Patent ID: 8529005
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A method of compensating for a dead nozzle in a stationary pagewidth printhead, said printhead having one or more nozzle rows extending along a longitudinal axis of the printhead, each nozzle comprising a plurality of thermal bend-actuated paddles configurable to fire a droplet of ink at a plurality of predetermined different dot positions along said longitudinal axis, each nozzle having a primary dot position associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of: identifying said dead nozzle; selecting a functioning nozzle in a same nozzle row as said dead nozzle; and firing at least some ink droplets from the selected functioning nozzle at the primary dot position associated with said dead nozzle, wherein each of said nozzles comprises: a nozzle chamber for containing ink, said nozzle chamber comprising a floor and a roof having a nozzle opening defined therein; and a plurality of moveable paddles defining at least part of the roof, said plurality of paddles being actuable to cause firing of an ink droplet from said nozzle opening, each paddle including a thermal bend actuator comprising: wherein each actuator is independently controllable via respective drive circuitry such that a direction of droplet ejected from said nozzle opening is controllable by independent movement of each paddle.