Printer having a document transfer device

• US 6,669,385 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Kevin D.
• Application Number:
  US09/575,149
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 400/624, 400/693, 400/691, 400/625, 156/570, 156/578, 156/384, 156/387, 156/558, 156/564, 156/544, 156/546, 156/566, 399/408, 347/12, 347/13, 347/42, 347/104, 347/105, 347/108
• US Class Current: 400/625
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 19/02 starting with single sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0006 by applying adhesive to a stack of sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/0081 applying adhesive to individual sheets for binding them together by fusing, welding B42C9/0093
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2261/04 Producing books by printing sheets in following order, e.g. for ordering via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/34 from supports slid from under the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 37/04 for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1264 by assigning post-processing resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 : Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 : Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 : Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 : the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 : Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 : with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00358 : Type of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00376 : Means for identifying a mark sheet or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00567 : Handling of original or reproduction media, e.g. cutting, separating, stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00639 : Binding, stapling, folding or perforating, e.g. punching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 : Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 : attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 : in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 : of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 412/902 : Heating and pressing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 : Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1761 : Stacked serially
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1798 : with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means

Abstract

A printer for printing and binding documents and for moving bound documents into a collection tray. The printer has printing means designed to print onto substantially planar print media, a binder designed to bind a plurality of substantially planar print media together to form a substantially planar bound document and to retain the bound document in a substantially vertical orientation. The printer also has a collection tray positioned beneath the binder which is designed to receive and retain a bound document in a substantially vertical orientation. The printer also has a document transfer device positioned beneath the binder and above the collection tray. The document transfer device is designed to transfer a bound document from the binding means to the collection tray while maintaining the substantially vertical orientation of the bound document.

Claims

1. A printer that comprises:

a media tray in which sheets of planar print media can be stored;

a sheet feed mechanism that is operatively arranged with respect to the media tray to feed sheets of media from the media tray;

a pagewidth, inkjet printing mechanism that is positioned downstream of the media tray to receive sheets of print media from the sheet feed mechanism and to print on the sheets;

a binding mechanism that is positioned downstream of the printing mechanism, the binding mechanism comprising

a glue applicator which is operable on each printed sheet to apply a strip of glue to each sheet; and

a reciprocating platen and a stationary platen positioned downstream of the glue applicator, the reciprocating platen being reciprocally displaceable towards and away from the stationary platen to act on each printed sheet to place the printed sheets one on top of the other on the stationary platen with respective strips of glue aligned and to urge consecutive printed sheets on to each other, so that the glue can serve to attach the sheets to each other to form the bound document;

a document feed mechanism that is positioned downstream of the binding mechanism to feed each bound document from the binding means;

a collection tray positioned downstream of the binding mechanism, the collection tray being configured to receive each bound document from the document feed mechanism, the sheet feed mechanism, the printing mechanism and the binding mechanism defining a substantially linear sheet feed path; and

a microprocessor-based controller for controlling operation of the sheet feed mechanism, the printing mechanism, the binding mechanism and the document feed mechanism.

2. A printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printer is configured to be mounted on a support surface so that the printing mechanism is positioned above the binding mechanism which, in turn, is positioned above the collection tray so that the sheet feed mechanism is a gravity feed mechanism and comprises

a hinged exit hatch that is operable between an open and closed condition, the hinged exit hatch being connected to the controller to be retained in a closed condition until all the pages of a document are printed and glued together and then displaced into its open condition so that the bound document is fed by gravity into the collection tray; and

a guide mechanism that is operatively positioned with respect to the exit hatch to facilitate the transfer of a bound document from the binding mechanism to the collection tray.