Printhead alignment

Abstract

A printhead assembly for an inkjet printer includes a printhead having a plurality of nozzles, a nozzle plate attached to the printhead, and a substrate attached to the nozzle plate by at least three fasteners that provide independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the substrate in three independent dimensions. The printhead assembly has a fluid connection between the printhead and a fluid manifold having an alignment feature. The printhead assembly also has a tile structure coupled to the substrate, the tile structure having a first portion flexibly coupled to a second portion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 265,807, filed on December 21, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0002] Industrial inkjet printers are used to apply materials onto large substrates to form a variety of devices. The substrates can be rigid or flexible, thick or thin, and can be made from a range of materials. The most common types of substrates used in this way are made from various types of glass, which are processed into electronic displays such as televisions and smartphone screens.

[0003] Inkjet printers use a printhead with nozzles that dispense the print material for deposition onto a substrate. Today, industrial inkjet printers deposit very small droplets of print material with extreme precision to form extremely small or thin, precisely positioned structures on a substrate. To increase production speeds, multiple printheads are often used to perform a single print job. Due to the extreme precision of modern inkjet printing, precise alignment of the printheads helps ensure that the print droplets land where desired. As the size of the print droplets decreases to 10 microns, the need for printhead alignment increases.

[0004] Occasionally, the printhead of an industrial-scale inkjet printer needs to be replaced. Today, there are often multiple printheads, with multiple printheads attached to one ink cartridge, and a printhead assembly for a particular printer may require multiple printhead cartridges. Quick removal and insertion of printhead cartridges while ensuring a secure connection to the ink supply and electrical components helps minimize printer downtime when replacing printheads and ink cartridges. It also helps if all the cartridges can be aligned with each other.

[0005] Finally, the operation of an inkjet printer often results in temperature variations in the printer components. For the printhead and ink cartridges, temperature variations can change the alignment and position of the nozzles. Such variations often require recalibration of the printer to the new positions of the nozzles, since the positions of the nozzles can vary by several microns depending on the operating temperature range. For example, a printhead can be installed and aligned within a print cartridge, and several cartridges can be put together to form a printhead assembly, all at room temperature. During production, when the temperature of the printhead assembly increases, the alignment of all printheads and nozzles can change. Time-consuming calibration operations are required to detect and react to these variations, slowing production. By managing and minimizing these variations, production speeds can be increased.

[0006] There is an ongoing need for methods and apparatus for achieving, maintaining, and managing extremely precise alignment of inkjet printer print heads on an industrial scale. Summary of the invention

[0007] Embodiments described herein provide a printhead assembly for an inkjet printer, the printhead assembly comprising a printhead having a plurality of nozzles; a nozzle plate attached to the printhead; and a substrate attached to the nozzle plate by at least three fasteners, the at least three fasteners providing independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the substrate in three independent dimensions.

[0008] Other embodiments described herein provide a printhead assembly for an inkjet printer, the printhead assembly comprising: a support plate; a supply plate comprising a plurality of alignment features; a plurality of print tiles disposed between the support plate and the supply plate, each print tile comprising a plurality of print heads, each print head comprising a plurality of nozzles; a nozzle plate attached to each print head; a substrate attached to the nozzle plate by at least three fasteners, the at least three fasteners providing independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the substrate in three independent dimensions; and a fluid manifold comprising at least one alignment feature, the alignment feature matching one of the alignment features of the supply plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1A is a plan view of a print head cluster according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 1B for Figure 1A A front view of a portion of a printhead cluster is shown.

[0011] Figure 2A is a schematic side elevation view of a tile assembly for an industrial scale inkjet printer according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2B for Figure 2A Schematic top view of the tile assembly shown.

[0013] Figure 3A is a schematic side elevation view of a partially disassembled print tile according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3B for Figure 3A A top view of the assembled printed tiles is shown.

[0015] Figure 3C According to one embodiment Figure 3A and 3B A detailed view of a portion of a printed tile is shown.

