Personal digital assistant incorporating a print roll cartridge storing ink and print media

• US 7,572,003 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier; Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez, Jr.; Carlos A
• Application Number:
  US11/740,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/108, 347/86, 347/84, 347/37, 347/109
• US Class Current: 347/109
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/706 using a cutting tool mounted on a reciprocating carrier
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16552 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/023 with reduced dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/44 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/202 Air convective hinge
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 : Architecture adapted for a particular function

Abstract

A hand held personal digital assistant (PDA) that has a body section housing an information storage means, display means joined to the body section by a hinge connection and a print engine with a printhead and a print roll cartridge that has a cylindrical former defining ink reservoirs for storing respective types of ink and bearing a wound length of print media on which ink stored in the ink reservoirs is printed by the printhead. The cylindrical former has a longitudinal axis and the hinge connection has a hinge axis, the longitudinal axis and the hinge axis being collinear for compact incorporation of the print roll cartridge into a PDA.

Claims

1. A hand held personal digital assistant comprising:

a body section housing an information storage means;

display means joined to the body section;

a hinge connection for joining the display means to the body section; and

a print engine including a printhead and a print roll cartridge that has a cylindrical former defining ink reservoirs and bearing a wound length of print media, wherein,

the cylindrical former has a longitudinal axis and the hinge connection has a hinge axis, the longitudinal axis and the hinge axis being collinear, and

the hinge connection holds therewithin the print roll cartridge, the hinge connection further having a releasable base for facilitating insertion and removal of the print roll cartridge.

2. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 1 wherein the body section has a user interface on one external surface and a base on an opposing surface, the user interface being angled relative to the base such that the body section has a wedge configuration that tapers away from the hinge connection.

3. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 2 wherein the hinge connection has a cavity for receiving the print roll, the cavity having a thickness in a direction transverse to the hinge axis that is substantially equal to the combined thicknesses in the display and the body section at its thickest point.

4. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 3 wherein the print roll cartridge defines a print media exit slot and including a feed arrangement arranged to feed the print media through the exit slot.

5. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 4 wherein the print engine further comprises an ink feed arrangement defining ink feed galleries which can be connected in fluid communication with each of the ink reservoirs respectively.

6. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 4 wherein the print engine further comprises a media feed arrangement with three rollers arranged to pinch the print media at two separate locations such that the media is bent around one of the three rollers in a direction opposite to the print roll curvature to de-curl the print media.

7. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 6 wherein the body section has a printed media collection slot positioned such that the printed media protrudes from the printed media collection slot before it is cut by the guillotine.

8. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 4 wherein the ink feed arrangement comprises a casing and a spine which can be received within the casing to define the ink reservoirs.

9. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 4 wherein the print engine further comprises a guillotine downstream of the media feed arrangement.

10. The hand held personal digital assistance according to claim 2, further comprising an ejection slot defined at a front of the body section, wherein the print media is fed under the user interface from the print roll cartridge held in the hinge connection to the ejection slot.

11. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a pagewidth inkjet printhead.

12. The hand held personal digital assistant according to claim 1, wherein the printhead is provided adjacent to the hinge connection in the body section.