Printing system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsMark McGarry, Robert Fogarty, Josep-Maria Serra, Ronald D. Stephens, Kurt Thiessen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing system includes an ink reservoir, a support, a fluid conduit and a printhead assembly. The fluid conduit is fluidly coupled to the ink reservoir and includes a first fluid coupler. The printhead assembly includes a body configured to be releasably coupled to the support, a plurality of printheads coupled to the body including a first printhead and a second printhead, and a fluid passage fluidly coupled to both the first printhead and the second printhead. The fluid passage includes a second fluid coupler releasably coupled to the first fluid coupler.
Claims56
A printing system comprising:
- a first ink reservoir;
- a support;
- a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the ink reservoir and including a first fluid coupler;
- and
- a printhead assembly including:
- a body releasably coupled to the support;
- a plurality of printheads coupled to the body including a first printhead and a second printhead;
- a fluid passage fluidly coupled to both the first printhead and the second printhead, the fluid passage including a second fluid coupler releasably coupled to the first fluid coupler.
A printer kit comprising:
- a printer including:
- a first ink reservoir;
- a second ink reservoir;
- a support;
- a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the first ink reservoir and including a first fluid coupler;
- a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the second ink reservoir and including a second fluid coupler;
- a first printhead assembly including:
- a first body configured to be releasably coupled to the support;
- a first plurality of printheads coupled to the first body including a first printhead and a second printhead;
- a first fluid passage fluidly coupled to both the first printhead and the second printhead;
- and
- a third fluid coupler fluidly coupled to the first fluid passage, wherein the third fluid coupler is configured to connect to the first fluid coupler;
- and
- a second printhead assembly including:
- a second body configured to be releasably coupled to the support;
- a second plurality of printheads coupled to the second body including a third printhead and a fourth printhead;
- a second fluid passage fluidly coupled to both the third printhead and the fourth printhead;
- and
- a fourth fluid coupler fluidly coupled to the second fluid passage, wherein the fourth fluid coupler is configured to connect to the second fluid coupler.
A printhead assembly for use in a printing system having an ink reservoir, a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the ink reservoir and including a first fluid coupler and a support adapted to be positioned proximate to a print medium, the printhead assembly comprising:
- a body configured to be releasably coupled to the support;
- a plurality of printheads coupled to the body including a first printhead and a second printhead;
- a fluid passage fluidly coupled to both the first printhead and the second printhead;
- and
- a second fluid coupler fluidly coupled to the fluid passage and configured to be releasably coupled to the first fluid coupler.
An umbilical for use in a printing system including a plurality of ink reservoirs, a support adapted to be positioned proximate a print medium, a printhead assembly having a plurality of printheads coupled to the support including a first printhead and a second printhead, a fluid passage coupled to both the first printhead and the second printhead, a first fluid coupler fluidly coupled to the fluid passage, a printhead driver coupled to the support and communicatively coupled to a first signal transmitting connector, and printhead controller having a second signal transmitting connector, the umbilical comprising:
- a plurality of fluid conduits, each fluid conduit having a second fluid coupler at a first end and a third fluid coupler at a second end, wherein at least one of the second fluid couplers is configured to be connected to the first fluid coupler and wherein each of the third fluid couplers is configured to be releasably coupled to one of the plurality of ink reservoirs;
- and
- a signal transmitting line having a third signal transmitting connector at a first end and a fourth signal transmitting connector at a second end, wherein the third signal transmitting connector is configured to be releasably connected to the first signal transmitting connector of the printhead assembly, wherein the fourth signal transmitting connector is configured to be releasably connected to the second signal transmitting connector of the printhead controller, and wherein the plurality of fluid conduits and the electrical transmission line are coupled to one another as a single unit.
A method for printing different inks upon a print medium, the method comprising:
- transmitting a first ink from a first ink reservoir through a first fluid conduit to a first plurality of printheads coupled to a body supported by a support proximate the medium;
- disconnecting the first body from the support and from the first fluid conduit;
- connecting a second body having a second plurality of printheads to the support and to a second fluid conduit;
- and
- transmitting a second ink from a second ink reservoir through the second fluid conduit to the second plurality of printheads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.