Printing and display device incorporating a multi-sheet feeder

• US 7,528,987 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Chan S
• Application Number:
  US10/803,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20040184049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.8, 358/1.1, 358/3.06, 358/3.07, 358/1.15, 358/1.5, 400/416, 400/419, 361/600, 347/3, 347/37, 710/104
• US Class Current: 358/1.8
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14435 Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64

Abstract

A printing and display device comprising a flat panel display; a printer, including a printhead for printing onto paper; a multi-sheet paper holder; a paper sheet separator configured to separate a single paper sheet from the paper in the paper holder for supply to the printhead.

Claims

1. A stand alone monitor for connecting to an external computer, the monitor comprising:

a housing detached from the external computer;

a flat panel display disposed in the housing for displaying image data provided by the external computer;

a pagewidth inkjet printhead for printing print data provided by the external computer onto paper, the pagewidth inkjet printhead being disposed in the housing behind the flat panel display as viewed by a user;

a connection configured to allow releasable operative connection of the external computer to the monitor, for receiving the image data and print data;

a multi-sheet paper holder for holding multiple paper sheets;

a paper sheet separator configured to separate a single paper sheet from the paper sheets in the multi-sheet paper holder for supply to the pagewidth inkjet printhead; and

a paper feed mechanism for feeding the single paper sheet to the pagewidth inkjet printhead for printing.

2. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 wherein a viewable size of the monitor exceeds 40 cm measured along a diagonal of the monitor.

3. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least two printheads, the printheads being disposed on either side of a path through which the single paper sheet is fed for printing, thereby enabling substantially simultaneous printing of both sides of the single paper sheet.

4. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the paper feed mechanism is configured to position the single paper sheet substantially parallel in at least one direction with respect to a plane defined by the flat pane display.

5. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printhead is a process color printhead.

6. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printhead has more than 5,000 inkjet nozzles.

7. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat panel display measures at least 14 inches on the diagonal.

8. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, configured to enable printing of standard A4 or Letter sized sheets of paper.

9. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, further including a curved paper guide disposed, when the monitor is in use, beneath the flat panel display, such that the single paper sheet that has been printed is urged horizontally as the single paper sheet exits the monitor.

10. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat panel display is of one of the following types:

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD);

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED);

Field Emission Display (FED); and

Plasma Display Panel (PDP).

11. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printhead is configured to receive halftoned print data to be printed onto the single paper sheet.

12. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, further including a halftoning unit for generating halftoned image data and supplying halftoned image data to the printhead for printing.

13. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printhead is configured to print photographic images.

14. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printhead is configured to print image and text data.

15. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a stand for holding the flat panel display in an operative position, the stand including at least one receptacle configured to accept at least one replaceable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the printhead.

16. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a data connection hub configured to allow connection of at least one data-receiving device to the monitor, enabling the data-receiving device to receive data from the external computer.

17. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 wherein, during printing, the paper sheet being printed onto passes between the flat panel display and the printhead, or passes behind the flat panel display and the printhead relative to a viewing position of the flat panel display.

18. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 further including an interface for connecting to a computer system, and being configured to:

receive, via the interface, input from a user indicative of a print command;

send to the computer system, a print request;

receive, from the computer system and in response to the print request, a document to be printed; and

print the document.