Agitating member for ink cartridge

摘要

A printhead assembly for an inkjet printer has a ink filter tower portion that contains filtered ink and includes multiple, substantially parallel extending elements. Settling of ink in an ink filter tower could clog the printhead nozzles and lessen the print quality. Therefore, in order to prevent the settling of the ink in the ink filter tower of the present design, a free-floating weighted slider is installed within the ink filter tower. The weighted slider has a top bridging member and downward-pointing shafts that are movable within trenches formed between the extending elements. During a reciprocating motion of the printhead assembly, the slider moves in a direction opposite to the direction of the printhead assembly and thereby agitates the ink within the tower. In addition to sliding from side to side of the printhead assembly, the slider may also be designed to pivot about an upper axis as it moves to further agitate the ink.

主权项

1. An inkjet printhead, comprising:
a housing comprising at least one interior compartment configured to hold a supply of ink; a heater chip fluidly coupled with the supply of ink and configured to eject ink; a tower disposed in fluid communication between the interior compartment of the housing and the heater chip, the tower comprising an interior chamber and defining a plurality of pillars extending in a first direction opposite a second direction along which ink is ejected from the heater chip; and a slider disposed within the interior chamber of the tower, the slider comprising a plurality of shafts extending in the second direction and spaced apart such that the plurality of shafts of the slider are disposed in alternating relation with the respective plurality of pillars of the tower.