[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic front view of a print head assembly in a partially assembled state with a partially inserted print tile. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Figure 1A 1 is a plan view of a print head cluster 100 according to one embodiment. The print head cluster 100 has a plurality of print heads 102, in this example there are three print heads 102, each of which has a plurality of print nozzles for dispensing printing materials. For simplicity, the nozzles are not shown here. Each of the print heads 102 is attached to a nozzle plate 104. Each of the nozzle plates 104 is attached to a substrate 106, and the substrate 106 is used to combine the nozzle plate 104 and the print head 102 into the cluster 100.

[0018] Each nozzle plate 104 is attached to the substrate by three fasteners that provide independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the substrate in three independent dimensions. Each nozzle plate 104 has a long dimension 110, a short dimension 112, a first end 114, and a second end 116 located at an opposite position of the first end 114 along the long dimension 110. A first fastener 118 is located at the first end 114, on the central axis of the nozzle plate in the direction of the long dimension 110, and is operable to position the nozzle plate 104 along the long dimension 110 of the nozzle plate 104. The first end 114 has a notch 120 formed therein that is symmetrical relative to the long dimension 110. In this case, the notch 120 has two straight sides that meet at a point that is located on the central axis of the nozzle plate 104 extending along the long dimension 110. The first fastener 118 provides a positioning force at the first end 114 by providing equal forces on both sides of the notch 120. These forces cancel in the direction of the short dimension and add in the direction of the long dimension to provide the ability to position the nozzle plate 104 in the direction of the long dimension 110 by operating the first fastener 118. The substrate has a low coefficient of thermal expansion to provide dimensional stability to maintain the positional relationship of the printhead and other components of the printhead cluster 100. In one example, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate is less than about 20×10 -6 / K.

[0019] Figure 1B1 is a schematic front view of a portion of the printhead cluster 100. As described above, it shows a portion of the nozzle plate 104 and shows an example of a fastener 150 that can be used to position the nozzle plate 104. The fastener 150 is a conical screw having a conical head 152 with an inclined edge 154. The fastener 150 is positioned so that the conical head 152 strikes the nozzle plate 104. When the conical screw 150 is operated, the point of impact of the nozzle plate 104 on the conical head 152 changes. When the conical screw 150 is advanced, the point of impact moves to a larger radius position of the conical head 152, thereby generating a force that urges the nozzle plate 104 away from the conical screw 150. When the conical screw 150 is retracted, the point of impact of the conical head 152 on the nozzle plate 104 moves to a smaller radius position, thereby reducing the force applied by the conical screw 150 to the nozzle plate 104. The opposing forces on the nozzle plate 104 then push the nozzle plate 104 toward the tapered screw 150 according to the changed force balance on the nozzle plate 104. In this case, a tapered screw can be used as a fastener that can position the nozzle plate in the direction of the long dimension 110.

[0020] Reference again Figure 1A , the recess 120 may have any shape that is symmetrical with respect to the long dimension 110. The shape may be polygonal, circular or irregular.

[0021] The second fastener 122 is located at the second end 116 and is operable to position the nozzle plate 104 in the direction of the short dimension 112 thereof. The second fastener 122 is positioned proximate to the second end 116 along a side 124 of the nozzle plate 104. In this case, since the second fastener 122 is positioned proximate to the second end 116 along the side 124 of the nozzle plate 104, the second fastener 122 is operable to rotate the nozzle plate 104 about an axis perpendicular to the nozzle plate 104. That is, operating the second fastener 122 may rotate the nozzle plate 104 about an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by the long dimension 110 and the short dimension 112 of the nozzle plate 104, which plane is substantially parallel to the substrate 106.

[0022] When the second fastener 122 is operated, the second end 116 moves in the direction of the short dimension 112, while the first end 114 rotates about the first fastener 118. If the first fastener 118 is not operated simultaneously, the first fastener 118 maintains the position of the nozzle plate 104 relative to the long dimension 110 and maintains the position of the first end 114, while the second fastener 122 changes the position of the second end 116, causing the nozzle plate 104 to rotate about the fixed position of the first fastener 118. The second fastener 122 moves the nozzle plate 104 a short distance, so the second fastener 122 effectively moves the nozzle plate 104 in a quasi-linear manner that is substantially parallel (i.e., differentially non-parallel) to the short dimension 112. The second fasteners 122 can also be operated to align the nozzle plates 104 with any desired feature or orientation, but most notably, the second fasteners 122 of each nozzle plate 104 can be operated to align the nozzle plates 104 with each other so that all nozzle plates 104 of the printhead cluster 100 can be aligned. By operating the first fasteners 118 of each nozzle plate 104, all nozzle plates 104 of the printhead cluster 100 can be aligned in two independent dimensions that define planes that are substantially parallel to the plane of the substrate 106.

