Residue removal from nozzle guard for ink jet printhead
View Patent ↗A nozzle guard ( 80 ) for an ink jet printer printhead with an array ( 14 ) of nozzles ( 10 ). The nozzle guard ( 80 ) has an array of apertures ( 84 ) individually corresponding to the nozzle array ( 14 ). The ink droplets are ejected through the apertures ( 84 ) and onto the media to be printed. A wiper blade ( 143 ) sweeps dust and residual ink ( 144 ) stuck to the exterior surface ( 142 ) of the nozzle guard ( 82 ) characterized in that the exterior surface (142) has a recess ( 146 ) individually associated with each of the apertures ( 86 ) for preventing residual matter ( 144 ) carried by the wiper blade ( 143 ) from lodging within the aperture ( 84 ).
1. An apertured nozzle guard for an ink jet printer printhead having an array of nozzles for ejecting colorant onto a substrate to be printed, wherein,
the nozzle guard includes apertures and is adapted to be positioned on the printhead such that it extends over the exterior of the nozzles to inhibit damaging contact with the nozzles while permitting colorant ejected from the nozzles to pass through the apertures and onto the substrate to be printed; the nozzle guard including:
an exterior surface that, when in use, faces the substrate;
the exterior surface being configured for engagement with a wiper blade that periodically sweeps the surface to remove residual matter; wherein,
the exterior surface has a recess individually associated with each of the apertures for preventing residual matter carried by the wiper blade from lodging within an aperture.
2. A nozzle guard according to claim 1 wherein the exterior surface further includes a deflector ridge in each of the recesses, the deflector ridge positioned to engage the wiper blade before the blade passes over the aperture associated with the recess.
3. A nozzle guard according to claim 2 wherein the deflector ridge is arcuate and positioned with respect to a wiping direction to deflect residual material away from the aperture and toward an edge of the recess.
4. A nozzle guard according to claim 2 wherein the exterior surface is flat except for the recesses and the deflector ridges.
5. A nozzle guard according to claim 1 further including fluid inlet openings for directing fluid over the nozzle array and out through the passages in order to inhibit the build up of foreign particles on the nozzle array.
6. A nozzle guard according to claim 5 further including an integrally formed pair of spaced support elements one support element from the pair being arranged at each end of the nozzle guard.
7. A nozzle guard according to claim 6 wherein the fluid inlet openings are arranged in one of the support elements.
8. A nozzle guard according to claim 7 wherein the fluid inlet openings are arranged in the support element remote from a bond pad of the nozzle array.
9. A nozzle guard according to claim 1 wherein the guard is formed from silicon.