TWI461308B - Multiple conduit fluid coupling with leakage flow control - Google Patents

Description

Multiple conduit fluid fittings with flow leak control

This invention relates to the field of fluid pipe joints, particularly fluid pipe joints for supplying ink to an ink jet print head.

The Applicant has developed a series of printers that use a page-wide printhead to replace the traditional reciprocating printhead design. The page-wide design increases print speed because the print head does not have to move back and forth across the page to accumulate a single line of image. The page-wide printhead simply deposits ink on the media as it passes through the media at high speed. This type of print head is capable of full-color printing at 1600 dpi at a speed of about 60 pages per minute, which was previously not possible with conventional inkjet printers.

Printing at such speeds quickly consumes ink, which can cause problems when supplying a sufficient amount of ink to the print head. Not only is the flow rate high, but the distribution of ink along the length of the entire page width print head is more complicated than supplying ink to a relatively small reciprocating print head.

Some of the applicant's printers are print heads that are available for the user to disassemble. It is understood that each inkjet nozzle will fail over time, and eventually there will be a sufficient number of faulty nozzles, which will cause an unnatural condition on the printed image. Allowing the user to replace the printhead will maintain print quality without having to replace the entire printer. This also allows the user to change different printheads for different print jobs. For some low-resolution files that can be printed at high speed, you can install drafts first. The graded print head is then removed and replaced with the original high resolution print head.

The Applicant has a wide variety of print heads and does not have a built-in print head ink supply. These print heads must be fluidly coupled to the ink supply when installed. The supply flow rate supplied to the page wide print head is too high for the needle valve because of its narrow inner diameter. This requires a fairly large pipe joint pipe, and the mating structure on both sides of the pipe joint can be self-sealing when disassembled, because the wet surface may have enough residual ink to follow the outside of the pipe joint. The surface drops or flows down.

The cross-contamination of different color inks is quite serious for print quality. A drop of black ink dripping into the yellow ink tube affects the color balance of many page prints. To avoid this problem, the conduits must be spaced apart from each other and set such that the conduit is less likely to be vertically above the other conduit when installed or removed. However, the separation of the conduits is set to be opposite to the densified design, and if the conduits are clustered about a central axis, the components will not be structurally resilient when engaged and disassembled.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a fluid pipe joint for an ink jet print head, the fluid pipe joint comprising: a dielectric panel supporting a plurality of nozzles configured to sealably engage corresponding apertures in a complementary socket; Establishing a fluid communication between an ink jet print head and an ink supply source; wherein the dielectric panel has a surface forming portion that is respectively fitted to each of the nozzles In one case, the surface forming portions define a preferred flow path along the interface panel for any residual ink to be discharged from the nozzles under the force of gravity, the preferred flow path being constructed to avoid any other The nozzle.

The present invention recognizes that slight changes in surface can be used to form a fluid flow path through which residual droplets can surely flow. This allows the nozzles to be clustered together, with only minimal possibilities for interactive contamination between the various colors.

Preferably, the surface forming portions are provided in the grooves on the dielectric panel. In a more preferred form, the nozzles are arranged in a circle on the media panel. In a particularly preferred form, the ink jet print head is configured to be replaceable by a user for mounting in a printer body provided with an ink supply source, the interface panel being disposed in the column The outside of the print head, and the socket is disposed on the printer body. In a particularly preferred form, when the print head tether is in the direction it should be installed, the grooves extend in a generally vertical direction and the grooves are substantially vertical The direction is off to avoid one of the nozzles of different colors.

In some embodiments, the printhead head has a recessed feature that begins at the respective nozzle and terminates in the recessed structure. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the printhead is a one-page wide printhead. In some embodiments, the printer is an A4 printer and the printhead can print at speeds greater than 40 pages per minute. In some embodiments, each orifice in the socket has a bias-closed shut-off valve that remains open when engaged with the associated nozzle. Preferably, the print head has an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold, and both the inlet and outlet manifolds have a Fluid pipe joint according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a row of print heads 2 mounted in a print engine 3. The print engine 3 is the mechanical core of a printer that can have a variety of different housing shapes, ink tank positions and capacities, as well as different media feed and collection trays. The print head cartridge 2 can be inserted or removed by the user pulling up or pressing the latch member 126. The print engine 3 is formed with electrical connections to contacts on the print heads 2 (described later), as well as fluid connections through the sockets 120 and the inlet and outlet manifolds 48 and 50. Figure 2 shows the print engine 3 after the print head has been removed, revealing the apertures 122 in each of the sockets 120. Each orifice 122 can accommodate each nozzle 52 on the inlet and outlet manifolds. As previously discussed, these ink reservoirs can have any position and configuration but are attached to a hollow socket 124 located behind the receptacle 120.

