Inkjet printhead assembly with repositionable shutter mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969178-B1
Application number	US-201615344649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 7, 2016
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An inkjet printhead assembly includes a repositionable shutter mechanism adapted to block a slot through which drops of ink ejected from the array of nozzles pass before they impinge on the print medium. The shutter mechanism includes a repositionable shutter blade extending in a cross-track direction having a pivot axis passing through first and second tabs affixed to its ends. A first slide mechanism component is pivotably attached to an end of an actuator rod, and a second slide mechanism component is rigidly attached to the repositionable shutter blade. An actuator is configured to translate the actuator rod, thereby pivoting the repositionable shutter blade about the pivot axis between a first pivot position where the shutter blade blocks the slot and a second pivot position where the shutter blade is moved away from the slot so that drops of ink can pass through the slot.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inkjet printhead assembly including a printhead module with a repositionable shutter, comprising:
a jetting module including an array of nozzles extending in a cross-track direction for printing on a print medium traveling along a media path from upstream to downstream;
a slot through which drops of ink ejected from the array of nozzles pass before they impinge on the print medium;
an ink catcher positioned on one side of the slot for catching non-printing drops of ink ejected from the array of nozzles, the ink catcher including an ink channel for drawing ink away from the slot;
a shutter mechanism including:
an actuator configured to translate an actuator rod along a translation direction between a first actuator position and a second actuator position;
a repositionable shutter including:
a shutter blade extending in a cross-track direction from a first end to a second end;
a first tab affixed to the first end of the shutter blade; and
a second tab affixed to the second end of the shutter blade;
wherein the repositionable shutter is adapted to rotate around a fixed pivot axis passing through the first and second tabs between a first pivot position and a second pivot position, such that when the repositionable shutter is rotated into the first pivot position the shutter blade blocks drops of ink from passing through the slot and diverts the ink into the ink catcher, and when the repositionable shutter is rotated into the second pivot position the shutter blade is moved away from the slot so that drops of ink can pass through the slot; and

a first slide mechanism component pivotably attached to an end of the actuator rod;
a second slide mechanism component rigidly attached to the repositionable shutter, wherein the first slide mechanism component is adapted to engage with the second slide mechanism component and slide along the second slide mechanism component in a slide direction between a first slide position and a second slide position;

wherein when the actuator rod is translated into the first actuator position, the first slide mechanism component is slid into the first slide position, thereby pivoting the repositionable shutter into the first pivot position, and when the actuator rod is translated into the second actuator position, the first slide mechanism component is slid into the second slide position, thereby pivoting repositionable shutter into the second pivot position.

2. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second slide mechanism component is rigidly attached to the repositionable shutter in proximity to a location midway between the first and second ends of the shutter blade.

3. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second slide mechanism component is rigidly attached to the repositionable shutter in proximity to the first end or the second end of the shutter blade.

4. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of printhead modules are mounted onto a rail assembly in a staggered arrangement, each printhead module being adapted to engage with the rail assembly at a different cross-track position with at least one of the printhead modules engaging with the rail assembly on a first side of the rail assembly and at least two of the printhead modules engaging with the rail assembly on a second side of the rail assembly, wherein the first and second slide mechanism components and the actuator rod for each printhead module are on an opposite side of the rail assembly from the jetting module, and wherein the first and second slide mechanism components and the actuator rod for one of the printhead modules on the first side of the rail assembly are configured to fit between two neighboring printhead modules on the second side of the rail assembly.

5. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the repositionable shutter is removable from the inkjet printhead assembly.

6. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 5 , further including a first shaft extending from the first tab and a second shaft extending from the second tab, the first and second shafts being coaxial with the pivot axis, and wherein the first and second shafts are adapted to removably engage with corresponding first and second mounting grooves on a frame of the printhead module.

7. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 6 , further including first and second latch mechanisms configured to latch the respective first and second shafts into the corresponding first and second mounting grooves.

8. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a motor having a motor shaft, the motor being coupled to the actuator rod using a pivoting lever that rotates with the motor shaft and a linkage arm pivotably attached to the pivoting lever and the actuator rod, and wherein the actuator rod is translated between the first and second actuator positions by rotating the motor shaft to reposition the pivoting lever and the linkage arm.

9. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ink channel of the ink catcher is formed between a catcher body and a lower plate, and wherein the shutter blade has an elastomeric tip that seals against the lower plate of the ink catcher when the repositionable shutter is pivoted into the first pivot position.

10. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis is positioned between the array of nozzles and the slot.

11. The inkjet printhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first slide position is father away from the pivot axis of the repositionable shutter than the second slide position.

Assignees

• Eastman Kodak Co

Inventors

• Roberts Jeffrey L
• Piatt Michael J

Classifications

• B41J2/185 Primary

  Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers · CPC title

• B41J2/085

  Charge means, e.g. electrodes · CPC title

• B41J2/09

  Deflection means · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title