Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

Zamtec Limited

Nicholas Kenneth Abraham

Kia Silverbrook

Akira Nakazawa

Garry Raymond Jackson

Christopher Hibbard

Kent Benjamen Kwan

Edward Ellis Esdaile-Watts

Paul Ian Mackey

Norman Michael Berry

Geoffrey Philip Dyer

Makomo Tsubono

David William Jensen

Attila Bertok

Gregory Michael Tow

Vesa Karppinen

David John Worboys

Miao Wang

John Douglas Morgan

Patrick John Mcauliffe

Attilla Bertok

Andrew John Graf

A printer comprising: a printhead having an ink inlet and an ink outlet; an ink chamber for supplying ink to the printhead; an upstream ink line interconnecting an outlet port of the ink chamber and the ink inlet; a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet; and a first air accumulator communicating with the downstream ink line. The first air accumulator is configured for dampening ink pressure pulses in the printhead during printing.

Printer with ink line dampening of ink pressure surges

An inkjet printer includes: an inkjet printhead; an ink reservoir containing a supply of ink; and a pressure-regulating chamber for maintaining ink contained therein at a predetermined first level. The chamber includes: an inlet port connected to the ink reservoir via an ink supply line; an outlet port connected to an ink inlet of the printhead via an upstream ink line; an air vent open to atmosphere; and a float valve for maintaining the predetermined first level of ink. The float valve includes: an arm pivotally mounted about a pivot; a float mounted at one end of the arm; and a valve stem attached to the arm, said valve stem having a valve head for closure of a valve seat, the valve seat being positioned at the inlet port of the pressure-regulating chamber.

Inkjet printer with float valve regulation of hydrostatic ink pressure

A printer comprising a printhead and a pressure-regulating chamber containing ink at a predetermined first level relative to the printhead. The chamber comprises an outlet port, a return port positioned in a base of the chamber, a snorkel extending from the return port and terminating at a snorkel outlet positioned above the first level of ink, and an air vent open to atmosphere. An upstream ink line interconnects the outlet port and an ink inlet of the printhead. A downstream ink line interconnects the return port and an ink outlet of the printhead. The downstream ink line has a section looping below the first level of ink. In a printing configuration, a second level of ink in the snorkel is equal to the first level of ink in the chamber.

Printer having recycling ink and pressure-equalized upstream and downstream ink lines

A printhead maintenance facility is provided having a storage reservoir for storing fluid ejected by a printhead and a core movable relative to the printhead. The has an internal structure defining the storage reservoir and having a port in fluid communication with the storage reservoir, and an external structure movable relative to the internal structure and having a drain movable into registration with the port to establish fluid communication between the drain and storage reservoir.

Printhead maintenance facility having fluid drainage

An ink supply system for an inkjet printer. The ink supply system includes an ink reservoir and a pressure-regulating chamber. The pressure-regulating chamber has an inlet port, an outlet port, an air vent open to atmosphere and a float valve for maintaining a predetermined level of ink in the chamber. The float valve is biased towards a closed position by a positive ink pressure from the ink reservoir at the inlet port.

Ink supply system with float valve

A printhead assembly with a printhead and a shut off () valve that has a valve body () defining an ink inlet () for connection to an ink supply, an ink outlet () connected to the printhead IC. A diaphragm () is biased into sealing engagement with the valve seat () to provide a fluid seal between the ink inlet and the ink outlet. An actuator () unseals the diaphragm from the valve seat when energized. The valve protects the ink in the ink supply from contaminants that can migrate up the ink line during shut down periods. The diaphragm is biased to a closed position and so seals the ink supply from the printhead as a default condition even in the event of a power failure. The bias is strong enough to provide the fluid seal so that the seal is not compromised when the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet is small.

Printhead assembly with ink supply shut off

A method of priming a printhead. The method includes the steps of: (i) providing a printhead having a plurality of nozzles for ejection of ink, an ink inlet and an ink outlet; (ii) providing an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an upstream ink line, the ink chamber having an inlet port controlled by a valve; (iii) priming the printhead by pumping ink from the ink chamber, through the printhead and into a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet; and (iv) opening the valve if a level of ink in the chamber falls below a predetermined first level and replenishing with ink from an ink reservoir when the valve is open.

