Printhead cartridge interface having power storage
View Patent ↗A system for interconnecting a printhead cartridge and a cradle unit for supporting the printhead cartridge, the system comprising: an interface at which the printhead cartridge is removably engageable with the cradle unit, the interface comprising connections for connecting the printhead cartridge with a power supply of the cradle unit; and a power storage circuit incorporated in the interface for storing at least some of the power being supplied to the printhead cartridge from the power supply.
1. A system for interconnecting a printhead cartridge and a cradle unit for supporting the printhead cartridge, the system comprising:
an interface at which the printhead cartridge is removably engageable with the cradle unit, the interface comprising connections for connecting the printhead cartridge with a power supply and print control circuitry of the cradle unit; and
a power storage circuit incorporated in the interface for storing at least some of the power being supplied to the printhead cartridge from the power supply,
wherein the interface incorporates a first printed circuit board, the connections and power storage circuit being arranged on the first printed circuit board, and the print control circuitry is incorporated on a second printed circuit board, and
the first and second printed circuit boards have complementary connectors which cooperate to provide the connection of the printhead cartridge and print control circuitry, the complementary connectors being arranged so that the first printed circuit board is able to pivot with respect to the second printed circuit board.
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the first printed circuit board is arranged so as to substantially orthogonally project from the second printed circuit through the cooperation of the complementary connectors.
3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage circuit includes a plurality of capacitors for storing said power.
4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein the capacitors include electrolytic and ceramic capacitors.
5. A system according to claim 4 , wherein the electrolytic capacitors are 100 microFarad capacitors.
6. A system according to claim 4 , wherein the electrolytic capacitors are tantalum capacitors.
7. A system according to claim 4 , wherein eight of the electrolytic capacitors are arranged in parallel to store about 12 milliJoules of energy.
8. A system according to claim 4 , wherein the ceramic capacitors are 10 microFarad capacitors.
9. A system according to claim 4 , wherein six of the ceramic capacitors are arranged in parallel to store about 900 microJoules of energy.
10. A system according to claim 3 , wherein the power storage circuit further includes an inductor for storing some of said power.
11. A system according to claim 10 , wherein the inductor is a 10 microHenry inductor.
12. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the power storage circuit is incorporated in a power regulation circuit of the interface, the power regulation circuit being configured to regulate the supply of power from the power supply to the printhead cartridge.
13. A system according to claim 12 , wherein the power regulation circuit is configured to regulate the supply of power from the power supply so that ink ejection nozzles of a printhead incorporated in the printhead cartridge receive substantially constant power.
14. A system according to claim 12 , wherein the power regulation circuit is configured to output a regulated voltage up to 5.5 Volts from a supply of 12 Volts from the power supply.
15. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the power regulation circuit is configured to output a regulated current of 3.5 Amps from a supply of 2 Amps from the power supply.
16. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the power regulation circuit is configured to output the regulated voltage with a maximum variation of 100 milliVolts.