Abstract: An inkjet printhead including: an elongate fluid manifold having a base defining a plurality of fluid outlets; and printhead chips attached to the base, each printhead chip receiving printing fluid from a plurality of the fluid outlets. All fluid outlets are laterally flared towards a side of a respective printhead chip.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: a manifold having an ink supply channel and a lower surface with a longitudinal ink cavity defined therein; a shim attached to the lower surface so as to bridge across the longitudinal ink cavity, the shim having a plurality of shim apertures for receiving ink from the longitudinal ink cavity; and a plurality of printhead chips attached to the shim. A plurality of through-holes are defined in the manifold to provide fluid communication between the ink supply channel and the longitudinal ink cavity. Each through-hole has a first portion with a first end defined in the roof and a second portion extending through a sidewall of the ink cavity such that the shim seals an end of the second portion.

Abstract: A printer includes: a platen having an ink-collection slot extending across its width; a wick bar received in the ink-collection slot, wherein an upstream gap and a downstream gap are defined at either side of the wick bar relative to a media feed direction; a printhead positioned over the wick bar; and a vacuum chamber in fluid communication with the ink-collection slot. The wick bar has a wick surface sloped upwards from the upstream gap towards the downstream gap.

Abstract: A method of forming an inkjet printhead. The method includes the steps of: providing a metal alloy shim having a plurality of shim apertures; nitriding a surface of the shim; bonding the shim to a rigid elongate manifold having ink supply channels, such that each shim aperture is in fluid communication with a respective ink supply channel; and bonding printhead chips to the shim, thereby forming the inkjet printhead.

Abstract: A capping assembly includes a capper having a perimeter seal for sealing engagement with the printhead. The capping assembly has an enclosed capping volume when the capper is sealingly engaged with the printhead, whereby the capping volume is variable in response to relative differences in pressures inside and outside the capping volume.

Abstract: A print module includes: a body housing at least one printed circuit board (PCB); an air inlet and an air outlet positioned in a roof of the body; an air pathway extending through the body between the air inlet and the air outlet; and an inkjet printhead positioned at a lower part of the body opposite the roof, the inkjet printhead electrically communicating with the PCB.

Abstract: A dual nip release mechanism includes: a rigid actuator body including a tail portion with a handle and a pivotally-mounted head portion having a nose member extending therefrom; a rocker arm pivotally mounted about a rocker arm shaft, the rocker arm having a proximal end for engagement with part of the nose member and a distal end engaged with a first shaft; and legs hingedly connected to the tail portion, each leg having a foot engaged with a second shaft and a heel for camming engagement with a fixed plate. During use, actuation of the handle causes simultaneous movement of the first and second shafts from a nip closed position to a nip open position via pivoting of the rocker arm and simultaneous camming engagement of the heel with the fixed plate.

Abstract: A printer includes: a printhead; a platen positioned below the printhead for supporting print media conveyed along a media feed direction through a print zone, the platen defining a particle-collection slot upstream of the print zone relative to the media feed direction; and a vacuum chamber in fluid communication with the particle-collection slot. An upper surface of the platen has a plurality of raised ribs extending along the platen in the media feed direction and a dam wall extending across the platen transverse to the ribs. The dam wall is positioned at a downstream side of the particle-collection slot and the ribs extend towards the dam wall from an upstream side of the particle-collection slot.

Abstract: A print engine includes: a media support chassis having a plurality of guide rollers mounted between opposite sidewalls thereof, the plurality of guide rollers defining a media feed path; a maintenance chassis pivotally mounted on the media support chassis, the maintenance chassis including a plurality of maintenance modules fixedly mounted thereto and aligned along the media feed path; and a print bar chassis movably mounted on the maintenance chassis, the print bar chassis including a plurality of print modules, each print module having a printhead; a pivot actuation mechanism for pivoting the maintenance chassis between an open and closed position; and a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the print bar chassis relative to the maintenance chassis between a maintenance position a printing position.

Abstract: A method of preparing a printhead for dry shipment. The method includes the steps of: treating an ink pathway in the printhead with an aqueous treatment fluid containing at least one ink-soluble solvent having a boiling point of at least 150 degrees; and drying the printhead so as to leave a film of liquid solvent on a surface of the ink pathway. The film of liquid solvent solubilizes organic materials leached or outgassed from the printhead during dry storage or shipment.