[0023] An opposing member 130 may be provided to provide a restoring force in the direction of the long dimension 110. The opposing member 130 is located at the second end 116 of the nozzle plate 104 and impacts the second end 116. The opposing member 130 is an elastic member for applying a force to the nozzle plate in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of the force applied by the first fastener 118. When the first fastener 118 is operated to cause the nozzle plate 104 to move toward the opposing member 130 and away from the first fastener 118, the opposing member 130 yields to allow the nozzle plate 102 to move away from the first fastener 118. When the nozzle plate 104 moves away from the first fastener 118, the opposing member 130 stores restoring potential energy. When the first fastener 118 is operated to move the nozzle plate 104 toward the first fastener 118, the restoring potential energy stored in the opposing member 130 is released to move the nozzle plate 104 toward the first fastener 118.

[0024] In some cases, the opposing member 130 may be a first opposing member, and the print head cluster 100 may have a second opposing member 132 positioned opposite to the second fastener 120 to provide a similar restoring force to move the nozzle plate 104 toward the second fastener 120 when the second fastener 120 is operated to allow the nozzle plate 104 to rotate toward the second fastener 120. The first opposing member 130 and the second opposing member 132 may be spring members, such as leaf springs or coil springs, or other elastic members such as homogeneous compressible members, such as rubber stoppers.

[0025] It should be noted that the opposing members 130 and 132 help control the effects of thermal expansion during temperature cycling. As the temperature of the printhead cluster 100 changes, thermal expansion of the components of the printhead cluster 100 will cause changes in the size and relative position of the components. Since the components are of nearly identical composition and are in close relative position, similar components (e.g., all nozzle plates 104) will have nearly identical thermal responses. For example, the size of the nozzle plate 104 will increase as the temperature increases. The various fasteners 104 that strike the nozzle plate will remain in place, and therefore, thermal expansion will increase the force on the opposing members 130 and 132 to yield. Then, as the temperature decreases during a cycle, the opposing members 130 and 132 will relax as the nozzle plates 104 decrease in size, effectively keeping all nozzle plates 104 aligned during temperature cycling.

[0026] A third fastener 140 may be provided to adjust the nozzle plate 104 in a third direction that is independent of the directions of the long dimension 110 and the short dimension 112. In this case, one or more shims 142 are used in conjunction with the third fastener 140 of each nozzle plate 104 to adjust the position of the nozzle plate 104 in the third direction. In this case, two fasteners 140 are used to position the nozzle plate 104 in the third direction, one at the first end 110 and the other at the second end 112. The two fasteners 140 may be independently operated using respective shims 142 to additionally level the nozzle plate 104 and the printhead 102 attached thereto. The shims 142 are provided between the nozzle plate 104 and the substrate 106 and are generally located below the force-bearing area of ​​the third fastener 140 to position the nozzle plate 104 at a desired location near the third fastener 140 along the third direction. The shims 142 may have any desired thickness to allow for parametric positioning of the nozzle plate 104 along the third direction. In one example, each shim 142 has a thickness of 25 microns, although other different thicknesses may be used. The shims 142 generally protrude outwardly between the nozzle plate 104 and the substrate 106, making the shims 142 easier to manipulate. It should be noted that multiple shims 142 may be used in one location, and no shims 142 may be used in some locations, depending on how the position and angle of the nozzle plate 104 relative to the third direction is to be adjusted.

