In some inkjet printers, a stationary media wide printhead assembly, commonly called a print bar, is used to print on paper or other print media moved past the print bar.
The same part numbers designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures. The figures are not necessarily to scale. The size of some parts may be exaggerated for clarity.
A stationary print bar in an inkjet printer is susceptible to print quality defects and damage from paper or other print media contacting into the printheads. Fragile parts in the print bar can also be damaged during handling, for example during shipping and installation. A protective shroud is sometimes used to protect the printheads and other fragile components in the print bar. A new modular print bar with “stackable” (horizontally end-to-end), interchangeable printhead assembly modules is disclosed in international patent application PCT/US14/40264 titled Printhead Assembly Module and filed May 30, 2014. The new modular print bar has been developed for use in large format inkjet printers to expand the range of media sizes that may be printed with a stationary media wide print bar. The use of interchangeable printhead assembly modules, however, may increase handling and the corresponding risk of damage. Also, the arrangement of the printheads on the new modules broadens the area covered by the shroud compared to existing printhead assemblies. Accordingly, a new, more robust shroud has been developed to better protect the printheads and other fragile parts during handling and printing.
In one example, a printhead assembly shroud includes openings through which the printheads are exposed and a ridge or other elongated protrusion along an exterior surface next to the openings. The elongated protrusion helps block the print media and other intrusions from contacting the exposed part of the printheads as well as strengthens the body of the shroud covering the periphery of the printheads and other parts of the printhead assembly.
In one example for an interchangeable printhead module such as that disclosed in application PCT/US14/40264, the shroud includes a first group of openings aligned across the body shroud and a second group of openings aligned across the body behind and parallel to the first group of openings. Each opening surrounds an exposed part of a printhead. A first ridge protrudes from and extends across the body in front of the first group of openings and a second ridge protrudes from and extends across the body in front of the second group of openings. The first and second groups of openings are symmetrical with respect to one another about an axis of symmetry and the first and second ridges are symmetrical with respect to one another about the axis such that the shroud is reversible between two orientations to protect the printheads with the first ridge in front of the openings or with the second ridge in front of the openings.
Examples of the new shroud are described with reference to printhead assembly modules that may be used in a stationary media wide print bar. However, examples of the new shroud are not limited to media wide print bars, printhead assembly modules, or even inkjet printers, but might also be implemented with other print mechanisms and in other inkjet type dispensers. The examples shown and described, therefore, illustrate but do not limit the disclosure, which is defined in the Claims following this Description.
Each module 26 includes printheads 28A-28F mounted to a chassis 30 and surrounded by shroud 12. In addition to supporting printheads 28A-28F and shroud 12, chassis 30 may provide the structural support and reference surfaces for accurately mounting print bar 14 in a printer. Chassis 30 usually will also house a part of the flow path for supplying printing fluid to each printhead 28A-28F including, for example, a series of channels 32 visible in
Each printhead 28A-28F is exposed through an opening 54A-54F in shroud body 34 to dispense printing fluid past shroud 12 onto the print media. In the example shown, each opening 54A-54F completely surrounds the exposed part of a corresponding printhead 28A-28F. Also in the example shown, printheads 28A-28F are arranged on printhead assembly module 26 in two rows in a staggered configuration in which the end of each printhead overlaps the end of the adjacent printhead(s). Accordingly, the openings in shroud body 34 are arranged into a first group 56 (openings 54A-54C) aligned across a first, upstream side 58 of body 34 and a second group 60 (openings 54D-54F) aligned across a second, downstream side 62 of body 34 parallel to the openings in first group 56. In this context, “upstream” and “downstream” are taken with respect to the direction print media 16 moves past printhead assembly modules 26, as indicated by direction arrows 19 in
Continuing to refer to
In the example shown, mirrored ridges 68, 70 snake along each end 42, 44 of shroud body 34. End ridges 68, 70 help protect against print media contacting printheads 28D-28F during printing or inadvertent contact during handling. Also, in the example shown, ridges 68, 70 are discontinuous to provide lanes 72, 74 to facilitate wiping the printheads during servicing operations. Shroud 12 may include a ridge 76 extends across body 34 between each group 56, 60 of openings 54A-54C, 54D-54F parallel to front ridge 64 and rear ridge 66 to help block print media from contacting the exposed part of printheads 28D-28F. Ridge 76 also stiffens shroud body 34 in the otherwise flat interior area of body 34.
Shroud 12 may include ramps 82 protruding from body 34 to help support module 26 and protect the printheads, for example if the module is placed on a surface with the printheads facing down. Each ramp 82 is configured as a two sided ramp positioned between laterally adjacent openings in each group 56, 60. Dual inclines 84, 86 slope in the direction a wiper moves back and forth across the printheads so the wipers do not encounter abrupt bumps during printhead wiping. Each ramp 82 is also sloped in the print media direction, as best seen in the section of
Ridges 64-70 and 76 and ramps 82 may be embossed or otherwise formed as an integral part of shroud body 34 or as discrete parts affixed to shroud body 34. Ridges 64 and 66 are spaced apart from openings 54A-54F to allow a substantially flat surface 88 completely surrounding openings 54A-54F. Surface 88 forms a contiguous part of the exterior surface of the shroud body 34 completely surrounding all of the openings 54A-54F inside a perimeter of ridges 64 and 66. A cap is a pressed against surface 88 to seal off the exposed printheads to help keep air from drying out ink in the printhead nozzles during periods of inactivity. While the width of “capping” surface 88 may vary depending on the particular capping device and sealing requirements, it is expected that a capping surface width of at least 0.40 mm will usually be desired for an adequate seal.
As best seen in the detail of
In
It may not be desirable in all implementations for a shroud 12 to include all of the features shown in
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/311,902 filed Nov. 17, 2016 which is itself a Section 371 national entry of international patent application no. PCT/US2014/040330 filed May 30, 2014, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15311902 | US | |
Child | 15961057 | US |