Figure 3 is an external view of the complete print head 匣 2. The print head cartridge 2 has a top molding member 44 and a detachable protective cover 42. The top molding member 44 has a central web for structural reinforcement and a gripping textured surface 58 for handling during insertion and removal. The base portion of the protective cover 42 protects the printhead integrated circuit (not shown) and the contacts (not shown) prior to mounting in the printer. The cap 56 is integrally formed with the base portion to cover the ink inlet and outlet nozzles (see 54 and 52 in Fig. 5).

Figure 4 shows the print head assembly 2 after the protective cover 42 is removed for display The print head integrated circuit on the bottom surface and the row of contacts 33 on the side surfaces are exposed. The protective cover can be disposed of as recycled waste or placed on the replaced print head to absorb residual residual ink. Figure 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the printhead assembly 2. The top cover 44 has been removed to reveal the inlet manifold 48 and the outlet manifold 50. The inlet and outlet sleeves 46 and 47 have been removed first to more clearly reveal their five inlet and outlet nozzles 52. The inlet and outlet manifolds 48 and 50 form a fluid connection between each of the individual inlets and outlets and the corresponding primary passages in the LCP molding. The primary channel extends over the length of the LCP molding and is used to feed a series of fine channels located on the underside of the LCP molding. A row of air voids are formed above each of the primary passages 24. Any steep or pressure pulses in the ink can be attenuated by the compression of the air in the air holes.

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the printhead assembly without an inlet or outlet manifold or cap molding. The primary passages 24 of each ink color and their associated air pockets 26 are formed in the channel molding 68 and the cavity molding 72. Adhered to the bottom of the channel molding 68 is a wafer follower film 66. The wafer follower film 66 can secure the printhead integrated circuit 30 to the channel molding such that the fine channels located on the bottom side can be integrated with the printhead via small laser cut holes through the film. Circuit 30 is in fluid communication.

Figure 7 shows the inlet and outlet manifolds, i.e., 48 and 50, in elevation. The two manifolds each have a dielectric panel 76 from which the nozzle 52 extends. These nozzles 52 have a relatively large inner diameter (about 2 mm) with respect to, for example, a needle valve. This can withstand the high inks used in page wide printers The flow rate is used to print A4 paper at a speed of more than 40 ppm (typically 60 ppm) at a resolution of 1600 dpi.

As best seen in FIG. 8, the inlet and outlet manifolds 48 and 50 pass through the connector 60 to form a fluid connection between the nozzle 52 and the LCP molding 20. The nozzles in each manifold are arranged in a circle. The clustering of the nozzles 52 on the inlet and outlet manifolds is less structurally stressed for the plastic molding of the print head. The socket can be engaged by a single force applied to the center of the nozzles 52 without the need to spread the force away from the spaced apart nozzles, or to distribute a single force through a reinforced, bend-resistant structure. Just fine. Referring back to Figure 2, the print engine 3 has three structurally enhanced reference datums 128. The inlet and outlet manifolds can directly abut the outer reference datum (see Figure 1) so their reaction forces are directed to the center of the five nozzles 52. The center datum portion 128 can provide a reaction force that opposes the force used to hold the print head cymbal to the positioned latch member 126.

