Printing module for an ink-printing system having an ink storage container with an integrated ink-printing head
AssigneesSiemens Aktiengesellschaft, Eastman Kodak Company
InventorsHilarion Braun, Wolfgang Schullerus, Harald Schulz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing module for an ink-printing system, interchangeably attached in a holder, consists of an ink storage container with an ink-printing head arranged on it. The ink storage container contains a housing with an assembly surface for an ink-printing head, as well as an ink collection region directly adjacent to the assembly surface. The ink collection region is covered over a large area with a filter element made from woven plastic fabric. Furthermore, a storage element made of a micro-channeled, ink absorbing and releasing material is arranged in the housing, which is in direct contact with the filter element over a large area.
Claims22
A printing module for an ink-printing system, comprising:
- a) an ink storage container having an integrated ink-printing head;
- b) a housing for holding said integrated ink-printing head, said housing having an ink supply opening and having an inner wall;
- c) an ink collection region being disposed in said housing, and being in fluidic communication with said ink supply opening, wherein said ink collection region is formed exclusively by a depression in said inner wall of said housing, said depression being in a vicinity of a limit area of the ink collection region having longitudinal and lateral dimensions that are a multiple of a depth of said depression;
- d) a filter element covering said limit area of said ink collection region and preventing penetration of air into said ink collection region;
- e) a storage element being in direct contact with said filter element, being disposed essentially compression-free in said housing, and being made of a microchanneled, ink absorbing and releasing material;
- and
- f) a plurality of spacers being disposed in said depression, whereby said plurality of spacers maintain a predetermined distance between said filter element and a bottom surface of said ink collection region.
A method for producing a printing module for an ink-printing system, comprising the steps of:
- a) manufacturing a housing using a plastic injection molding process, wherein said housing has an ink supply opening for an ink-printing head of the ink-printing system, a depression disposed on an inner wall of said housing, a longitudinal and a lateral dimension of said depression being a multiple of a depth of said depression, and said depression serving exclusively as an ink collection region;
- b) covering the ink collection region with a filter element;
- and
- c) inserting a storage element made of a porous, ink absorbing and releasing material, into the housing, whereby the storage element and the filter element are in direct contact but essentially without pressure, and the storage element is held in the housing essentially without compression.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.