Abstract: The specification describes a printer containing an angled printer cartridge and a method for printing using the cartridge. The printer is an ink jet printer which includes a print media movement device for moving a print media having through the printer along a print media path and a printer cartridge attached to the printer at an angle between 0° and 90° relative to an axis perpendicular to an axis along the direction of the media path through the printer. The printer cartridge has a length sufficient to print substantially the entire width of the printed width across the print media and contains a plurality of printheads along at least a portion of the length thereof, each printhead having one or more nozzle arrays. During a printing operation, only a portion of the printheads along the length of the cartridge are activated thus, reducing power consumption during printing.

Abstract: An apparatus addresses ink jet heating elements based on image data to cause ejection of ink droplets toward a print medium. The apparatus includes a controller for generating address signals, power signals, and first and second bank signals. The first and second bank signals, which are carried on first and second bank lines, alternate between on and off states. The first bank signal is off when the second bank signal is on, and the second bank signal is off when the first bank signal is on. The apparatus has m address lines and n power lines connected to the controller for carrying the address signals and the power signals. A print head has m×n number of first driver circuits, each of which is connected to the first bank line and to a corresponding one of the m address lines. The first driver circuits enable flow of a first driving current when the first bank signal and the address signal are simultaneously on on the first bank line and the corresponding address line.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead having a plurality of ink discharge nozzles that are served by respective ink supply conduits formed within a composite substrate includes ink discharge heaters respective to each of the nozzles, one or more substrate heaters for preheating an ink flow within the supply conduits and a plurality of resistors for monitoring the printhead quality during manufacture. The ink discharge heaters are in circuit with a first energy source connection and a common ground connection. The quality monitoring resistors are in series circuit with a second energy source connection and the common ground connection respective to the ink discharge heaters. At least one substrate heater is in circuit with a third energy source connection and the second energy source connection which, when the printhead is operatively connected for printing, is connected to ground.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer which includes a body portion having a substantially continuous side wall perimeter extending from a substantially planar first side panel portion. A cavity for containing ink is defined by a second side panel portion, the side wall perimeter and the first side panel portion. A lung type pressure regulator is disposed within the cavity and has at least one lung frame wall disposed at an angle within the cavity with respect to a cavity side wall for promoting gas formation in the cavity.

Abstract: A heater chip module is provided comprising a carrier adapted to be secured to an ink-filled container, at least one heater chip having a base coupled to the carrier, and at least one nozzle plate coupled to the heater chip. The carrier includes a support section provided with two or more channels which define paths for ink to travel from the container to the heater chip. The heater chip is secured at its base to the support section. Carrier material located between the channels define ribs which provide a path for energy in the form of heat to travel from the heater chip to the carrier. A flexible circuit is coupled to the heater chip module such as by TAB bonding or wire bonding.

Abstract: The invention described in the specification relates to an ink jet printhead structure having semiconductor substrate containing energy imparting devices for ejecting ink through nozzle holes in a nozzle plate, to a method for making a printhead structure and to a printer cartridge containing the printhead structure. In order to reduce stresses induced in the structure during manufacturing and/or use thereof, a polymeric layer is disposed between the semiconductor substrate and nozzle plate which contains expansion void spaces or valleys sufficient to inhibit stresses in the structure during a process for bonding the nozzle plate to the polymeric layer thereby reducing misalignment and warpage problems associated with conventional printhead structures.

Abstract: A system and method for suppression of air bubble generation in the ink supply and nozzles of an ink-containing printer cartridge when ultrasonic welding is performed on the ink-containing printer cartridge. The printer cartridge has a top end and a bottom end, and the bottom end includes at least one ink outlet for the ink within the printer cartridge. The system includes a mounting fixture having a recess for receiving and holding at least the lower end of the printer cartridge, an ultrasonic welding device for welding an article to the printer cartridge, and a fluid or liquid, such as water, collected in the bottom of the recess in sufficient quantity such that the at least one ink outlet on the bottom end of the printer cartridge is immersed in the fluid or liquid. The welding device is preferably an ultrasonic welding horn that typically welds a lid to the top end of an ink-containing printer cartridge.