Abstract: A maintenance system for maintaining an elongate inkjet printhead. The maintenance system includes: a carriage movable longitudinally along the printhead, the carriage including a maintenance member having a primary suction nozzle facing inkjet nozzles of the printhead and a wiper adjacent the primary suction nozzle; a traversing mechanism for traversing the carriage longitudinally along the printhead; and an engagement mechanism for urging the wiper and the printhead into engagement with each other. During use, the wiper contacts a non-printing part of the printhead and the primary suction nozzle is spaced apart from the printhead.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: a rigid elongate manifold having ink supply channels extending along its length and a plurality of ink outlets defined therein; a shim attached to the manifold, the shim having a plurality of shim apertures for receiving ink from the ink outlets; and a plurality of printhead chips adhesively bonded directly to the shim, each printhead chip receiving ink from one or more of the ink outlets. The the shim is formed of a metal alloy having a CTE of 5 ppm/° C. or less.

Abstract: An ink tank for an ink delivery system includes: a first ink chamber having an ink inlet port and an ink outlet port; a second ink chamber having a gas port open to atmosphere; and a diffusion tube interconnecting the first and second ink chambers. The first ink chamber has a smaller volume than the second ink chamber and the diffusion tube is configured to minimize diffusion of air from the second chamber to the first chamber.

Abstract: A suspended inkjet printing system includes: a pair of support beams extending across a media path; a mounting frame mounted between the support beams, a print head chassis mounted on the mounting frame, the print head chassis being actuable between at least a printing position and a maintenance position; and a plurality of print heads mounted on the print head chassis, each print head extending across the media path and spaced apart along the media path in a direction of media propagation. A plurality of projections extend from the print head chassis into engagement with the mounting frame, the projections controlling a height of the print head chassis relative to the media path.

Abstract: A method of printing an image using a printing system having first and second overlapping printhead segments. The method includes the steps of: (i) identifying a strip of the image to be printed in an overlap region of the first and second printhead segments; (ii) identifying a foreground image and a background image for image content contained in the strip; (iii) determining a seam in the foreground image; (iv) printing the foreground image using only nozzles from the first printhead segment at one side of the seam and only nozzles from the second printhead segment at the other side of the seam; and (v) printing the background image using nozzles from both the first and second printhead segments across the overlap region.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes an elongate fluid manifold having a base which includes a truss structure. The truss structure has webs extending between opposite chords, wherein a plurality of openings between the webs and the chords define fluid outlets. One or more printhead chips are attached to the webs of the truss structure with each printhead chip receiving printing fluid from a plurality of the fluid outlets.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: an elongate fluid manifold including a longitudinally extending channel having a pair of opposite longitudinal sidewalls and a base defining a floor of the channel; a plurality of printhead chips bonded to the base of the fluid manifold, each printhead chip receiving ink from fluid outlets defined in the floor of the channel; and a plurality of transverse ribs extending across the channel between the sidewalls, each transverse rib extending upwardly from the floor of the channel.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: a manifold having a plurality of ink outlets defined in a manifold surface; a plurality of printhead chips mounted to the manifold surface, each printhead chip having an odd number of color channels and each color channel having one or more respective rows of inkjet nozzle devices. A central color channel of each printhead chip is a dummy color channel that does not receive ink from the manifold.

Abstract: A method of multi-color printing in a single pass using a fixed pagewide array of monochrome inkjet printheads. The printheads are aligned with each other in a media feed direction and the method includes the steps of: feeding print media along the media feed direction past a first printhead positioned furthest upstream in the array, a third printhead downstream of the first printhead and a second printhead positioned furthest downstream in the array; printing a yellow ink onto the print media using the first printhead; printing a black ink onto the print media using the third printhead; and printing a cyan or magenta ink onto the print media using the second printhead.

Abstract: An ink filter for an ink delivery system. The ink filter includes: a filter chamber having a filter inlet port, a filter outlet port and a vent port, the vent port being positioned in a roof of the filter chamber; a filter material positioned between the filter inlet port and the filter outlet port; and a closed vent chamber connected to the vent port. The vent chamber has wall exposed to atmosphere formed of an air-permeable polymer.