Image acquisition device with integral ink jet printing

• US 20020171693A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Murray, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,688,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/034 using ink, e.g. ink-jet heads H04N1/0323 takes precedence

Abstract

A handheld imaging apparatus includes an image acquisition device and an ink jet printing in an integral housing. The printing drive may include a single motor that drives both a print carriage and a paper drive member for printing images created by the imaging acquisition device.

Claims

1. A handheld image acquisition apparatus comprising:

a first housing having mounted therein;

(a) an image acquisition device;

(b) processing circuitry coupled to said image acquisition device and configured to receive image data from said image acquisition device and to process said image data into pixel data forming a plurality of image planes of different colors;

(c) an ink jet printing apparatus comprising (1) an ink receiving media drive member configured to advance ink receiving media in a first direction and (2) a scanning ink jet print head coupled to receive said pixel data and to eject droplets of liquid ink onto said ink receiving media in accordance with said pixel data by repeated motion transverse to said first direction of media advance; and

a second housing insertable into and removable from said first housing, said second housing containing sheets of said ink receiving media.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said print head is mounted on said ink receiving media drive member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second housing contains liquid ink.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said housing contains liquid ink of two or more colors.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, additionally comprising:

a drive motor attached to the print head, said motor configured to move the print carriage along the media drive member;

a cam connected to at least one end of said media drive member;

an actuator attached to the print head and positioned such that when the drive motor moves the print carriage substantially to the end of the paper drive member, said actuator engages the cam and causes the media drive member to rotate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising a cam connected to each side of said media drive member.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cam includes at least one protrusion on its outer circumference.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one protrusion includes an inner face angled with respect to an inner face of the cam.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said actuator comprises an articulating arm with a downwardly extending tip.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a cam is provided at only one end of said media drive member.

11. The hand held imaging apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising a single drive motor mounted within said first housing, wherein both print head and paper drive member are caused to move by the single drive motor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the print head comprises a bushing that mounts on the media drive roller, wherein said bushing is configured to move in a linear direction along the media drive roller, said bushing further configured to allow rotational movement of the media drive roller with respect to the print head.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising mechanically coupling said print carriage to a media drive member while said print carriage is in motion.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the print carriage periodically includes engaging an actuator on the print carriage with a cam and causing said cam to rotate, thereby causing substrate to advance.

17. The printing apparatus of claim 16, wherein both print carriage and paper drive roller are caused to move by the drive motor.

18. The printing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the cam includes at least one protrusion on the outer circumference of the cam.

19. The printing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one protrusion includes an inner face angled with respect to an inner face of the cam.

13. A method of printing comprising:

moving a print carriage over a substrate with a drive motor; and

periodically advancing said substrate beneath said print carriage using the same drive motor.

16. A printing apparatus comprising:

a paper drive roller;

a print carriage mounted on the paper drive roller;

a drive motor attached to the print carriage, said motor configured to move the print carriage along the paper drive roller;

a cam connected to at least one end of said paper drive roller;

an actuator attached to the print carriage and positioned such that when the drive motor moves the print carriage to an end of the paper drive roller, said actuator engages the cam and causes the paper drive roller to rotate.

20. A printing apparatus comprising:

a print head;

means for moving said print head over a substrate with a drive motor; and

means for periodically advancing said substrate beneath said print carriage using the same drive motor.

21. A printing apparatus comprising a moveable ink jet print head mounted on a combination guide rod and media advance roller.

22. A combination image acquisition device and ink jet printing apparatus comprising:

a first housing containing an image aquisition device and a moveable ink jet print head mounted on a guide rod;

a second housing containing sheets of ink receiving media inserted into said first housing to a position in which a portion of said second housing resides beneath said guide rod during the printing process.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said guide rod also comprises a media advance roller, and wherein said second housing is inserted into said first housing such that a top media sheet contacts said guide rod/media advance roller.