[0027] The nozzle plates 104 with attached printheads 102 may be aligned in any order according to the three directions. In one step, the nozzle plates 104 are loosely attached to the substrate 106. The first nozzle plate 104 of the printhead cluster 100 is positioned at a fixed position relative to the long dimension 110 using the fixed position fasteners 144 at the recesses 120. The other nozzle plates 104 with attached printheads 102 are aligned with the first nozzle plate 104 at the respective first ends 114 using the first fasteners 118. The second fasteners 122 of all the nozzle plates 104 are operable to align all the nozzle plates 104 and may be used to align all the nozzle plates 104 with a reference, such as an edge of the substrate 106. The third fasteners 140 and shims 142 are then operated to align and level the nozzle plates 104 relative to the third direction. The substrate 106 has four recesses 146 for receiving posts of a tile structure described below. The groove 146 allows the print head cluster 100 to be integrated into a print tile that supplies printing fluid to the print head cluster 100 and controls the operation of the print head cluster 100 .

[0028] A printing fluid conduit is attached to the print head cluster 100 to supply printing fluid to the print head 102 . Figure 2A is a schematic side elevation view of a tile assembly 200 for an industrial scale inkjet printer according to one embodiment. The tile assembly 200 includes the printhead cluster 100, shown here in an elevation view, showing a printhead 102, a nozzle plate 104, and a combination of first, second and third fasteners 118, 122 and 140. A supply tube 202 is attached to the nozzle plate 104 adjacent to a first side 204 of the printhead 102, and a return tube 206 is attached to the nozzle plate 104 adjacent to a second side 208 of the printhead 102. The supply tube 202 delivers printing fluid to the printhead 102, and the return tube 206 returns printing fluid from the printhead 102. Thus, the tile assembly 200 is a fluid assembly that can be used as a print tile ( Figure 2A With respect to Figure 2A As shown, the positions of the supply pipe 202 and the return pipe 206 may be interchanged. That is, the supply pipe 202 may be attached near the second side 208 , and the return pipe 206 may be attached near the first side 204 .

[0029] The supply tube 202 and the return tube 206 are also attached to a fluid manifold 210, which is used to fluidly connect the tile assembly 200 with a printing supply system (not shown). Figure 2B 2 is a schematic top view of the tile component 200. The fluid manifold 210 is connected to the supply pipe 202 and the return pipe 206 ( Figure 2A ) are engaged with a fluid supply port 212 and a fluid return port 214. The fluid supply port 212 and the fluid return port 214 each have a sealing surface 215, which is sealed when the corresponding fluid nozzle of the printing supply system is inserted. Each fluid nozzle of the printing supply system has a shoulder component, and when the fluid connection with the fluid supply port 212 and the fluid return port 214 is established, the shoulder component contacts the sealing surface 215 due to the sealing pressure to seal the connection between the fluid ports 212 and 214 and the printing supply system.

[0030] The fluid manifold 210 has two alignment features 216 that assist in the installation of a print tile with the tile assembly 200 as a component. The print tile is further described below. The alignment features 216 are located between the fluid supply port 212 and the fluid return port 214, and in this case, the alignment features 216 are positioned slightly offset from a line connecting the center of the fluid supply port 212 and the center of the fluid return port 214. The alignment features 216 can be located at any convenient position on the fluid manifold 210. The alignment features 216 can be protrusions or grooves. In this case, the alignment features 216 are grooves for receiving alignment protrusions to align the fluid manifold 210 with the fluid supply assembly ( Figure 2B Each alignment feature 216 has an inclined inlet 217 so that when the print tile having the tile assembly 200 with the alignment features 216 is inserted into and engaged with the print supply system, the alignment protrusion for aligning with the print supply system protrudes into the alignment features 216 to help align the print tile during installation, as further described below.

