Memjet Technology Limited

Ronan Palliser

Julie Catherine Hogan

Brian Robert Brown

Rodney Hardy

Peter Crichton

Caitriona Forbes

Keshu Nazneen

Juliette Le Hir

Pat Lehane

Edmund James Grohn

Julie Hogan

John Sheehan

An inkjet print module includes: a printhead having first and second rows of print chips, the printhead having 180 degree rotational symmetry about a print axis parallel to a direction of droplet ejection; a fixed printhead keying feature which is rotationally asymmetric about the print axis notwithstanding the rotational symmetry of the printhead; a cradle for removably receiving the printhead, the cradle having a key assembly for complementary engagement with the fixed printhead keying feature. The key assembly is selectively configurable in either one of first and second cradle configurations so as to receive the printhead either in a first printhead orientation or a second printhead orientation, the second printhead orientation being rotated 180 degrees about the print axis relative to the first printhead orientation.

Selectively configurable print module

A method of configuring an orientation-agnostic inkjet print module for use in either one of first or second module orientations relative to a media path, the second module orientation being rotated 180 degrees relative to the first module orientation. The method includes the steps of: configuring a key assembly to correspond with either one of the first or second module orientations, the key assembly determining a printhead orientation of a respective printhead relative to the inkjet print module; and configuring a switch to correspond with either one of the first or second module orientations, the switch being operably connected to controller circuitry distributing data signals to the printhead via first and second data paths. The switch inverts distribution of the data signals between the first and second data paths.

Method of configuring orientation-agnostic print module

An inkjet print module includes: a printhead having first and second rows of print chips, the printhead having 180 degree rotational symmetry about a print axis parallel to a direction of droplet ejection; a cradle for removably receiving the printhead; and control circuitry for distributing data signals to the printhead via first and second data paths of the inkjet print module. The cradle is configurable for receiving the printhead in first and second printhead orientations relative to the print module, the second printhead orientation being rotated 180 degrees about the print axis relative to the first printhead orientation. The control circuitry is configurable to invert distribution of the data signals between the first and second data paths.

Orientation-agnostic print module and multiple print module array

A method of printing an image from a print chip having plurality of horizontal nozzle rows. The method includes the steps of allocating first dot data for an image line of the image to nozzles in a first row portion of a first nozzle row; allocating second dot data for the image line to nozzles in a second row portion; sending the first and second dot data to the print chip and firing respective droplets. Some bits of the first dot data correspond to pixels of the image line aligned with the second row portion, and some bits of the second dot data correspond to pixels of the image line aligned with the first row portion.

Method of monochrome printing at high speeds

A print chip includes: an elongate silicon substrate defining nominal leading and trailing longitudinal sides of the print chip; circuitry layers positioned on the silicon substrate; and a MEMS layer positioned on the circuitry layers. The MEMS layer includes a plurality of parallel nozzle rows, each nozzle row having a plurality of inkjet nozzle devices arranged in a main row portion and a dropped row portion offset from the main row portion. The circuitry layers include data latches configured to provide dot data for the inkjet nozzle devices. A first row of data latches is positioned adjacent a leading row of the main row portion, and a second row of data latches is positioned adjacent a trailing row of the dropped row portion.

Print chip configured for single-pass monochrome printing at high speeds

A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal nozzle rows. Each nozzle row has a main row portion and a corresponding dropped row portion vertically offset from the main row portion. The method includes the steps of: determining a predetermined delay for the dropped row portions based on the offset, a print speed and a print resolution; allocating dot data for image lines to respective nozzle rows based on the print speed and print resolution, sending first dot data for each main row portion and second dot data for each dropped row portion to the printhead module; and firing nozzles from the main row portions and dropped row portion in a predetermined sequence. Each dropped row portion is fired independently of its corresponding main row portion and delayed relative to its corresponding main row portion by the predetermined delay.

Method for single-pass monochrome printing at high speeds

A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal nozzle rows, the method including the steps of: allocating first dot data for an image line of the image to nozzles of a main row portion of a first nozzle row; allocating second dot data for the image line to nozzles of a dropped row portion of a second nozzle row; and sending the first and second dot data to the printhead module and firing respective droplets. Each nozzle row of the printhead module has a same number of nozzles N; and the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row are non-corresponding nozzle rows, such that a number of nozzles contained in the main portion of the first nozzle row and a number of nozzles contained in the dropped row portion of the second nozzle row is greater or fewer than N nozzles.

Mismatched nozzle rows for single-pass monochrome printing at high speeds

A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal ink planes M supplied with a same ink. Each ink plane has a nozzle row and the nozzles rows of all ink planes have vertically aligned nozzles. The method includes the steps of: defining contiguous span groups along each nozzle row, each span group containing N nozzles; allocating dot data for each image line of the image to a predetermined number of nozzles P in each span group of each nozzle row; sending the dot data to the printhead module and firing nozzles sequentially from the ink planes to print the image line. Only one nozzle from each span group in a same nozzle row is fired simultaneously, N is an integer multiple of M, and P is N divided by M.

Sub-row firing method for single-pass monochrome printing at high speeds

A method of printing an image from a printhead module having a plurality of horizontal nozzle rows. The method includes the steps of: allocating first dot data for an image line of the image to nozzles in a main row portion of a first nozzle row; allocating second dot data for the image line to nozzles in a dropped row portion of the first nozzle row; sending the first and second dot data to the printhead module and firing respective droplets. Some bits of the first dot data correspond to pixels of the image line aligned with the dropped row portion, and some bits of the second dot data correspond to pixels of the image line aligned with the main row portion.

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Dublin, Ireland

Ronan Palliser