Printhead assembly with fluid interconnect cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071557-B2
Application number	US-201615260044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

In one example implementation, a printhead assembly includes a fluid intake section, a fluid interconnect integrated with the fluid intake section to receive fluid from an ink supply assembly, and an air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect cover installed over the fluid interconnect.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printhead assembly comprising:
a fluid intake section;
a fluid interconnect integrated with the fluid intake section to receive fluid from a fluid supply assembly; and
an expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug installed over the fluid interconnect.

2. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluid interconnect is a fluid interconnect needle; and
the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug covers the fluid interconnect needle.

3. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein one expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug covers multiple fluid interconnects.

4. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug expands when an internal pressure of the printhead assembly exceeds an external pressure.

5. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug further comprises:
an internal pinch section to form a fluidic seal around the fluid interconnect; and
a flared entrance to facilitate the installation of the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug over the fluid interconnect.

6. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug is sized based on a shipping time for the printhead assembly.

7. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug is sized based on an expected amount of water loss from the printhead assembly.

8. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug is box-shaped.

9. A fluid cartridge comprising the printhead assembly of claim 1 , the fluid cartridge further comprising:
a fluid supply assembly to store fluid; and
the printhead assembly in fluid communication with the fluid supply assembly.

10. The fluid cartridge of claim 9 , wherein:
the at least one fluid interconnect comprises at least two fluid interconnects;
the at least one expandable air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug comprises at least two expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plugs; and
each of the at least two expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resist fluid interconnect plugs cover one of the at least two fluid interconnects.

11. The fluid cartridge of claim 9 , wherein the at least one expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug is formed of a compliant material.

12. The fluid cartridge of claim 9 , wherein the at least one expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug further comprises:
a first section having walls of a first thickness; and
a second section having walls of a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

13. A page-wide-array print bar comprising the printhead assembly of claim 1 .

14. The print bar of claim 13 , wherein the page-wide-array print bar is a pre-filled page-wide-array print bar.

15. The print bar of claim 13 , wherein the page-wide-array print bar further comprises a printhead array section comprising a plurality of the printhead assemblies.

16. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug comprises an interior cavity to retain fluid that escapes the printhead assembly through the fluid interconnect.

17. The printhead assembly of claim 16 , wherein the interior cavity tapers towards the fluid intake section.

18. The printhead assembly of claim 16 , wherein the interior cavity is straight.

19. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug is 20 millimeters long.

20. The printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable, air-permeable, fluid-resistant, fluid interconnect plug has a varying inner diameter in the range of 2 millimeters to 6 millimeters.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Wilson Rhonda L
• Devries Mark A

Classifications

• B41J2/17563

  Ink filters · CPC title

• B41J2/17523 Primary

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2002/17516

  comprising a collapsible ink holder, e.g. a flexible bag · CPC title

• B41J2/045

  by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers · CPC title

• B41J2/175 Primary

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title