[0031] The fluid manifold 210 has the engagement feature 218 for securing the print tile with the tile assembly 200 to the print supply system. In this case, the engagement feature 218 is a threaded groove for receiving a screw that can be operated to secure the engagement of the print tile with the print supply system. The fluid manifold 210 has an outer wall 220 defining an inner surface 222 of the fluid manifold 210, the outer wall 220 defining the inner surface 222 of the fluid manifold 210. The outer wall 220 is raised above the inner surface 222 to provide fluid containment when the tile assembly 200 is disengaged from the print supply system to prevent some fluid from escaping from the print supply system or the containment portion in the supply tube 202 and the return tube 206 during the removal of the print tile. The engagement feature 218 is arranged in a platform 224, the height of which is substantially equal to the height of the outer wall 220 to avoid fluid intrusion into the engagement feature 218. In this case, fluid intrusion into the engagement feature 218 is undesirable because the fluid manifold 210 uses a sensor to detect the engagement of the screw with the engagement feature 218 to securely mount the print tile. The height of the platform 224 may be higher than the height of the outer wall 220, and in some cases may be slightly lower than the height of the outer wall 220. If the height of the platform 224 is too low, there is a risk of printing fluid intrusion into the engagement feature 218 when the print tile is disengaged from the print supply system.

[0032] Reference again Figure 2A , an optical sensor 226 is attached to the bottom surface 228 of the fluid manifold 210 to sense the engagement of the screw with the engagement feature 218. The sensor 226 can be directly attached to the fluid manifold 210, or can be attached using an intermediate member such as a metal plate (not shown). When fully engaged, the screw extends into the optical sensor 226, blocking the light path of the light source in the optical sensor. The light detector in the optical sensor senses whether the light source is emitting light and outputs a signal accordingly. If there is light, the light detector will send a signal indicating that the screw is not fully engaged. If there is no light, the light detector will send a signal indicating that the screw is fully engaged. In this way, the user can easily confirm that the print tile is fully engaged with the print supply system.

[0033] Other types of sensors may be used to detect engagement. For example, an optical sensor may be positioned within the fluid manifold 210 rather than attached to the bottom surface 228. Additionally, a conductivity sensor may be used to detect contact between the screw and the engagement feature as long as both the screw and the engagement feature have conductive elements.

[0034] The tile assembly 200 is matched with electrical components to form a printing tile. Figure 3A 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a partially disassembled print tile 300 according to one embodiment. The tile assembly 200 is shown on the right. The supply tube 202 is visible here, while the return tube 206 is obscured in this view. The supply tube 202 is fluidly coupled to each print head 102 through a supply tube 350 for each print head 102. The supply tube 350 is coupled to the supply tube 202 through a supply tube manifold 352. A similar return tube and return tube manifold couples the return tube to the print head 102 on the opposite side of each print head 102.

[0035] The electrical component 302 shown on the left is matched with the tile assembly 200 to form the printing tile 300. The electrical component 302 includes a tile structure 304 that supports a control box 306 and an interface circuit 308. In this case, the interface circuit 308 is implemented as a circuit board. The interface circuit 308 is electrically connected to the control box 306 using wiring. The control box 306 contains circuits for controlling the operation of the print head 102. When the electrical component 302 is matched with the tile assembly 200, the control box 306 is connected to the print head 102 using wiring.

[0036] The tile structure 304 has a first portion 310 that supports the interface circuit 308 and provides alignment support for the interface circuit 308 and the fluid manifold 210 to facilitate quick and easy connection of the print tile 300 to the print supply system, as further explained below. The first portion 310 has four upper posts 316 ( Figure 3A The interface circuit 308 is supported by an interface support plate 318, which extends from the first plate 312 to the interior of the first portion 310 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first plate 312. The interface circuit 308 is attached to the interface support plate 318 by a spacer bracket 320, which precisely positions the interface circuit 308 relative to the interface support plate 318 to facilitate electrical connection with the print supply system.

[0037] The second plate 314 of the first portion 310 is attached to the second portion 322 of the tile structure 304, which has a mounting plate 324 for attaching to the second plate 314. The second plate 314 and the mounting plate 324 are fastened together by a flexible fastener 326, which is flexible to allow the first portion 310 to move relative to the second portion 322. The flexible fastener 326 is resilient so that the first portion 310 and the second portion 322 can move slightly to facilitate connection with the print supply system, but the first portion 310 and the second portion 322 are still firmly fastened together. In one embodiment, the flexible fastener 326 is a spring shoulder screw, but any flexible fastener can be used.

