Inkjet printer having thermally stable modular printhead
View Patent ↗An inkjet printer is provided comprising a body, an elongate support member mounted to the body and a plurality of printhead modules detachably mounted in series along the support member. The support member has a structural component for strengthening the member. Each printhead module is mounted to the support member via a mounting component of the support member. The mounting component is connected to the structural component via an elastomeric element which allows relative thermal expansion and contraction.
1. An inkjet printer comprising:
a body;
an elongate support member mounted to the body, the support member having a structural component for strengthening the member; and
a plurality of printhead modules detachably mounted in series along the support member, each printhead module being mounted to the support member via a mounting component of the support member,
wherein the mounting component is connected to the structural component via an elastomeric element which allows relative thermal expansion and contraction.
2. A printer according to claim 1 wherein each of the printhead modules has an array of inkjet nozzles arranged on a substrate, the coefficient of thermal expansion of each substrate being similar to that of the mounting component.
3. A printer according to claim 1 wherein the structural component is a beam with a channel section and the mounting component is a core housed within the channel section.
4. A printer according to claim 3 wherein the channel is an aluminium extrusion and the core has ink supply channels for the printhead modules.
5. A printer according to claim 4 wherein each of the printhead modules has an array of inkjet nozzles arranged on a substrate.
6. A printer according to claim 5 wherein the substrates and the core are predominantly formed from silicon.
7. A printer according to claim 1 wherein the arrangement of the printhead modules along the elongate support member form a pagewidth printhead.