Elongate printhead assembly including multiple fluid supply galleries
View Patent ↗An elongate printhead assembly has a housing having a series fluid gallery for supplying a multi fluid inkjet printhead chip. The galleries extend along the length of the housing and are open at both ends.
1. A printhead assembly including:
at least one multi-fluid inkjet printhead chip;
a housing including a unitary molding including a plurality of cavities within the molding that define a plurality of galleries internal to the molding, each gallery being isolated from other galleries, the housing carrying the at least one printhead chip such that each gallery is in fluid communication with said at least one printhead chip;
wherein the galleries are located one on top of each other above the at least one printhead chip.
2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein, in cross-section, the galleries are arranged on a non-linear path.
3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein, in cross-section, the galleries are arranged along a J-shaped path.
4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing includes an arcuate shaped section.
5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each gallery has at least two fluid inlets, whereby fluid may be supplied to each gallery from one or more of said fluid inlets.
6. The printhead assembly of claim 5 being an elongate pagewidth printhead assembly and said at least two fluid inlets comprise inlets at either longitudinal end of the housing.
7. The printhead assembly of claim 5 further including at least one closure closing at least one inlet of each gallery.
8. The printer of claim 1 wherein each gallery has at least two fluid inlets, whereby fluid may be supplied to each gallery from one or more of said fluid inlets.
9. The printer of claim 8 wherein said at least two fluid inlets comprise inlets at either longitudinal end of the housing.
10. The printer of claim 8 further including at least one closure closing at least one inlet of each gallery.
11. A printer including a printhead assembly the assembly including:
at least one multi-fluid inkjet printhead chip;
a housing including a unitary molding including a plurality of cavities within the molding that define a plurality of galleries internal to the molding, each gallery being isolated from the other galleries, the housing carrying the at least one printhead chip such that each gallery is in fluid communication with said at least one printhead chip;
wherein the galleries are located one on top of each other.
12. The printer of claim 11 wherein, in cross-section, the galleries are arranged on a non-linear path.
13. The printer of claim 11 wherein, in cross-section, the galleries are arranged along a J-shaped path.
14. The printer of claim 11 wherein the housing includes an arcuate shaped section.
15. The printer of claim 11 including at least one print media feed roller mounted for rotation about an axis, said printhead assembly being located adjacent the roller with the arcuate shaped section adjacent the roller.
16. The printer of claim 15 wherein the housing includes an arcuate shaped section that has a centre of curvature coincident with the axis.