Abstract: An ink delivery system for delivering ink to an inkjet printhead includes: an ink tank; the inkjet printhead having a printhead inlet port and a printhead outlet port; an ink supply line connected between the ink tank and the printhead inlet port; an ink return line connected between the ink tank and the printhead outlet port; an ink recirculation pump positioned in the ink return line; an ink filter positioned in the ink return line; a bypass line for bypassing ink around the ink filter; a bypass valves for controlling flow of ink either through the ink filter or through the bypass line; and a controller for coordinating the bypass valve and the pump. The controller is configured to pump ink from the printhead outlet port to the ink tank via the bypass line when the return line contains air.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a base plate defining an elongate slot extending across a media feed path; an elongate printhead positioned in the slot for printing onto print media fed along the media feed path; an aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the printhead relative to a media feed direction, the aerosol extractor providing an airflow through a print zone associated with the printhead; and air guides projecting from a lower surface of the base plate towards the media feed path. The air guides are positioned at opposite ends of the printhead and include respective guide walls for directing the airflow towards the aerosol extractor.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a unit chassis for mounting over a media feed path; first and second elongate printheads mounted on the unit chassis and positioned in an overlapping arrangement across the media feed path; a first aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the first printhead relative to the media feed direction; and a second aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the second printhead and the first aerosol extractor relative to the media feed direction. The first and second aerosol extractors are positioned at a same distance from their respective first and second printheads.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a unit chassis and a pair of opposed inkjet modules mounted in tandem on the unit chassis in forward and reverse orientations, each inkjet module having one respective printhead and at least one of: a capper and a wiper. Each printhead includes first and second rows of print chips mounted on a unitary surface of a respective ink manifold, the first and second rows of print chips having a plurality of print chips butted end-on-end along a length of the printhead. The printheads are wholly aligned with respect to a media feed direction for printing in four ink colors from the pair of printheads.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system includes: a printhead positioned over a media feed path; and an aerosol extractor positioned downstream of the printhead relative to a media feed direction. The aerosol extractor includes: an air knife having a knife slot for directing a flow of air towards print media; and a suction nozzle positioned upstream of the knife slot for directing aerosol into a suction channel.

Abstract: An inkjet nozzle device includes a main chamber having a floor, a roof and a perimeter wall extending between the floor and the roof. The main chamber includes: a firing chamber having a nozzle aperture defined in the roof and a bar heater for ejection of ink through the nozzle aperture; an antechamber for supplying ink to the firing chamber, the antechamber having a chamber inlet defined in the floor; and a baffle plate extending parallel with the bar heater, which partitions the main chamber to define the firing chamber and the antechamber. The nozzle device has mirror symmetry about a symmetry plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bar heater and the baffle plate.

Abstract: An aerosol extraction unit includes: a frame having first and second opposite side bars extending parallel with a media feed direction; and aerosol extractors extending perpendicular to the media feed direction between the first and second side bars. Each aerosol extractor includes: an air knife having a knife slot for directing a flow of air towards print media; and a suction nozzle positioned upstream of the knife slot for directing aerosol into a suction channel. The first side bar includes an air manifold in fluid communication with each knife slot; and the second side bar includes a suction manifold in fluid communication with each suction nozzle.

Abstract: An inkjet ink includes: an ink vehicle; a polymer; a surfactant package containing an ethoxylated acetylenic nonionic surfactant having an HLB value in the range of 5 to 10; and an ABA-type bis-alkoxylated silicone compound. The ink has a surface tension in the range of 26 to 31 mN/m.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a fixed unit chassis having a lower cable tray mounted to a front part thereof; a movable printhead chassis having an upper cable tray mounted to a front face thereof, the printhead chassis supporting an upstream print module and a downstream print module relative to a media feed direction; a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the printhead chassis relative to the unit chassis; upstream and downstream cable trunkings positioned at opposite upstream and downstream ends of the unit chassis for receiving electrical cabling from the lower cable tray; and upstream and downstream conduits connected to the upstream and downstream print modules respectively. The downstream cable trunking feeds cabling from the lower cable tray into the upstream conduit via the upper cable tray, and the upstream cable trunking feeds cabling from the lower cable tray into the downstream conduit via the upper cable tray.

Abstract: An integrated inkjet module includes: a chassis having an elongate base plate and a rear wall extending upwards therefrom; an elongate printhead liftably mounted on the chassis; a lift mechanism operatively connected to the printhead for lifting and lowering the printhead relative to the base plate; a capping assembly slidably mounted on the base plate, the capping assembly having a capper extending parallel with the rear wall and the printhead; a capper movement mechanism operatively connected to the capping assembly for linearly slidably moving the capping assembly towards and away from the rear wall; and a cap cover pivotally mounted to the rear wall. During use, engagement of part of the capping assembly with the cap cover pivots the cap cover away from the capper to allow sliding movement of the capper towards the rear wall and into a covered position.