The print head 2 is disassembled from the opening 122 of the socket 120 to cause residual ink to drip from the nozzle 52. As previously discussed, the nozzles 52 on each manifold are clustered together. A groove 110 is formed in the media panel 76 to control the flow direction of any residual ink as it flows out of the nozzle due to gravity. In the absence of any flow control means, residual ink from a nozzle is likely to flow into nozzles of different colors. The resulting color mixing will be quite fast and will penetrate into the entire print head 匣2. If the plaque is later reinstalled in the print engine, this color mixing will change the color balance and be detrimental to image quality. The trench 110 forms a A substantially vertically downward flow path to match the gravity feed of the residual droplets. The grooves 110 are offset from the vertical to avoid other nozzles. The groove 110 terminates in a recess 112 disposed below the circle of the nozzle 52. Residual ink is collected in the recess 112 to avoid inadvertent spillage and ink contamination.

The groove 110 can be small relative to residual ink droplets drained from the nozzle 52. These trenches need only form a preferred flow path for which the droplets are selected over other paths, without the need to accommodate ink flow therein. In this regard, the grooves need only be sufficient to draw and direct the droplets by capillary action. As will be appreciated by the average worker, the preferred flow path can also be formed by a ridge, or a series of discrete shaped portions distributed along the mediation panel.

The foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. A skilled worker will be aware of various changes and modifications that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept.

2‧‧‧Print head assembly

3‧‧‧Printing engine

20‧‧‧LCP molded parts

24‧‧‧ main channel

26‧‧‧Air holes

30‧‧‧Printing head IC circuit

33‧‧‧Contacts

42‧‧‧ protective cover

44‧‧‧Top molded parts

46‧‧‧Inlet sleeve

47‧‧‧Export sleeves

48‧‧‧Inlet manifold

50‧‧‧Export manifold

52‧‧‧Export nozzle

54‧‧‧ inlet nozzle

56‧‧‧Cap

58‧‧‧Scratch-type surface

60‧‧‧Connector

66‧‧‧ wafer follow-up film

68‧‧‧Channel molded parts

70‧‧‧Flexible printed circuit boards

72‧‧‧ hole moldings

76‧‧‧Intermediate panel

110‧‧‧ trench

112‧‧‧ recessed

120‧‧‧ socket

122‧‧‧ aperture

124‧‧‧ socket

126‧‧‧Latch

128‧‧‧Reference reference

Figure 1 shows the printhead of the present invention mounted in a printing engine of a printer.

Figure 2 shows that the print engine is not equipped with a print head 以 to reveal the inlet and outlet ink tube connectors.

Figure 3 is an external view of a complete print head cartridge in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 shows the situation after the print head of Figure 3 has been removed.

Figure 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the printhead assembly in the printhead of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a partial front elevational view of the print head cartridge of Figure 3.

Fig. 7 is a partial appearance view of the print head cartridge of Fig. 3.

Figure 8 is a partial view of the inlet and outlet manifolds.

20‧‧‧LCP molded parts

44‧‧‧Top molded parts

48‧‧‧Inlet manifold

50‧‧‧Export manifold

52‧‧‧Export nozzle

54‧‧‧ inlet nozzle

76‧‧‧Intermediate panel

110‧‧‧ trench

112‧‧‧ recessed

Claims (6)

A user replaceable print head cartridge mounted to a printer body having an ink supply source, the print head cartridge comprising a fluid pipe joint for an inkjet print head, the fluid pipe joint comprising: a mediation panel Located outside the print head cartridge, the interface panel supports a plurality of nozzles, and the nozzles are in sealing engagement with corresponding apertures in the complementary sockets of the printer body; wherein the plurality of nozzles are arranged in a a circular shape; and the interface panel has surface forming portions respectively fitted to each of the nozzles, each of the surface forming portions defining a flow path along the interface panel toward a common recess, each of the flow paths It is constructed to avoid any other nozzles. The print head cartridge of claim 1, wherein the surface forming portion is a groove provided on the dielectric panel. The print head cartridge of claim 2, wherein each of the grooves begins at a respective nozzle and terminates in the recessed structure. The print head cartridge of claim 1, wherein the print head is a one-page wide print head. The print head cartridge of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the print head cartridge has an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold, and wherein the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold are both With the fluid pipe joint. A printer comprising: a printer body having an ink supply source; A user replaceable print head cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, installed in the printer body; wherein the nozzle of the print head cartridge and the printer The corresponding apertures in the complementary sockets of the body are sealingly engaged.