Image acquisition device with integral ink jet printing

• US 6,688,739 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Murray, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huffman, Julian D.
• Application Number:
  US09/858,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 347/2, 347/37, 347/108, 347/109, 347/104, 347/16, 400/88, 400/314.T, 400/320.1, 400/352, 400/354, 400/283, 400/578, 348/207, 348/372, 348/375
• US Class Current: 347/104
• 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 mounted on said ink receiving media drive member, wherein said print head is 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 wherein said ink receiving media drive member is caused to rotate by the motion of said print head; 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 second housing contains liquid ink.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said second housing contains liquid ink of two or more colors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising:

a drive motor attached to the print head, said motor configured to move the print head 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 head substantially to the end of the paper drive member, said actuator engages the cam and causes the media drive member to rotate.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, comprising a cam connected to each side of said media drive member.

6. The apparatus at of claim 4, wherein the cam includes at least one protrusion on its outer circumference.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one protrusion includes a driving surface angled with respect to an inner face of the cam.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said actuator comprises an articulating arm with a downwardly extending tip.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a cam is provided at only one end of said media drive member.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. A method of printing in a handheld imaging apparatus, comprising:

acquiring image data;

processing said image data into pixel data forming a plurality of image planes of different colors;

moving a print head over a substrate with a drive motor, wherein said print head is mounted on and moves over a portion of a combination guide rod/media advance roller;

ejecting droplets of liquid ink from said print head onto said substrate in accordance with said pixel data; and

periodically advancing said substrate beneath said print head by contacting said substrate with said portion of said combination guide rod/media advance roller over which said print head moves and rotating said combination guide rod/media advance roller using said print head motion as a driving force.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising mechanically coupling said print head to a media drive member while said print head is in motion.

14. A method of printing comprising:

moving a print head over a substrate with a drive motor, wherein said print head is mounted on a guide rod/media advance roller, and wherein said moving comprises moving said print head along said guide rod/media advance roller; and

periodically advancing said substrate beneath said print carriage by contacting said substrate with said guide rod/media advance roller and rotating said guide rod/media advance roller,

wherein moving the print head periodically includes engaging an actuator on the print head with a cam and causing said cam to rotate, thereby causing said guide rod/media advance roller to rotate and the substrate to advance, and wherein contacting said substrate comprises contacting said substrate with at least a portion of said guide rod/media advance roller along which said print head moves.

15. A printing apparatus comprising:

a paper drive roller, said roller configured so that a portion of said roller contacts paper during printing;

an 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 said portion of the paper drive roller that contacts paper;

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.

16. The printing apparatus of claim 15, wherein both print carriage and paper drive roller are caused to move by the drive motor.

17. The printing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the cam includes at least one protrusion on the outer circumference of the cam.

18. The printing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one protrusion includes a driving surface angled with respect to an inner face of the cam.

19. A printing apparatus comprising a moveable ink jet print head mounted on a combination guide rod/media advance roller, wherein said print head is mounted on and moves over a portion of said combination guide rod/media advance roller that is configured to contact media, and wherein said combination guide rod/media advance roller advances said media by the motion of said print head.

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

a first housing containing an image acquisition device and a moveable ink jet print head mounted on a guide rod, wherein said guide rod also comprises a media advance roller; and

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, wherein said second housing is inserted into said first housing such that a top media sheet contacts said guide rod/media advance roller.

21. A printing apparatus comprising a moveable ink jet print head mounted on a single combination guide rod/media advance roller, wherein said print head is mounted on and moves over a portion of said combination guide rod/media advance roller that is configured to contact media, wherein said combination guide rod/media advance roller is caused to rotate by the motion of said print head along said combination guide rod/media advance roller.