Abstract:
An inkjet printer that has an ink supply, an ink manifold in fluid communication with the ink supply, a printhead IC with and array of ink ejection nozzles mounted to the ink manifold, a pump in fluid communication with the ink manifold and, a gas inlet that can be opened to establish fluid communication between the ink manifold and a supply of gas, and can be closed to form a gas tight seal. The ink manifold can be primed using the pump by closing the gas inlet, and de-primed when the gas inlet is open. This allows the printhead to be deprimed during storage and transport and it allows the printhead IC to be cleaned by a foam formed by air forced through the ink election nozzles.
Abstract:
A sound absorbing device includes: a plurality of sound absorbing units. A frequency of sound absorbed by at least one of the sound absorbing units overlaps, at least partially, with a frequency of sound with a volume increased by installation of another sound absorbing unit.
Abstract:
A printhead positioning system is provided wherein the shuttle assembly is split up in a printing shuttle, having a high accuracy positioning capability and a utility shuttle needing only a low accuracy positioning system. Due to this split-up the mass of components which have to be positioned accurately is greatly reduced and therefore making it easier to position the lighter load accurately and allowing for use of cheaper drive systems while maintaining the high accuracy in printing.
Abstract:
A printer that can be configured either as a dot matrix/impact printer or an inkjet printer. A printer frame mounts a carriage mechanism for reciprocally moving a head carrier. An adapter secures a printhead to the carrier; the adapter being configured to accept a predetermined type of printhead. A compensator/feeder assembly is pivotally movable between a printing position and a printer open position at which a slot for receiving a form is defined. The compensator/feeder assembly mounts a printer bar which is positioned in a confronting relationship with the printhead when the assembly is in the printing position. A compensator drive arrangement is fixed to a base and effects movement in the feeder assembly. When the printer is configured as an inkjet printer, the compensator drive arrangement operates an inkjet nozzle cleaning station which includes a reciprocally movable wiper driven by a compensator drive motor through a clutched gearing system. To reduce the sound level of the printer, the print bar assembly includes a platen made from zinc that is attached to a print bar support structure using a viscoelastic film adhesive. A shield associated with the printhead is used to urge the print media against the print bar and the printer frame is mounted to an external printer case using isolation mounts to acoustically decouple the mechanical components of the printer from the cover. A validation pressure roller and a stringer forming part of the carriage are cam mounted and are movable in order to adjust a gap between the printhead and print bar. A feeder motor forming part of the compensator/feed assembly selectively drives either a pinch roller for feeding print media from a supply to the print bar region or a form drive roller which is used to eject the form from a form slot defined between the compensator/feed assembly and the printhead.
Abstract:
An apparatus (140) for mitigating noise in a printer (110) can include a plate (150) having a plurality of holes distributed across the plate (150) and extending through the plate (150), the holes being dimensioned and configured to mitigate acoustic noise in a printer (110). A mesh material (160) can cover the plurality of holes, wherein the mesh material (160) can increase air flow resistance through the holes and thereby facilitate removal of acoustic noise from a media path in the printer (110).
Abstract:
A system for positioning a printhead assembly is provided wherein an improved servo control system uses adaptive digital filtering to counteract vibrations in the drive systems. The servo control uses compensation intelligence to adapt for changes in the resonance properties of the positioning system which are e.g. influence by the position of the printhead assembly. The servo control preferably includes gain scheduling, adaptive digital techniques, feed forward features. A combined master slaver servo system is used in a hybrid drive system.
Abstract:
A method an apparatus for adjusting the height of a platform (120) having a substrate thereon in order to adjust the distance between the substrate and an ink-jet print head located above is provided.