[0038] Figure 3C Detailed view of a portion of the electrical component 302 according to one embodiment showing the manner in which the first portion 310 is attached to the second portion 322. The flexible fastener 326 is a spring shoulder screw having a spring 325 disposed between the mounting plate 324 and the second plate 314, the spring 325 being compressed by a screw 327. In this manner, the first portion 310 can be elastically floated on the spring 325 while being attached to the second portion 322. In other embodiments, the spring 325 can be tensioned and the screw 327 can hold the plates 314 and 324 apart. Other flexible fasteners can be used.

[0039] Reference again Figure 3AThe second portion 322 has four lower posts 329 extending from the mounting plate 324 to define a perimeter of the second portion 322, which in this case is substantially the same as the perimeter of the first portion 310 defined by the upper posts 316. The lower posts 329 extend into the recess 146 of the substrate 106 of the printhead cluster 100 ( Figure 1A ) to integrate the electrical component 302 with the tile component 200, thereby forming the printing tile 300, which can be manipulated as a unit.

[0040] The second portion 322 also has a control box support plate 312 attached to the four lower posts 324. The control box support plate 312 supports the control box 306 and provides rigidity to the second portion 322 and, when the electrical component 302 is mated with the tile assembly 200, to the print tile 300.

[0041] Figure 3B 3 is a top view of the assembled tile 300. The first plate 310 is shown with the connecting edge 328 of the fluid manifold 210 and the interface circuit 308 in a position to connect with the print supply system. A window 330 is attached to the first plate 310 by fasteners 332 to provide lateral support and positioning for the fluid manifold 210 when the tile 300 is assembled. The first plate 310 also has an opening 334 for the connecting edge 328 to protrude into (optionally pass through) therein to connect with the print supply system. The opening 334 has a spatial tolerance around the connecting edge 328 to allow the connecting edge 328 to engage with a connector of the print supply system.

[0042] The first plate 312 has an orientation feature 336 to ensure that the print tile 300 is installed in the correct orientation. The print tile 300 is installed in a print head assembly (not shown here), which supports the print tile 300, positions the print tile 300 for printing during operation, and includes the print supply system that engages with the print tile 300. The print head assembly has matching orientation features to ensure that the print tile 300 is correctly installed. Here, the positioning feature 336 is a lateral protrusion protruding from the edge of the first plate 312. In this case, the orientation feature 336 protrudes from the long side of the first plate 312, which is generally rectangular. It should be noted that the first plate 312 can have any convenient shape and the orientation feature 336 can be located at any convenient position on the first plate 312. Here, the orientation feature 336 is semicircular, but the orientation feature 336 can have any convenient shape and grooves can be used instead of protrusions as orientation features. In addition, any number of orientation features can be used. Here one directional feature 336 is shown.

[0043] Figure 4 4 is a schematic front view of a print head assembly 400 in a partially assembled state, wherein a print tile is partially inserted. The print head assembly 400 has a support plate 402 and a supply plate 404. The print supply system 406 is disposed on a first side of the supply plate 404 and is connected to the print tile 300 through the supply plate 404. The support plate 402 supports the inserted and connected print tile 300. A plurality of print tiles 300 are inserted to configure the print head assembly 400.

[0044] The print tile 300 is inserted and passed through the support plate 402 and pushed toward the supply plate 404 until its connection with the print supply system 406 is completed. A guide is used to guide the print tile 300 through the support plate 402 to be inserted into the supply plate 404. A first guide 408 is attached to the support plate 402 on a side of the support plate 402 that faces the supply plate 404 and extends toward the supply plate 404. Here, the first guide 408 is a plate-like structure, but in other cases, the first guide 408 can be a pair of rails, one for guiding each side of the print tile 300. Typically, at least two first guides 408 are used on opposite sides of the print tile 300 (in this view, only one first guide 408 is visible), and in some cases, four first guides 408 can be used, one for each side of the rectangular print tile 300. Generally speaking, the shape of the first guide 408 matches the shape of the print tile 300. Here, the printing tile 300 is rectangular, and therefore, the first guide 408 is plate-shaped to conform to one side of the rectangular printing tile 300. In other cases, the printing tile 300 may have different shapes. When the printing tile 300 has a generally polyhedral shape, the first guide 408 may be plate-shaped to guide along one side of the printing tile 300, or the first guide 408 may be rail-shaped to guide along the edge of the printing tile 300. When the printing tile 300 has a curved side, the first guide 408 may be bent to match it. It should be noted that the first guide 408 may be a plurality of separate plates or a single box-shaped structure surrounding the insertion path of the printing tile 300. The first guide 408 may also be a partially discontinuous plate-shaped structure, for example, two guide rails connected by one or more rods or bars. The first guide rail 408 may also be a partially discontinuous box-shaped structure, for example, four guide rails extending from the support plate 402 to the supply plate 404, wherein the guide rails are connected by rods or bars to form a rectangular shape. When the print tile 300 is inserted through the support plate 402 toward the supply plate 404, the first guide member 408 generally maintains the straight orientation of the print tile 300.