Abstract: An ink jet printhead of an ink jet cartridge includes a filter plate that is downstream of the ink. Particularly, the filter plate is attached to the back of the heater chip of the printhead. The filter plate is in addition to a wire mesh filter that is disposed at the inlet of a plumbing standpipe that prevents particles which are shed from the ink reservoir from passing into the printhead chip assembly. The filter plate of the present invention prevents particles that originate in the plumbing standpipe channels below the wire mesh filter from clogging the bubble chambers of the heater chip of the printhead chip assembly. The filter plates are formed on a polymer sheet with a series of holes ablated using an eximer laser. The filter plates are bulk registered and laminated to the back of the heater chips wafer in sheet form during the circuit manufacturing process and then singulated when the wafer is diced into individual heater chips.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink jet printhead apparatus for modulating drop size. Drop size modulation is achieved by providing an ink jet printhead chip for use in an ink jet printhead having a cavity in communication with a supply of ink and a nozzle. The chip includes an unitary actuator having a first active section and a second active section. The first and second active sections are defined at a substantially equal distance from the nozzle by a location of attachment of at least three conductors.

Abstract: The invention described in the specification relates to a carrier for an ink jet printhead having unique characteristics which substantially inhibit corrosion and provide improved thermal heat transfer from energizer devices for the ink to the surrounding atmosphere. The carrier has top and bottom surfaces and is adapted to receive a chip and a circuit layer thereon. Another feature of the carrier is a well having a base and walls surrounding the base for receiving a semiconductor chip therein. The walls extend above the top surface of the carrier to a wall height that is substantially equal to the thickness of the circuit layer. The well has a well depth that is substantially equal to the thickness of the chip. A slot formed in the base of the well extends from the bottom surface of the carrier to the base and provide a flow path for ink to the energizers on the chip. Use of a separate carrier for the printhead components provides increased process versatility during the manufacture of the printhead.

Abstract: A device within an image forming apparatus for positioning a doctor blade against a developer roller and preventing toner leakage. The device includes a developer housing for containing the developer roller and the doctor blade. A biasing member is positioned adjacent to the doctor blade for forcing the doctor blade against the developer roller for controlling the mass flow and charge level of the toner. The doctor blade is supported by retention stops on a front edge and a pair of supports on the back edge. Toner is prevented from leaking through the device by a flap seal positioned along the doctor blade back side and a seal positioned between each end of doctor blade end and developer housing. The invention provides for the doctor blade to be freely positioned between the retention stops, developer housing, and seals providing for the doctor blade to contact the developer roller in a consistent manner.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus is provided comprising a print cartridge including a heater chip and a nozzle plate coupled to the heater chip. The heater chip has first, second, third and fourth heating elements, and the nozzle plate has a plurality of primary and secondary nozzles. The primary nozzles include first and second nozzles positioned in first and second nozzle plate columns and the secondary nozzles include third and fourth nozzles positioned in third and fourth nozzle plate columns. Each of the nozzles has one of the heating elements associated therewith for generating energy to discharge ink therefrom. The apparatus further includes a driver circuit, electrically coupled to the print cartridge, for applying firing pulses to the heating elements. The apparatus further includes a nozzle testing station. There, each nozzle is tested to determine if it is operable.

Abstract: The invention described in the specification relates to an improved method for making a printhead for an ink jet printer. In the method, one or more semiconductor substrates containing energy imparting devices for ink and electrical conductors for the energy imparting devices are attached to a metal substrate carrier. A conductive layer containing electrical tracing terminating in contact pads is also attached to the carrier using an adhesive. A nozzle plate is attached to the conductive layer and to the semiconductor substrate also using an adhesive. The nozzle plate, conductive layer and adhesive all have openings or windows therein for use in forming wire bonds between the semiconductor substrate and the conductive layer. Once the wire bonds having loops are formed, the wire loops are depressed toward the nozzle plate to reduce the height of the loops above the nozzle plate. The entire wires and bonds are then encapsulated in a elastomeric, insulative material to protect the wires.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of printing on a print medium wherein a relocation error is induced in a paper transport system so as to randomize, bias, or redistribute harmonic errors associated with the paper transport system. The print medium is advanced in the ink jet printer in an advance direction to a registration location using the paper transport system. A first subset of an addressable set of ink emitting orifices in the printhead are used to print on the print medium at the registration location. The print medium is then moved in a reverse direction a predetermined distance. The print medium is again advanced in the advance direction and relocated at the registration location using the paper transport system. A second subset of the addressable set of ink emitting orifices in the printhead are used to print on the relocated print medium at the registration location.

Abstract: A nozzle plate for an ink jet print head and method therefor is provided. The nozzle plate has a polymeric layer, an adhesive layer attached to the polymeric layer defining a nozzle plate thickness and ablated portions of the polymeric layer and adhesive layer defining flow feature of the nozzle plate which contain ink flow channels, firing chambers, nozzle holes, an ink supply region and one or more projections of polymeric material in the ink supply region of the nozzle plate.