage to a separate ink supply located within the printer. A fluid interconnect on one side of the print cartridge connects to a fluid interconnect on the carriage when the print cartridge is inserted into the carriage to complete the fluid connection between the external ink supply and the print cartridge. In one embodiment, the fluid interconnection is made between the print cartridge and the ink tube simply by placing the print cartridge into a stall in the scanning carriage. The print cartridge has contact pads on another side. The contact pads electrically contact electrodes on the carriage when the print cartridge is placed in the stall. With the fluid interconnect and the contact pads on opposing sides of the print cartridge, the distance between the electrical contact and the flow of ink from the carriage to the print cartridge is maximized.

Printing system with flexible conduit portion between ink supply and print cartridge and methods for supplying ink to printing structure

A fluid ejection system includes a plurality of cartridges each including a fluid ejection device, and a carriage adapted to hold the cartridges. The carriage includes a carriage darn including a plurality of openings and a plurality of panels. Each of the openings accommodate one of the cartridges, and each of the panels have a surface oriented substantially parallel with a front face of the fluid ejection device &deg; F. the one of the cartridges and at least one substantially straight edge extending substantially completely along a side of the one of the cartridges.

Carriage dam for inkjet printer

Ink interconnect between print cartridge and carriage

Contact pad and fluid interconnect configuration on a print cartridge

In the preferred embodiment, an inkjet printer includes a replaceable print cartridge which is inserted into a scanning carriage. An ink tube extends from the scanning carriage to a separate ink supply located within the printer. A fluid interconnect on the print cartridge connects to a fluid interconnect on the carriage when the print cartridge is inserted into the carriage to complete the fluid connection between the external ink supply and the print cartridge. In one embodiment, the fluid interconnection is made between the print cartridge and the ink tube simply by placing the print cartridge into a stall in the scanning carriage. A flexible ink conduit is connected to the fluid interconnect on the carriage to enable the fluid interconnect to have a degree of movement to allow precise alignment with the fluid interconnect on the print cartridge. A pressure regulator, which may be internal or external to the print cartridge, regulates the flow of ink from the external ink supply to the print cartridge. The external ink supply may be pressurized or non-pressurized.

Compliant ink interconnect between print cartridge and carriage

Described is a printing system including a first array of ink ejection elements formed on a first substrate surface for ejecting droplets of a first ink, a second array of ink ejection elements formed on a second substrate surface for ejecting droplets of a second ink, a memory element associated with the first and second arrays of ink ejection elements contains parameters that relate droplet ejection characteristics of the first and second array of ink ejection elements. The droplet ejection characteristics may contain ink ejection alignment data that enables the calculation of the relative alignment between the first and second arrays of ink ejection elements such that droplets of the first ink can be effectively aligned with droplets of the second ink. Also, ink droplet volume data enables the calculation of the relative drop volume between the first and second arrays of ink ejection elements such that the printing system can provide hue control.

Multiple cartridge printhead assembly for use in an inkjet printing

In the preferred embodiment, an inkjet printer includes a replaceable print cartridge which is inserted into a scanning carriage. An ink tube extends from the scanning carriage to a separate ink supply located within the printer. A fluid interconnect on the print cartridge connects to a fluid interconnect on the carriage when the print cartridge is inserted into the carriage to complete the fluid connection between the external ink supply and the print cartridge. In one embodiment, the fluid interconnection is made between the print cartridge and the ink tube simply by placing the print cartridge into a stall in the scanning carriage. A pressure regulator, which may be internal or external to the print cartridge, regulates the flow of ink from the external ink supply to the print cartridge. The external ink supply may be pressurized or non-pressurized.

Automatic ink interconnect between print cartridge and carriage

Inkjet printing system with off-axis ink supply having ink path which

A method of attaching an ink-jet printhead assembly to the headland region of an ink-jet pen cartridge to form a leak-proof seal without the use of any externally applied adhesive material. The cartridge includes a frame structure fabricated of a rigid plastic frame member formed of a first plastic material and a polymeric second material molded to the frame member. A headland region is defined at the tip of a snout region of the cartridge. An ink reservoir is connected through a standpipe defined by the rigid frame material with the headland region. The second plastic material defines a printhead assembly support structure which circumscribes a printhead and the stand-pipe. The printhead assembly is attached to the support structure after alignment by heatstaking the printhead assembly to the second plastic material defining the support structure. For an edge-fed printhead secured to a back surface of a flexible polymer tape, the support structure is a racetrack extending from a surface of the headland region, to which the back surface of the tape is heat staked. For a center-fed printhead die, the support structure is a pedestal surrounding the standpipe, to which the die is bonded by melting and reflowing the pedestal material.

Method of forming an ink-resistant seal between a printhead assembly and

A method of attaching an ink-jet printhead assembly to the headland region of an ink-jet pen cartridge. The cartridge includes a frame structure fabricated of a rigid plastic frame member formed of a first plastic material and a polymeric second material molded to the frame member. A headland region is defined at the tip of a snout region of the cartridge. The second plastic material forms a compliant beam at the headland region. The printhead assembly includes a dielectric layer and a printhead die. The printhead assembly is attached to the headland region after alignment by attaching the dielectric layer of the assembly to the compliant beam formed by the second plastic material. As the pen is subjected to temperature extremes, and the first plastic material expands or shrinks more than the cover layer and flexible interconnection circuit materials, the compliant beam flexes, reducing stresses which can lead to pen failures.

Growing community of inventors

Escondido, CA, United States of America

Jaren D Marler