Greeting card feeder module for inkjet printing

• US 6,848,844 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Garboden, Mark, Gaasch, Todd M., McCue, Thomas E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLILLA, DANIEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US10/686,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20040101338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 400/625, 400/624, 400/605, 400/628, 400/629, 400/188, 271/8.1, 271/207, 271/3.01, 271/3.05, 271/3.08, 271/145, 271/163, 271/162
• US Class Current: 400/188
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0025 Handling copy materials differing in width
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0055 Lateral guides, e.g. guides for preventing skewed conveyance of printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/485 Means for selecting a type of copy material amongst different types of copy material in the printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0063 Handling thick cut sheets, e.g. greeting cards or postcards, larger than credit cards, e.g. using means for enabling or facilitating the conveyance of thick sheets B41J11/20, B41J13/12 take precedence
• 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 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material

Abstract

A hardcopy printing mechanism and a greeting card feeder retrofit kit therefor, along with a retrofitting method are provided for printing images on a first-sized media, and on both surfaces a second-sized greeting card media without removing the first-sized media from its normal supply tray. The hardcopy device may be an electrophotographic or inkjet printer preferably equipped with a duplexer module which inverts media from a printed first surface to an opposing second surface for printing an image thereon. For a printer having an alignment surface, and a width adjuster to push the first-sized media against the alignment surface, the greeting card feeder includes a biasing member which pushes the card stock against the alignment surface. The retrofit kit includes a supply of pre-scored greeting card stock and a software program with a group of greeting card images for a consumer to select from to print store-bought quality greeting cards.

Claims

1. A hardcopy printing device, comprising:

an image generator configured to selectively generate an image on a print medium;

a print media handling system for presenting a first side of said print medium to said image generator;

a duplexer configured to present a second side of said print medium to said image generator;

an input tray for holding a supply of said first-sized media accessible to said print media handling system;

a bypass slot for feeding a sheet of a second-sized media to said print media handling system;

an alignment surface and a first width adjustment member which is adjustable to hold the first-sized media against the alignment surface; and

a biased member configured to push the second-sized media against the alignment surface when inserted into said bypass slot.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the bias member comprises a coil spring.

3. The device further of claim 1, further comprising an output tray, said bypass slot being formed in said output tray.

4. The device of claim 3, said biasing member being disposed on an underside of said output tray.

5. The device of claim 3, further comprising a biased member on said output tray for aligning print media input through said first input slot.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said second-sized media comprises greeting card stock.

7. The device of 1, wherein said image generator comprises an inkjet printhead.

8. A hardcopy printing device comprising:

an input tray for holding print media of a first size;

an output tray for receiving printed sheets of print media, said output tray being adjacent to said input tray of said hardcopy printing device; and

an input slot through said output tray sized to receive print media of a second size, wherein said input slot opens into said input tray;

wherein said output tray comprises a fixed portion and a pivoting portion is hinged to said fixed part.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a stop for holding said pivoting portion in a lift portion to facilitate access to said input tray.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein said pivoting portion has a platform portion that extends under said fixed portion.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein said output tray further comprising a second input slot.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said second input slot is sized to receive an envelope.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein said input slot is sized to receive greeting card stock.

14. A hardcopy printing device comprising:

an input tray for holding print media of a first size;

an output tray for receiving printed sheets of print media, said output tray being adjacent to said input tray of said hardcopy printing device;

a first input slot through said output tray sized to receive print media of second size, wherein said input slot opens into said input tray; and

a second, separate input slot through said output tray sized to receive print media of a third size.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said second input slot is sized to receive an envelope.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said first input slot is sized to receive greeting card stock.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein said output tray comprises a fixed portion and a pivoting portion is hinged to said fixed part.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein said first input slot is located in said pivoting portion and said second input slot is located in said fixed portion.

19. The device of claim 17, further comprising a stop for holding said pivoting portion in a lift potion to facilitate access to said input tray.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein said pivoting portion has a platform portion that extends under said fixed portion.

21. A retrofit kit for a hardcopy printing device comprising:

an output tray for receiving printed sheets of print media, said output tray being configured for installation adjacent to a input tray of said hardcopy printing device holding print media of a first size; and

an input slot through said output tray sized to receive print media of a second size, wherein said input slot opens into said input tray;

wherein said output tray comprises a fixed portion and a pivoting portion is hinged to said fixed part.

22. The kit of claim 21, wherein said pivoting portion has a platform portion that extends under said fixed portion.

23. The kit of claim 21, wherein said output tray further comprising a second input slot.

24. The kit of claim 23, wherein said second input slot is sized to receive an envelope.

25. The kit of claim 21, wherein said input slot is sized to receive greeting card stock.

26. The kit of claim 21, further comprising a biased member on said output tray for aligning print media input through said first input slot.

27. A retrofit kit for a hardcopy printing device comprising:

an output tray for receiving printed sheets of print media, said output tray being configured for installation adjacent to a input tray of said hardcopy printing device holding print media of a first size; and

a first input slot through said output tray sized to receive print media of a second size, wherein said input slot opens into said input tray; and

a second, separate input slot through said output tray sized to receive print media of a third size.

28. The kit of claim 27, wherein said second input slot is sized to receive an envelope.

29. The kit of claim 27, wherein said first input slot is sized to receive greeting card stock.

30. The kit of claim 27, wherein said output tray comprises a fixed portion and a pivoting portion is hinged to said fixed part.

31. The kit of claim 30, wherein said first input slot is located in said pivoting portion and said second input slot is located in said fixed portion.

32. The kit of claim 27, further comprising a biased member on said output tray for aligning print media input through said first input slot.

33. A method of printing a greeting card, comprising inserting a sheet of greeting card stock through an input slot in an output tray of a printing device, said input slot allowing said greeting card stock to be fed by a print media handling system of said printing device.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising aligning said sheet of greeting card stock with a biased member located under said output tray adjacent to said input slot.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

printing on a first side of said greeting card stock;

flipping said greeting card stock; and

printing on a second side of said greeting card stock.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining a drying time for each of said first and second sides of said greeting card stock; and

printing that side first which has a shorter drying time as between said first and second sides.