Printing system with compact print engine

• US 6,899,420 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crenshaw, Marvin P.
• Application Number:
  US10/703,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 347/103, 347/2, 347/104, 347/171, 347/163, 347/100, 347/105, 101/327, 101/335, 101/407.1, 101/492, 399/139, 399/140, 400/624, 400/625
• US Class Current: 347/103
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0095 Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/42 Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/076 Construction of rollers; Bearings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/202 Drive control means for carriage movement
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/00 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed mounting, arrangement or disposition of types or dies B41J1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04551 using several operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/165 Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16508 connected with the printer frame
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/023 with reduced dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/04 Means for attaching machines to baseboards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/17 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 : Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 : for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/10 : using a liquid developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 : Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6529 : Transporting G03G15/6555 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1642 : for the transfer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 : Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 : Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 : Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/00 : Methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 : using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/102 : using ink jet print heads
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/16 : Means for paper feeding or form feeding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1814 : including print-ready data, i.e. data already matched to the printing process
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1815 : Receiving print data in mixed format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/23 : Reproducing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 : using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32587 : Controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32593 : Using a plurality of controllers, e.g. for controlling different interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32603 : Multi-bus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 : Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/504 : Reproducing the colour component signals line-sequentially

Abstract

Disclosed is a print engine having a page-width printhead assembly and a motorized transfer roller located adjacent to the printhead. The transfer roller is also adjacent to the sheet media path of the device which uses the engine. The printhead is oriented to print directly onto the transfer roller. The engine has a second roller closely adjacent to the transfer roller and on an opposite side of the path for pressing the sheet onto the transfer roller. In some embodiments, the printhead has a surface adjacent to the transfer roller that carries capping seals on either side of the ink ejecting area. The printhead is held off of the transfer roller by a solenoid but parked against the transfer roller when not in use.

Claims

1. For a printer with a path for a sheet of media, a print engine comprising:

a page-width printhead assembly having an ink ejecting area;

a motorized transfer roller located both adjacent to the printhead and adjacent to the path for printing onto the sheet;

the printhead oriented to print directly onto the transfer roller, wherein the printhead is held off of the transfer roller by a solenoid and has a surface adjacent to the transfer roller that carries capping seals on either side of the ink ejecting area; and

a second roller closely adjacent to the transfer roller and on an opposite side of the path for pressing the sheet onto the transfer roller;

and wherein, when not in use, the printhead is parked against the transfer roller, the seals bearing against the transfer roller until the solenoid is activated.

2. The print engine of claim 1, further comprising:

a page-width cleaning sponge contacting the transfer roller and adapted to clean the transfer roller after it has printed onto the sheet.

3. The print engine of claim 2, further comprising:

a page-width wiper, contacting the transfer roller and located between the sponge and the ink ejecting area.

4. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the printhead is a drop-on-demand inkjet which is stationary.

5. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the printhead is permanent and has a replaceable ink cartridge.

6. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the printhead is replaceable and has a replaceable ink cartridge.

7. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the printhead and an ink cartridge are combined and the cartridge is refillable.

8. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the printhead has an ink cartridge and both are disposable.

9. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the transfer roller is coated with titanium nitride.

10. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the second roller is a spring loaded, elastomeric coated pinch roller.

11. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the second roller is a second transfer roller which forms a part of a second print engine.

12. The print engine of claim 11, wherein:

the second print engine comprises a second page-width printhead assembly having a second ink ejecting area;

the second transfer roller being a motorized transfer roller located both adjacent to the second printhead and adjacent to the path for printing onto the sheet;

the second printhead oriented to print directly onto the second transfer roller.

13. The print engine of claim 12, wherein:

the second printhead has a surface adjacent to the second transfer roller that carries second capping seals on either side of the ink ejecting area;

the second printhead is held off of the second transfer roller by a second solenoid; and

when not in use, the second printhead is parked against the second transfer roller, the second seals bearing against the second transfer roller until the second solenoid is activated.

14. The print engine of claim 13, further comprising:

a second page-width cleaning sponge contacting the second transfer roller and adapted to clean the second transfer roller after it has printed onto the sheet.

15. The print engine of claim 14, further comprising:

a second page-width wiper, contacting the second transfer roller and located between the second sponge and the second ink ejecting area.

16. The print engine of claim 1, wherein:

the transfer roller has an interior space and is powered by a motor located within the interior space.

17. The print engine of claim 16, wherein:

the transfer roller has a pair of end caps and is supported for rotation by bearings located within the pair of end caps, the motor being a stepper motor which, through an intermediate reduction drive train, acts on an internal gear formed in an end cap.