Muzzle for printhead assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849677-B2
Application number	US-201615209456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A cap for a printhead device including a main body that includes a side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the top wall and the bottom wall in a facing relation to one another so that a printhead device is held between the top and bottom walls, a vent seal disposed within an opening in the top wall, a nozzle plate seal disposed within an opening in the bottom wall, and a nozzle plate seal retainer that holds the nozzle plate seal within the opening in the bottom wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cap for a printhead device, comprising:
a main body comprising a side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the top wall and the bottom wall in a facing relation to one another so that a printhead device is held between the top and bottom walls;
a vent seal disposed within an opening in the top wall;
a nozzle plate seal disposed within an opening in the bottom wall; and
a nozzle plate seal retainer that holds the nozzle plate seal within the opening in the bottom wall,
wherein the nozzle plate seal comprises an elevated portion adapted for engagement with a nozzle plate of the printhead device, and
wherein the nozzle plate seal retainer comprises an elevated portion adapted for engagement with an opening of the nozzle plate seal.

2. The cap of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the main body, the vent seal, the nozzle plate seal, or the nozzle plate seal retainer is made of nylon.

3. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises protrusions that guide the printhead device into engagement with the cap.

4. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the vent seal has a cylindrical shape.

5. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle plate seal comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion forming an opening, the top portion comprising an elevated portion adapted for engagement with the nozzle plate of the printhead device.

6. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle plate seal retainer further comprises locking members arranged around the perimeter of the elevated portion of the nozzle plate seal retainer, the locking members adapted for engagement with the bottom portion of the nozzle plate seal.

7. The cap of claim 1 , further comprising a protrusion extending from the top wall of the main body, the protrusion adapted for engagement with an opening in the lid of the printhead device so that the protrusion must be removed from the opening in the lid before the cap can be removed from the printhead device.

8. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises a datum feature.

9. A combination comprising:
a printhead device comprising:
an ink cartridge body that defines a chamber, the ink cartridge body being made of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of: nylon, polyethersulfone, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyoxymethylene, and other materials that are compatible with ketone, acetate, and alcohol based inks;
an ink reservoir disposed within the chamber of the ink cartridge body that receives and contains ink;
a lid disposed over the chamber of the ink cartridge body, the lid comprising an air vent;
a printhead chip provided on the ink cartridge body and in fluid communication with the ink reservoir so as to receive ink from the ink reservoir for ejection of the ink onto a print medium; and
a nozzle plate; and

a cap comprising:
a main body comprising a side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the top wall and the bottom wall in a facing relation to one another so that the printhead device is held between the top and bottom walls;
a vent seal disposed within an opening in the top wall and in engagement with the air vent of the lid of the printhead device;
a nozzle plate seal disposed within an opening in the bottom wall and in engagement with the nozzle plate of the printhead device; and
a nozzle plate seal retainer that holds the nozzle plate seal within the opening in the bottom wall,
wherein the nozzle plate seal comprises an elevated portion that engages with the nozzle plate of the printhead device, and
wherein the nozzle plate seal retainer comprises an elevated portion adapted for engagement with an opening of the nozzle plate seal.

10. The combination of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the main body, the vent seal, the nozzle plate seal, or the nozzle plate seal retainer is made of nylon.

11. The combination of claim 9 , wherein the main body comprises protrusions that guide the printhead device into engagement with the cap.

12. The combination of claim 9 , wherein the vent seal has a cylindrical shape.

13. The combination of claim 9 , wherein the nozzle plate seal comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion forming an opening, the top portion comprising an elevated portion adapted for engagement with the nozzle plate of the printhead device.

14. The combination of claim 9 , wherein the nozzle plate seal retainer further comprises locking members arranged around the perimeter of the elevated portion of the nozzle plate seal retainer, the locking members adapted for engagement with the bottom portion of the nozzle plate seal.

15. The combination of claim 9 , further comprising a protrusion extending from the top wall of the main body, the protrusion adapted for engagement with an opening in the lid of the printhead device so that the protrusion must be removed from the opening in the lid before the cap can be removed from the printhead device.

16. The combination of claim 9 , wherein the main body further comprises a datum feature.

Assignees

• Funai Electric Co

Inventors

• Anderson Jr James Daniel
• Weaver Sean

Classifications

• B41J2/17533 Primary

  Storage or packaging of ink cartridges · CPC title

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17556

  Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge · CPC title