SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRINT HEAD ALIGNMENT USING ALIGNMENT ADAPTER

摘要

Systems and methods for pre-aligning print head(s) to alignment adapter(s) to increase print resolution of printed matter, and to reduce offline time of a printing system due to print head alignment, include the use of an alignment adapter to which a print head is pre-aligned and which includes precision alignment features which precisely engage cooperating precision alignment features on the print head carriage mounting plate of the print head carriage. Print head(s) can be pre-aligned and fine-tuned to alignment adapter(s) even while the printing system is still in print production. Pre-aligned print head/alignment adapter assemblies can then be quickly mounted on the print head carriage using the cooperating precision alignment features of the adapter and print head carriage mounting plate. Duplicate sets of print head mounting sockets can include print heads aligned at different relative offsets (e.g., half a pixel) to increase the print resolution.

主权项

1. A print head alignment adapter for aligning a print head to a print head carriage of a printing system, the print head comprising a head chip and a housing configured with an aperture, the head chip configured with a plurality of ink nozzles, the alignment adapter comprising:
an aperture configured to receive the print head so as to expose the plurality of ink nozzles therethrough, the aperture sized to allow at least one of spatial position adjustment and angular rotation adjustment of the print head to enable adjustable positioning of the print head therein so as to enable alignment of the positions of the print head ink nozzles relative to the alignment adapter, and a plurality of precision mounting features which align with and engage cooperating precision mounting features of the print head carriage which, when respectively engaged, precisely align the print head alignment adapter relative to the print head carriage; wherein the precision mounting features and corresponding cooperating precision mounting features comprises at least one of quasi-kinematic coupling components and kinematic coupling components.