# US 7,607,756 B2 · Printhead assembly for a wallpaper printer

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- Number: US 7,607,756 B2
- Document ID: US7607756B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/760,214
- Filed: 2004-01-21
- Published: 2004-10-21
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 1997-07-15
- Assignees: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
- Inventors: Kia Silverbrook; Tobin Allen King; Janette Faye Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607756B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/14: Structure thereof {only for on-demand ink jet heads}
- B44C 7/02: Machines, apparatus, tools or accessories therefor (implements or apparatus for removing paint covering adhering to surfaces B44D3/16)
- B41J 2/14427: {Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators}
- B41J 2/1623: {bonding and adhesion}
- B41J 2/1626: {etching}
- B41J 2/1628: {dry etching}
- B41J 2/1629: {wet etching}
- B41J 2/1631: {photolithography}
- B41J 2/1632: {machining}
- B41J 2/1635: {dividing the wafer into individual chips}
- B41J 2/1637: {molding}
- B41J 2/1639: {sacrificial molding}
- B41J 2/1642: {thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]}
- B41J 2/1643: {thin film formation by plating}
- B41J 2/1645: {thin film formation by spincoating}
- B41J 2/1646: {thin film formation by sputtering}
- B41J 2/1648: {Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators}
- B41J 2/17513: {Inner structure}
- B41J 2/17596: {Ink pumps, ink valves}
- G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]}
- G06K 1/121: {by printing code marks (applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26)}
- G06K 7/14: using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light {(G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence)}
- G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes}
- G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding}
- G11C 11/56: using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
- H04N 5/2628: {Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation}
- B41J 2/16585: {for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads}
- B41J 2002/041: {Electromagnetic transducer}
- B41J 2002/14346: {Ejection by pressure produced by thermal deformation of ink chamber, e.g. buckling}
- B41J 2002/14435: {Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator}
- B41J 2202/21: Line printing
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B44C: PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS (processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general B05D; shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; printing processes to produce transfer pictures B41M3/12; thermographic duplication or marking methods B41M5/00); MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK (imitation of mosaic or tarsia work patterns B44F11/04); PAPERHANGING {(labels G09F; multi-step processes for making paper labels or tags B31D1/02)}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

The invention provides a printhead assembly for a printer which prints onto a moving web that follows a path. A full width printhead located across the path of the printer. The printhead is a color printhead which is at least as wide as the web. The printhead is supplied with a number of different inks which are remote from the printhead and which are supplied to the printhead through tubes. In some embodiments the printhead is retained by a rail which is located across the path and along which the printhead slides into and out of a printing position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printhead assembly for a printer which prints onto a moving web that follows a path, the printhead assembly comprising:
a full width printhead located across the path, the printhead comprising a plurality of inkjet nozzles having nozzle chambers and thermal bend actuators external to the nozzle chambers, each thermal bend actuator having an arm comprising a plurality of separate spaced apart elongate thermal actuator units, the thermal actuator units being configured to thermally expand upon heating thereby bending the associated arm so as to cause ink ejection from the nozzles;
the printhead comprising a color printhead which is at least as wide as the web;
the color printhead being supplied with a number of different colored inks.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printhead assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a rail which is located across the path and along which the printhead slides into and out of a printing position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The printhead assembly of claim 2, wherein:
the printhead is secured to the rail by fasteners which allow the printhead to be removed when the fasteners are disengaged.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The printhead assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the inks are contained in individual reservoirs and a supply tube connects each reservoir to the printhead.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The printhead assembly of claim 4, further comprising:
a coupling in each ink supply tube which allows disconnection and withdrawal of the printhead.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the web is printed by the printhead at a rate exceeding 0.02 square meters per second (775 square feet per hour).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the web is printed by the printhead at a rate exceeding 0.1 square meters per second (3875 square feet per hour).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the web is printed by the printhead at a rate exceeding 0.2 square meters per second (7750 square feet per hour).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead has more than 7680 nozzles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead has more than 20,000 nozzles.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead has more than 100,000 nozzles.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead has more than 250,000 nozzles.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead prints ink drops with a volume of less than 5 picoliters.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead prints ink drops with a volume of less than 3 picoliters.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printhead prints ink drops with a volume of less than 1.5 picoliters.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A printhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the printer is adapted to produce rolls of wallpaper, the printer comprising:
a housing in which is located a media path which extends from a blank media intake to a wallpaper exit slot;
a multi-color roll width removable printhead located in the housing and across the media path;
the printhead being supplied by separate ink reservoirs, the reservoirs connected to the printhead by a an ink supply harness, there being a disconnect coupling between the reservoirs and the printhead;
one or more input devices for capturing operator instructions;
a processor which accepts operator inputs which are used to configure the printer for producing a particular roll.