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US 6,474,776 B1Granted
Ink jet cartridge with two jet plates
AssigneeEncad, Inc.
InventorRichard A. Murray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink jet cartridge includes two adjacent jet plates, each jet plate having an array of equally spaced nozzles. A small gap exists between the first and second jet plates which is devoid of any jet nozzles. The absence of nozzles in the gap is compensated for by the inkjet printer system such that the two jet plates function as a single nozzle array.
Claims28
An inkjet printer system utilizing one or more cartridges having 2 m jet nozzles, wherein m is an integer, but whose cost of manufacture substantially is less the cost of manufacturing a conventional inkjet cartridge having the same number of jet nozzles, said printer comprising:
- a processor which receives print data;
- a memory, coupled to the processor, which stores at least one print mask;
- at least one ink jet cartridge having a first jet plate comprising m equally spaced jet nozzles mounted to a face of said ink jet cartridge, a second jet plate comprising m equally spaced jet nozzles mounted to said face of said cartridge adjacent to said first jet plate, wherein said first jet plate and said second jet plate are physically separated with a small gap therebetween devoid of any jet nozzles;
- and
- a print logic circuit, coupled to said processor, which receives signals from the processor to control the operation of said first and second jet plates, wherein each ink jet nozzle is assigned to print respective dots on a respective raster line of a recording medium in accordance with said at least one print mask stored within said memory, and wherein said print mask compensates for the lack of ink jet nozzles in said gap.
2 more elements
An ink jet cartridge for use in an ink jet printer comprising:
- a first jet plate having an array of m equally spaced jet nozzles, said jet plate extending along less than approximately one-half of one face of said cartridge;
- a second jet plate having an array of m equally spaced ink jet nozzles adjacent to said first jet plate, wherein said first jet plate and said second jet plate are separated so as to form a gap devoid of jet nozzles therebetween, and wherein said first and second jet plates are physically aligned so that said first and said second jet plates function as a unitary nozzle array having approximately 2 m ink jet nozzles, the cost of manufacture of said cartridge being substantially less than the cost of manufacturing an ink jet cartridge having a jet plate formed from a single silicon die and providing 2 m jet nozzles.
An inkjet printer cartridge, comprising:
- a body comprising a first surface and a chamber for containing ink therein;
- a first jet nozzle array in a first substrate having a first plurality of equally spaced jet nozzles for expelling ink onto a recording medium, the first plurality of jet nozzles being disposed along a first region of the first surface of the body;
- at least one first contact element, coupled to the first jet nozzle array, for providing electrical connectivity between the first jet nozzle array and a printer system which transmits signals to the at least one first contact element to control the operation of the first jet nozzle array;
- a second jet nozzle array in a second substrate separate from said first substrate having a second plurality of equally spaced jet nozzles for expelling ink onto the recording medium, the second plurality of jet nozzles being disposed along a second region of the first surface of the body;
- at least one second contact element, coupled to the second jet nozzle array, for providing electrical connectivity between the second jet nozzle array and the printer system which transmits signals to the at least one second contact element to control the operation of the second jet nozzle array;
- and
- a gap located on said first surface of said housing, between the first and second substrates, which is devoid of jet nozzles.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing an ink jet printer cartridge, comprising:
- affixing a first flex circuit to a housing of the printer cartridge such that a first portion of the first flex circuit having at least one first contact element thereon is located on a first side surface of the housing and a second portion of the first flex circuit couples to a first jet nozzle array of equally spaced jet nozzles located on a first region of a bottom surface of the housing, wherein the at least one first contact element is electrically coupled to the first jet nozzle array and the first jet nozzle array is aligned with respect to the bottom surface;
- and
- affixing a second flex circuit to the housing of the printer cartridge such that a first portion of the second flex circuit having at least one second contact element thereon is located on a second side surface, opposite the first side surface, of the housing and a second portion of the second flex circuit couples to a second jet nozzle array of equally spaced jet nozzles located on a second region of the bottom surface of the housing, wherein the at least one second contact element is electrically coupled to the second jet nozzle array and the second jet nozzle array is aligned with respect to the first jet nozzle array such that the first and second jet nozzle arrays function as a unitary nozzle array.
An ink jet cartridge for an ink jet printer comprising:
- a housing comprising a ink ejecting surface, wherein said housing additionally comprises a first and second surface adjoining said ink ejecting surface, wherein said first surface and said ink ejecting surface form a first corner of said housing, and wherein said second surface and said ink ejecting surface form a second corner of said housing;
- a first flex circuit extending from said first surface, around said first corner, and onto said ink ejecting surface;
- a second flex circuit extending from said second surface, around said second corner, and onto said ink ejecting surface;
- a first jet plate comprising an array of equally spaced jet nozzles, the first jet plate affixed to said ink ejecting surface and coupled to said first flex circuit;
- and
- a second jet plate comprising an array of equally spaced jet nozzles, the second jet plate affixed to said ink ejecting surface and coupled to said second flex circuit.
3 more elements
A method of ink jet printing comprising:
- mounting a first jet plate comprising an array of equally spaced jet nozzles on an ink jet cartridge;
- mounting a second jet plate comprising an array of equally spaced jet nozzles on said ink jet cartridge, wherein said second jet plate is spaced apart from said first jet plate so as to form a gap therebetween devoid of ink ejection nozzles;
- compensating for said gap during multipass printing operations with a print mask accounting for the nozzles in the first and second nozzle arrays and the gap.
A method of inkjet printing comprising:
- depositing ink with a first jet plate mounted on an ink jet cartridge, wherein the first jet plate comprises a first array of equally spaced jet nozzles;
- depositing ink with a second jet plate mounted on said ink jet cartridge, wherein the second jet plate comprises a second array of equally spaced jet nozzles on said ink jet cartridge, wherein said second jet plate is spaced apart from said first jet plate so as to form a gap therebetween devoid of ink ejection nozzles;
- compensating for said gap during multipass printing operations with a print mask accounting for the nozzles in the first and second nozzle arrays and the gap.
An inkjet printer system utilizing one or more cartridges, said printer comprising:
- a processor which receives print data;
- a memory, coupled to the processor, which stores at least one print mask;
- a first jet plate comprising equally spaced jet nozzles;
- a second jet plate comprising equally spaced jet nozzles, and wherein said first and said second jet plates are physically separated with a small gap therebetween devoid of any jet nozzles;
- and
- a means for compensating for said gap with said at least one print mask during multipass printing operations.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.