Nozzle guard suitable for redirecting ejected ink droplets
View Patent ↗A nozzle guard for a printhead is provided. The nozzle guard has a plurality of channels therethrough, each channel corresponding to a respective nozzle on the printhead such that, in use, ink droplets ejected from each nozzle pass through their respective channel towards a print medium. The channels have hydrophobic sidewalls such that ink droplets can rebound off them and be redirected.
1. A nozzle guard for a printhead, said nozzle guard having a plurality of channels therethrough, each channel corresponding to a respective nozzle on the printhead such that, in use, ink droplets ejected from each nozzle pass through their respective channel towards a print medium, wherein the channels have hydrophobic sidewalls and are radially flared from a nozzle end towards an ejection end.
2. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , wherein the channels are substantially parabolic in cross-section.
3. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , wherein each channel comprises a first portion at a nozzle end and a second portion extending away from the nozzle end, wherein the first portion is broader in cross-section than the second portion.
4. The nozzle guard of claim 3 , wherein the first and second channel portions are substantially coaxial.
5. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , which is formed from a hydrophobic material.
6. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , which is formed from a polymeric material.
7. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , which is formed from photoresist.
8. The nozzle guard of claim 7 , which is UV cured and/or hardbaked.
9. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , which is formed from silicon, wherein the sidewalls have a hydrophobic coating.
10. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , wherein each channel has a length in the range of 10 to 200 μm.
11. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , which is suitable for a pagewidth inkjet printhead.
12. The nozzle guard of claim 1 , which is suitable for a printhead having a nozzle density sufficient to print at up to 1600 dpi.