REPLACEABLE PRINT CARTRIDGE WITH AN OPTICAL SENSOR FOR RECEIVING PRINT DATA

• US 20100277528A1
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen
• Application Number:
  US12/831,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20100277528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/10
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/44 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0083 Arrangements for transferring signals between different components of the apparatus, e.g. arrangements of signal lines or cables for control or supervision between image input and output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications device is disclosed. The mobile telecommunications device has a body with a cradle formed therein, a print engine controller within the body, and a replaceable print cartridge received by the cradle. The print engine controller has a light emitting beacon for transmitting print data as an optical data signal. The print cartridge has a printhead with an array of nozzles for ejecting ink, a sensor for receiving the optical data signal from the light emitting beacon and converting the optical data signal into an electrical data signal, and print data circuitry for receiving the electrical data signal and for providing the nozzles with print data.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications device comprising:

a body having a cradle;

a print engine controller within the body, the print engine controller having a light emitting beacon for transmitting print data as an optical data signal; and

a replaceable print cartridge received by the cradle, the print cartridge comprising;

a printhead with an array of nozzles for ejecting ink;

a sensor for receiving the optical data signal from the light emitting beacon and converting the optical data signal into an electrical data signal; and

print data circuitry for receiving the electrical data signal and for providing the nozzles with print data.

2. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a stationary printhead, the mobile telecommunications device further comprises a drive system including a piezoelectric drive mechanism, and the replaceable print cartridge further comprises a drive shaft urged against the piezoelectric drive mechanism when the replaceable print cartridge is received by the cradle, the drive shaft being operative to move a media substrate past the stationary printhead.

3. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the replaceable print cartridge further comprises:

at least one ink reservoir for supplying ink to the printhead for ejection by the nozzles, each of the at least one ink reservoirs including at least one absorbent structure for inducing a negative hydrostatic pressure in the ink at the nozzles.

4. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the replaceable print cartridge further comprises:

a capping mechanism for capping the printhead when not in use.

5. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1, the replaceable print cartridge further comprising:

a print media feed path for directing a media substrate past the printhead in a feed direction during printing;

a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the media substrate, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; and

a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the media substrate as the media substrate moves relative to the feed path is transferred to the capper by the force transfer mechanism, thereby to at least commence movement of the capper from the capped position to the uncapped position prior to the media substrate reaching the capper.

6. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1, the replaceable print cartridge further comprising:

a print media feed path for directing media substrate past the printhead in a feed direction during printing;

a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the media substrate, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; and

a locking mechanism configured to hold the capper in the uncapped position until after a trailing edge of the media substrate is clear of the printhead.

7. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1, the replaceable print cartridge further comprising a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the media substrate, wherein the capper assembly is held in the uncapped position by the media substrate such that capper moves to the capped position upon disengagement with the media substrate.

8. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a position sensor for providing the print engine controller with a signal indicative of the position of the media substrate relative to the printhead;

wherein the print engine controller differentiates the signal indicative of the position of the media substrate relative to the printhead to derive the speed of the media substrate relative to the printhead and adjusts the operation of the printhead in response to variations in the speed.

9. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 2 wherein during use, the print engine controller senses the number of complete and partial rotations of the drive shaft and adjusts the operation of the printhead in response to variations in the angular velocity of the drive shaft.

10. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the replaceable print cartridge further comprises at least one ink reservoir, the at least one reservoir comprising:

a housing defining an ink storage volume;

one or more baffles dividing the ink storage volume into sections, each of the sections having at least one ink outlet for sealed connection to the printhead; and

,

at least one conduit establishing fluid communication between the ink outlets of adjacent sections.

11. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a media feed assembly for feeding a sheet of the media substrate along a feed path past the printhead; and

,

a sensor for reading coded data on at least part of the media substrate and generating a signal indicative of at least one dimension of the sheet, and transmitting the signal to the print engine controller;

wherein the print engine controller uses the signal to initiate the printing when the sheet is at a predetermined position relative to the printhead.

12. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 5 further comprising:

a dual sensor facility for reading coded data on at least part of a media substrate before, as well as after, the media substrate has past the printhead.