Abstract: An integrated inkjet module includes: a chassis; a printhead carrier mounted to the chassis; and a printhead nest assembly having a nest fastened to the printhead carrier and a replaceable printhead nestably secured within the nest. The printhead nest assembly is detachable from the printhead carrier and the printhead is removable from the nest only when the printhead nest assembly is detached from the printhead carrier.

Abstract: A printing unit includes: a fixed maintenance chassis having a bottom plate defining a plurality of first slots; print modules having a respective inkjet printheads extending across a media feed path; a lift mechanism for lifting and lowering the print modules relative to the media feed path; and an aerosol extraction unit mounted to an underside of the bottom plate. The aerosol extraction unit includes a plurality of aerosol extractors, which extend across the media feed path between a pair of side bars, the aerosol extractors being spaced apart along the media feed direction to define a corresponding plurality of second slots aligned with the first slots. Each print module is slidably movable through its respective first and second slots towards the media feed path into a printing position.

Abstract: A printhead module includes a monolithic substrate having longitudinal ink supply channels defined through a thickness of the substrate and extending parallel with each other along a length of the substrate; rows of print chips mounted on a front face of the substrate, each row of print chips receiving ink only from a respective one of the ink supply channels; and first PCBs mounted on the front face, each PCB extending alongside a respective one of the rows of print chips and supply power thereto. The rows of print chips and the first PCBs are mounted alternately across the front face of the substrate.

Abstract: An inkjet print module includes: a printhead having first and second rows of print chips, the printhead having 180 degree rotational symmetry about a print axis parallel to a direction of droplet ejection; a fixed printhead keying feature which is rotationally asymmetric about the print axis notwithstanding the rotational symmetry of the printhead; a cradle for removably receiving the printhead, the cradle having a key assembly for complementary engagement with the fixed printhead keying feature. The key assembly is selectively configurable in either one of first and second cradle configurations so as to receive the printhead either in a first printhead orientation or a second printhead orientation, the second printhead orientation being rotated 180 degrees about the print axis relative to the first printhead orientation.

Abstract: A printing device includes: an inkjet printhead having a row of ink ejection devices; a lift mechanism configured for raising and lowering the printhead between a maintenance position and a printing position; a conveyor tape positioned below the printhead in the printing position, the conveyor tape defining a slot aligned with the row of ink ejection devices; a tape movement mechanism for moving the tape longitudinally along the length of the printhead; and a condensate scraper positioned for scraping condensate away from an underside of the conveyor tape. The tape movement mechanism is configured to move the tape along the printhead during printing, thereby conveying condensate accumulated on an underside of the tape away from the printhead.

Abstract: A thread-coating module includes: a coating chamber having a thread entrance at one end and a thread exit at an opposite end thereof; and an inkjet printhead positioned in a printhead opening of the coating chamber for ejecting ink onto thread fed through the coating chamber. The coating chamber has an ink management system positioned opposite the printhead for managing excess ink. The ink management system includes: an inner ink-collection slot in fluid communication with a drain port for recycling excess ink and an outer aerosol-collection chamber fluidically connected to a vacuum port.

Abstract: A method of configuring an orientation-agnostic inkjet print module for use in either one of first or second module orientations relative to a media path, the second module orientation being rotated 180 degrees relative to the first module orientation. The method includes the steps of: configuring a key assembly to correspond with either one of the first or second module orientations, the key assembly determining a printhead orientation of a respective printhead relative to the inkjet print module; and configuring a switch to correspond with either one of the first or second module orientations, the switch being operably connected to controller circuitry distributing data signals to the printhead via first and second data paths. The switch inverts distribution of the data signals between the first and second data paths.

Abstract: An inkjet print module includes: a printhead having first and second rows of print chips, the printhead having 180 degree rotational symmetry about a print axis parallel to a direction of droplet ejection; a cradle for removably receiving the printhead; and control circuitry for distributing data signals to the printhead via first and second data paths of the inkjet print module. The cradle is configurable for receiving the printhead in first and second printhead orientations relative to the print module, the second printhead orientation being rotated 180 degrees about the print axis relative to the first printhead orientation. The control circuitry is configurable to invert distribution of the data signals between the first and second data paths.

Abstract: A pagewide printhead for redundant printing has first and second rows of printhead chips mounted on a common ink manifold. The ink manifold has four ink supply channels for supplying ink to the first and second rows of printhead chips. Dedicated ink outlets interconnect one ink supply channel of the ink manifold with two color channels in each printhead chip.

Abstract: A MEMS chip assembly includes: a support structure having a chip mounting surface; a MEMS chip mounted on the chip mounting surface, the MEMS chip having an active surface including one or more rows of MEMS devices and a row of bond pads disposed alongside a connection edge of the MEMS chip and parallel with the rows of MEMS devices; electrical connectors connected to the bond pads; and an encapsulant material covering the electrical connectors. The MEMS chip has a plurality of trenches defined in the active surface, the trenches extending parallel with the rows of MEMS devices and disposed between the bond pads and the MEMS devices. The encapsulant material does not encroach past the trenches towards the MEMS devices.