Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090273658 | Heated Ink Delivery System - An ink umbilical provides different colors of heated ink to multiple print heads in an integrated structure. The ink umbilical includes a first and a second plurality of conduits, each conduit in the first and the second plurality of conduits having a flat surface between a first end and a second end of the conduit, and a heater having a first side and a second side, the flat surfaces of the conduits in the first plurality of conduits being coupled to the first side of the heater and the flat surfaces of the conduits in the second plurality of conduits being coupled to the second side of the heater to enable the heater to heat ink being carried between the first and the second ends of the conduits in the first and in the second plurality of conduits. | 11-05-2009 |
20100020144 | Check Valve Unit For Solid Ink Reservoir System - A check valve unit is provided for a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine between a reservoir for receiving and holding a volume of melted ink from a source and a receiving unit, which may be a printhead system. The check valve unit includes a plurality of ball elements trapped between upper and lower housings defining a like plurality of inlet and discharge passageways. The passageways are configured to optimize flow of melted ink through the unit during charging of the secondary reservoir. The check valve unit is scalable as to size and number of reservoirs for a particular application. The unit further incorporates features that simplify the manufacturing and assembly process while maintaining optimal performance. | 01-28-2010 |
20100123762 | Ink Umbilical Interface To A Printhead In A Printer - An ink umbilical interface facilitates removal of the umbilical from a printhead while better preserving the integrity of the interface seal. The ink umbilical interface includes an ink umbilical connector having a plurality of conduits terminating within the connector and a tapered nozzle extending from each conduit in the plurality of conduits, each conduit communicating with a liquid ink reservoir, a backplate of a printhead having a plurality of openings, each opening being positioned to receive one of the tapered nozzles extending from the ink umbilical connector, and at least one sealing member positioned between the backplate and the ink umbilical connector, the sealing member having at least one opening to align with one of the backplate openings and receive one of the tapered nozzles. | 05-20-2010 |
20100123763 | Air Filter For Use With A Liquid Ink Umbilical Interface In A Printer - An air filter is configured for incorporation in a solid ink umbilical interface to a printhead. The air filter includes a housing having a first component and a second component that mate to one another to form the housing with an internal cavity, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, an air filter media positioned within the housing to divide the internal cavity; and at least one retention tab extending from the housing to engage an ink umbilical connector housing at a position that locates the air outlet of the air filter proximate an ink nozzle array extending from the ink umbilical connector. | 05-20-2010 |
20110187800 | Heated Ink Delivery System - A liquid ink transport assembly mitigates the migration of ink dye from one conduit in a plurality of conduits to another conduit in the plurality of conduits. The liquid ink transport assembly includes a plurality of conduits, each conduit in the plurality having a first end and a second end, the conduits in the plurality being arranged in a parallel configuration with at least one conduit being spatially separated from an adjacent conduit by a first distance that is greater than a second distance spatially separating other conduits in the plurality of conduits, and a heater, the plurality of conduits being positioned proximate to a first side of the heater to enable the heater to heat ink being carried between the first and the second ends of the plurality of conduits. | 08-04-2011 |
20110205317 | Heated Ink Delivery System - An ink umbilical provides different colors of heated ink to multiple print heads in an integrated structure. The ink umbilical includes a first plurality of ink carrying conduits mounted on one side of a heater and a second plurality of conduits mounted on a second side of the heater opposite the first side of the heater. The heater is operated to keep the ink in the conduits on each of the heater in a predetermined temperature range. | 08-25-2011 |
20120133714 | Check Valve Unit For Solid Ink Reservoir System - A check valve unit is provided for a high-speed phase change ink image producing machine between a reservoir for receiving and holding a volume of melted ink from a source and a receiving unit, which may be a printhead system. The check valve unit includes a plurality of ball elements trapped between upper and lower housings defining a like plurality of inlet and discharge passageways. The passageways are configured to optimize flow of melted ink through the unit during charging of the secondary reservoir. The check valve unit is scalable as to size and number of reservoirs for a particular application. The unit further incorporates features that simplify the manufacturing and assembly process while maintaining optimal performance. | 05-31-2012 |
20130147878 | REDUCTION OF ARC-TRACKING IN CHIP ON FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT SUBSTRATES - A flexible circuit substrate has an integrated circuit mounted on the substrate, a first set of traces arranged to connect between a first voltage source and a first set of connectors on the integrated circuit, a second set of traces arranged to connect between a second voltage source and a second set of connectors on the integrated circuit, and a gap in the flexible circuit substrate between the first and second set of traces, the gap of sufficient width to stop an electrical arc-tracking between the first set of traces and the second set of traces. The substrate may have a second gap between the first gap and other traces. | 06-13-2013 |
20130180771 | SUSPENDED LATTICE FOR ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTS - An electrical interconnect has a circuit substrate and an electrical connection point on the circuit substrate. The electrical connection point includes a lattice of conductive material that is adjacent a gap in the circuit substrate and has anchor points that are attached to the circuit substrate. In some configurations, a conductive epoxy encapsulates at least a portion of the lattice of conductive material and may include a second electrical connection point that is bonded to the other electrical connection point through the conductive epoxy. | 07-18-2013 |
20130229472 | Heated Ink Delivery System - A liquid ink transport assembly mitigates the migration of ink dye from one conduit in a plurality of conduits to another conduit in the plurality of conduits. The liquid ink transport assembly includes a plurality of conduits, each conduit in the plurality having a first end and a second end, the conduits in the plurality being arranged in a parallel configuration with at least one conduit being spatially separated from an adjacent conduit by a first distance that is greater than a second distance spatially separating other conduits in the plurality of conduits, and a heater, the plurality of conduits being positioned proximate to a first side of the heater to enable the heater to heat ink being carried between the first and the second ends of the plurality of conduits. | 09-05-2013 |
20130333208 | REDUCTION OF ARC-TRACKING IN CHIP ON FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT SUBSTRATES - A method of manufacturing a flexible circuit, including forming a first set of traces, forming a second set of traces, and cutting a gap between the first and second set of traces. | 12-19-2013 |
20150054878 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HEATING AND MEASURING TEMPERATURE OF PRINT HEAD JET STACKS - Print head jet stack heating and temperature measurement systems and methods are disclosed that both heat the jet stack and determine a temperature of the jet stack. The heating and temperature determination are performed by a flex circuit that includes multiple layers. One of the layers heats the jet stack and another one of the layers provides data that determines the temperature of the jet stack. The heating layer and the temperature sensing layer are separated by an insulative material in the flex circuit. The temperature of the jet stack can be sent to a print head controller that then determines whether to increase or decrease the temperature of the jet stack. | 02-26-2015 |