US Patent 7258430 Inkjet printing mechanism with a displaceable platen assembly

An inkjet printing mechanism includes an elongate chassis that spans a print area. An elongate ink distribution assembly is mounted on and extends a length of the chassis. The assembly has an inlet side, an outlet side, a plurality of ink paths that converge laterally to a longitudinally extending central region and a plurality of printhead chip mounting formations in fluid communication with the ink paths. A plurality of printhead chips is mounted in respective mounting formations to receive ink from the ink paths. An elongate platen assembly is mounted on the chassis such that the platen assembly spans the print area. A rotating mechanism rotates the platen assembly with respect to the chassis. A lateral displacement mechanism displaces the body towards and away from the printhead chips.