[0045] The second guide 410 is attached to the supply plate 404 at a side of the supply plate 404 facing the support plate 402 and extending toward the support plate 402. The second guide 410 has a plurality of plate-like structures 411, each of which has an inclined profile to guide the alignment of the print tile 300 with the supply plate 404 and various connection features of the print supply system 406. In this case, the second guide 410 is a single component, which is attached to a side of the supply plate 404 facing the support plate 402 and has a plate-like structure 411 extending toward the support plate 402. Figure 4 B shows three plate-like structures 411 of the second guide member 410. The second guide member 410 has four plate-like structures 411, but Figure 4 The closest plate-like structure 411 is omitted in view B to show the details of the print tile 300 relative to the supply plate 404 and the print supply system 406.

[0046] Each plate-like structure 411 has an inner surface 412 that faces inwardly toward the print tile 300. For each plate-like structure 411, as the inner surface 412 extends away from the feed plate 404, the inner surface 412 is inclined away from the print tile 300. In other words, each plate-like structure 411 has a wide end 413 and a narrow end 415, wherein the wide end 413 is adjacent to the feed plate 404 and the narrow end 415 is opposite the wide end 413. As the print tile 300 advances toward the feed plate 404, the inclined inner surface 412 of the plate-like structure 411 allows the position of the print tile 300 to narrow toward the wide end 413 of the plate-like structure 411 to guide the print tile 300 into position so that the connection edge 328 ( Figure 3B ) capable of connecting to the fluid and electrical features of the printing supply system 406.

[0047] The supply plate 404 has two alignment features 216 ( Figure 2B ) engages with the alignment feature 414. When the print tile 300 is advanced into engagement with the print supply system 406, the alignment protrusion 414 (in this case a protrusion) is pointed to ensure that it aligns with the alignment feature 216 ( Figure 2B ) engagement. As described above, other types of alignment features may be used. The second guide 410 and the engagement of the alignment feature 414 with the alignment feature 216, together with the flexible mounting of the first portion 310 to the second portion 322, guide the print tile 300 toward the fluid and electrical connections of the print supply system 406 with a passive narrowing tolerance so that the engagement feature 218 ( Figure 2B) contacts the engagement screw 416 disposed through the supply plate 404, and causes the fluid ports 212 and 214 ( Figure 2B ) and the connecting edge 328 of the interface circuit 308 are closely connected to corresponding features of the print supply system 406. The engagement screw 416 is constrained within the supply plate 406 so that operation of the engagement screw 416 causes the print tile 300 to form a secure fluid and electrical contact with the print supply system 406. The various alignment features of the fluid manifold 210, the precise positioning of the interface circuit 308 on the print tile 300, and the first and second guides 408 and 410 make the insertion of the print tile 300 into the printhead assembly 400 and its connection to the print tile 300 of the print supply system 406 quick and easy. The shape, size and tolerance of the second guide 410, the alignment features 414 and the alignment features 216, and the flexible connection of the first and second portions 310 and 322 of the tile structure 304 enable the print tile 300 to be securely aligned once inserted into the printhead assembly 400.