Method of priming a printhead with concomitant replenishment of ink in an ink supply chamber

A inkjet printhead maintenance facility that has an ink storage reservoir for holding ink ejected from the inkjet printhead during a maintenance operation and, an outlet coupling in fluid communication with the ink storage reservoir and configured for connection to a vacuum source to draw ink out of the ink storage reservoir.

Printhead maintenance facility with ink storage and driven vacuum drainage coupling

A printhead maintenance facility for an inkjet printer that has a printhead with the nozzle face defining an array of nozzles. The printhead maintenance facility has a wiper member for wiping the nozzle face, and a maintenance drive for moving the wiper member across the array of nozzles in the nozzle face. The wiper member has a plurality of parallel blades, each of the plurality of blades being dimensioned to wipe all the nozzles in a single traverse across the nozzle face.

Printhead maintenance facility with nozzle face wiper having multiple contact blades

A method of depriming a printhead. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a printhead having a plurality of nozzles for ejection of ink, an ink inlet and an ink outlet; (ii) providing an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an upstream ink line, the ink chamber having an inlet port controlled by a valve; (iii) depriming the printhead by pumping ink from a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet, through the printhead and into the ink chamber; and (iv) closing the valve when a level of ink in the chamber reaches a predetermined first level, thereby isolating the ink chamber from an ink reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port.

Method of depriming a printhead with concomitant isolation of ink supply chamber

A pressure-regulating chamber for maintaining ink contained in the chamber at a predetermined first level relative to a printhead. The chamber comprises: an inlet port for connection to an ink reservoir via an ink supply line; an outlet port for connection to an ink inlet of a printhead via an upstream ink line; an air vent open to atmosphere; and a float valve for maintaining the predetermined first level of ink by controlling a flow of ink into the inlet port. The float valve is biased towards a closed position by a positive ink pressure at the inlet port.

Pressure-regulating chamber comprising float valve biased towards closure by inlet ink pressure

A pressure-regulating chamber for maintaining ink contained in the chamber at a predetermined first level relative to a printhead. The chamber comprises: an inlet port for connection to an ink reservoir via an ink supply line; an outlet port for connection to an ink inlet of the printhead via an upstream ink line; a return port for connection to an ink outlet of the printhead via a downstream ink line; a snorkel extending from the return port and terminating at a snorkel outlet positioned above the first level of ink; an air vent open to atmosphere; and a float valve for maintaining the predetermined first level of ink by controlling a flow of ink into the inlet port.

Pressure-regulating chamber for gravity control of hydrostatic ink pressure and recycling ink supply system

A printhead maintenance facility for an inkjet printer that has a printhead with a nozzle face defining an array of nozzles. The printhead maintenance facility has a wiper member for wiping the nozzle face and a maintenance drive for moving the wiper member across the array of nozzles in a wiping direction. The wiper member has a single blade extending in a line skew to the wiping direction.

Printhead maintenance facility with nozzle face wiper having single skew blade

A printhead maintenance facility with a core that mounts in an inkjet printer for movement relative to an inkjet printhead. The core has a plurality of maintenance station mounting sites, each with engagement formations. The core also has a plurality of maintenance structures for operation with the printhead, the plurality of maintenance structures each being mountable to at least one other of the plurality of maintenance station mounting sites.

Printhead maintenance facility with interchangeable stations

A printhead assembly with a printhead integrated circuit (IC) and a shut off () valve that has a valve body () defining an ink inlet () for connection to an ink supply, an ink outlet () connected to the printhead IC. A moveable valve member () is biased into sealing engagement with the valve seat () to provide a fluid seal between the ink inlet and the ink outlet. An actuator () for unsealing the valve member from the valve seat upon energizing and re-sealing the valve member to the valve seat when de-energized. The valve protects the ink in the ink supply from contaminants that can migrate up the ink line during shut down periods. The valve member is constantly biased to a closed position and so seals the ink supply from the printhead IC as a default condition even in the event of a power failure. The bias is strong enough to provide the fluid seal so that the seal is not compromised when the pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet is small.

Growing community of inventors

Balmain, Australia

Nicholas Kenneth Abraham