Ink supply unit for printhead of inkjet printer
View Patent ↗An ink supply unit for supplying ink to a printhead includes an elongate manifold defining a recess for receiving the printhead, and a plurality of ink slots in fluid communication with a back surface of the printhead, the plurality of ink slots being grouped into sets; and an ink supply comprising an elongate housing and a partition unit that together define a plurality of elongate ink chambers, each elongate ink chamber being in fluid communication with a respective set of ink slots. The ink supply further comprises a baffle unit including a number of spaced apart baffles extending into each ink chamber, the baffle unit for reducing acceleration of ink in a longitudinal direction along a length of the elongate housing.
1. An ink supply unit for supplying ink to a printhead, the supply unit comprising:
an elongate manifold defining a recess for receiving the printhead, and a plurality of ink slots in fluid communication with a back surface of the printhead, the plurality of ink slots being grouped into sets; and
an ink supply comprising an elongate housing and a partition unit that together define a plurality of elongate ink chambers, each elongate ink chamber being in fluid communication with a respective set of ink slots, wherein
the ink supply further comprises a baffle unit including a number of spaced apart baffles extending into each ink chamber, the baffle unit for reducing acceleration of ink in a longitudinal direction along a length of the elongate housing.
2. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ink supply further comprises a filter located between the elongate manifold and the partitioning unit to filter ink provided from each ink chamber to a respective set of ink slots.
3. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each set of ink slot is arranged in one of a plurality of rows extending along a length of the elongate manifold.
4. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each ink slots tapers inwardly towards the printhead.
5. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of inlets providing external fluidic access into respective ink chambers, the plurality of inlet provided at one longitudinal end of the elongate housing.
6. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the plurality of inlet include pierceable seals.
7. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partitioning unit is ultrasonically welded to the housing.
8. An ink supply unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of air inlets each in fluid communication with a respective ink chamber to facilitate the ingress of air during the egress of ink from the chambers.