[0048] When connection is established with the print supply system 406, the fluid nozzles (not shown) of the print supply system 406 are fluidly connected and sealed with the fluid ports 212 and 214 of the fluid manifold 210, thereby providing a fluid connection with the fluid supply and return tubes 420 of the print supply system 406, which are located opposite the supply plate 404 of the fluid manifold 210. Fluid valves 422 control the flow of fluid from the print supply system 406 into the fluid manifold 210 and the print tile 300, and vice versa. As described above, the print head assembly 400 includes a plurality of print tiles 300, each of which is connected to the print supply system 406 in the same manner. A pair of fluid valves 422 for each print tile 300 is operated by a control system to control the flow of fluid between each print tile 300 and a fluid reservoir of the print head assembly 400. Such a printhead assembly may use multiple types of printing fluids, with dedicated fluid supply and return tubes being used to deliver each fluid type to a different sub-device of the print tile 300 .

[0049] The foregoing is directed to one or more inventive embodiments, however, other embodiments of such inventions not specifically described in this disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope as determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A print head assembly for an inkjet printer, comprising: a print head including a plurality of nozzles; a nozzle plate attached to the print head; as well as A base plate is attached to the nozzle plate by at least three fasteners, the at least three fasteners providing independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the base plate in three independent dimensions.

2. The print head assembly according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the fasteners includes a washer.

3. The print head assembly according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the fasteners is a tapered screw.

4. The print head assembly of claim 3, wherein: At least one tapered screw is positioned to provide rotational adjustment of the nozzle plate relative to the base plate.

5. The print head assembly of claim 4, wherein: At least one tapered screw includes a first tapered screw positioned to provide rotation of the nozzle plate relative to the base plate, and a second screw providing linear movement of the nozzle plate relative to the base plate.

6. The print head assembly of claim 5, wherein: The nozzle plate has a long dimension, a short dimension, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end along the long dimension; the first tapered screw is located at the first end and the second tapered screw is located at the second end along a side of the nozzle plate.

7. The print head assembly of claim 1, wherein: The thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is less than about 20×10 -6 / K.

8. The print head assembly of claim 1, wherein: The print head is a first print head, the nozzle plate is a first nozzle plate, and further includes a second print head attached to a second nozzle plate, wherein the second nozzle plate is attached to the substrate by at least three fasteners, and the at least three fasteners provide independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the substrate in two independent dimensions and fix the position of the second nozzle plate relative to the substrate in a dimension different from the two independent dimensions.

9. The print head assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: A tile structure is attached to the substrate at a first end of the tile structure, and a fluid manifold is attached to a second end of the tile structure opposite the first end, the fluid manifold including at least two fluid connections and at least two manifold alignment features.

10. The print head assembly according to claim 9, further comprising: An electrical component is attached to the tile structure, the electrical component having a connection member located in the recess of the fluid manifold.

11. The print head assembly of claim 9, wherein: The fluid manifold has a wall surrounding the fluid connections.

12. The print head assembly of claim 9, wherein: The fluid manifold has a recess for receiving a manifold fastener.

13. The print head assembly of claim 12, wherein: The fluid manifold also includes a sensor for sensing the presence of a manifold fastener.

14. The print head assembly of claim 13, wherein: The sensor is attached to a major surface of the fluid manifold.

15. The print head assembly of claim 9, wherein: The tile structure has a first member attached to the base plate and a second member attached to the fluid manifold, and the first member is attached to the second member by a flexible connection.

16. The print head assembly of claim 9, wherein: The tile structure has a directional feature.

17. A print head assembly for an inkjet printer, comprising: Support plate; a supply plate including a plurality of alignment features; A plurality of printing tiles are disposed between the support plate and the supply plate, each printing tile comprising: a plurality of print heads, each print head comprising a plurality of nozzles; a nozzle plate attached to each printhead; a base plate attached to the nozzle plate by at least three fasteners, the at least three fasteners providing independent positioning of the nozzle plate relative to the base plate in three independent dimensions; and A fluid manifold includes at least one alignment feature that mates with one of the alignment features of the supply plate.

18. The print head assembly of claim 17, wherein: The supply plate also includes a printing tile guide.

19. The print head assembly of claim 17, wherein: The support plate also includes a print tile guide.

20. The print head assembly of claim 17, wherein: The support plate further comprises a print tile guide, the feed plate further comprises a print tile guide, and the print tile comprises a tile structure comprising a first portion flexibly coupled to a second portion coupled to the substrate.

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