Patent ID: 9259931
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: B41J

Claim Text:
1. A method for aligning a print head to a print head carriage of a printing system, comprising: receiving a print head, the print head comprising a head chip and a housing configured with an aperture, the head chip configured with a plurality of ink channels feeding a plurality of nozzles, the head chip mounted to the housing to expose the plurality of nozzles through the housing aperture; receiving an alignment adapter, the alignment adapter comprising an aperture configured to receive the print head so as to expose the plurality of nozzles therethrough and to allow at least one of spatial position adjustment and angular rotation adjustment of the print head so as to allow the position of the plurality of nozzles of the print head to be aligned relative to the alignment adapter, the alignment adapter further comprising precision mounting features configured to align with and engage cooperating precision mounting features of the print head carriage; mounting the print head on the alignment adapter such the nozzles of the print head are exposed through the alignment adapter aperture; pre-aligning the print head to the alignment adapter to align the nozzles of the print head to a known position relative to one or more features of the alignment adapter; fixing the print head to the alignment adapter in the pre-aligned position; and engaging the precision mounting features of the alignment adapter with the cooperating precision mounting features of the print head carriage to align the alignment adapter in a predetermined position relative the print head carriage, wherein the precision mounting features of the alignment adapter comprise kinematic coupling components and the cooperating precision mounting features of the print head carriage comprise cooperating kinematic coupling components which cooperate with the kinematic coupling components of the alignment adapter to engage and align the alignment adapter and print head carriage with one another in an exact predetermined position relative to one another, wherein the kinematic coupling components and the cooperating coupling components are arranged in pairs, each pair comprising one kinematic coupling component on the alignment adapter and one cooperating kinematic coupling component on the print head carriage, wherein one of the pair comprises a v-groove and the other of the pair comprises a spherical member, and wherein the step of engaging the precision mounting features of the alignment adapter with the cooperating precision mounting features of the print head carriage comprises aligning and engaging the respective v-groove and the respective spherical member of each pair.