Printhead system with substrate channel supporting printhead and ink hose
View Patent ↗A printhead system for an inkjet printer includes a pagewidth inkjet printhead formed from a plurality of printhead integrated circuits arranged end-to-end; a flexible ink hose extending a length of the printhead, the flexible ink hose defining a plurality of distinct and parallel ink channels and further defining plural groups of apertures repeated along the length of the flexible ink hose; and a substrate channel supporting on a top thereof the plurality of printhead integrated circuits and supporting from a bottom thereof the extruded flexible ink hose, the substrate channel provided with plural groups of repeated apertures defined therethrough and extending along a length of the channel. Each group of apertures provided on the substrate channel aligns with a respective group of apertures defined along the flexible ink hose and further with apertures provided on a bottom of one printhead integrated circuit.
1. A printhead system for an inkjet printer, the printhead system comprising
a pagewidth inkjet printhead formed from a plurality of printhead integrated circuits arranged end-to-end;
a flexible ink hose extending a length of the printhead, the flexible ink hose defining a plurality of distinct and parallel ink channels and further defining plural groups of apertures repeated along the length of the flexible ink hose; and
a substrate channel supporting on a top thereof the plurality of printhead integrated circuits and supporting from a bottom thereof the flexible ink hose, the substrate channel provided with plural groups of repeated apertures defined therethrough and extending along a length of the channel, wherein
each group of apertures provided on the substrate channel aligns with a respective group of apertures defined along the flexible ink hose and further with apertures provided on a bottom of one printhead integrated circuit, and
a first longitudinal end of the flexible ink hose is connected to one or more ink containers.
2. A printhead system according to claim 1 , further comprising an extrusion cap for capping a second longitudinal end of the flexible ink hose.
3. A printhead system according to claim 1 , further comprising a metal support plate for supporting and locating the substrate channel and flexible ink hose.
4. A printhead system according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate channel defines a plurality of notches along a length thereof, the metal support plate defines a plurality of protruding tabs along thereof, and the notches and protruding tabs are adapted to engage to locate the substrate channel and support plate with respect to each other.
5. A printhead system according to claim 1 , wherein the apertures of each group defined along a length of the flexible ink hose are staggered with respect to each other.
6. A printhead system according to claim 1 , wherein the apertures of each group provided along a length of the substrate channel are staggered with respect to each other.