Mobile telecommunications device with closely arranged printhead and media drive

• US 7,628,467 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon; King Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheng; Peter L
• Application Number:
  US11/735,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 347/2, 347/5, 347/6, 347/12, 347/13, 347/16, 347/20, 347/22, 347/29, 347/32, 347/37, 347/40, 347/42, 347/43, 347/44, 347/47, 347/65, 347/74, 347/75, 347/86, 347/87, 347/101, 347/109, 347/9, 347/104, 347/1, 347/4, 347/105, 347/106, 347/107, 347/108, 347/218, 347/221, 347/3, 347/41, 902/8, 902/18, 902/22, 358/296, 221/151, 221/152, 221/153, 222/23, 222/30, 400/48, 400/602, 235/432, 235/433
• US Class Current: 347/32
• 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 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/00 Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in short lengths, e.g. sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0027 in the printing section of automatic paper handling systems
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications device is provided having a body, a printhead arranged in the body to print on a print media, and a drive shaft arranged in the body to feed the print media past the printhead for printing. The printhead is arranged within 2 millimeters from the drive shaft.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications device comprising:

a body;

a pagewidth printhead arranged in the body to print on print media;

a drive shaft arranged in the body to feed the print media past the pagewidth printhead for printing, the pagewidth printhead being arranged within 2 millimeters from the drive shaft;

a capper moveable between a capped position in which the capper caps the printhead and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print media; and

a mechanism for maintaining the capper in the uncapped position, the mechanism having actuation arms configured to grip and retain the print media suspended from the mobile telecommunications device once said printing is complete until removal of the print media from the mobile telecommunications device by a user.

2. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising a media guide adjacent the drive shaft for biasing the print media against the drive shaft.

3. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising a drive system for transmitting torque to the drive shaft, the drive system having a drive wheel wherein the drive shaft can be moved into contact with a rim of the drive wheel for a transfer of torque.

4. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 3 further comprising:

a print engine controller for controlling operation of the printhead; and

,

a position sensor connected to the print engine controller such that the print engine controller can determine a position of the print media relative to the printhead.

5. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 4 wherein the position sensor reads encoded data on the print media.

6. A cartridge according to claim 4 wherein the position sensor senses a number of rotations of the drive shaft.

7. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the printhead and the drive shaft are incorporated into a replaceable cartridge for insertion into a print media feed path within the mobile telecommunications device.

8. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the printhead has an array of ink ejection nozzles and is incorporated into a cartridge that further comprises at least one ink reservoir for supplying ink to the printhead for ejection by the nozzles, each of the at least one ink reservoirs including at least one absorbent structure for inducing a negative hydrostatic pressure in the ink at the nozzles.

9. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a print media feed path for directing the print media past the printhead in a feed direction during said printing; and

(b) a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the print media as it moves relative to the feed path is transferred to the capper by the force transfer mechanism, thereby to at least commence movement of the capper from the capped position to the uncapped position prior to the print media reaching the capper.

10. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a print media feed path for directing the print media past the printhead in a feed direction during said printing; and

(b) a locking mechanism configured to hold the capper in the uncapped position until after a trailing edge of the print media is clear of the printhead.

11. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the drive shaft has a media engagement surface for enhanced contact friction with the print media.

12. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the capper is held in the uncapped position by the print media such that it moves to the capped position upon disengagement with the print media.

13. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising a print engine controller with a light emitting beacon, and the printhead comprises:

an array of nozzles for ejecting ink;

print data circuitry for providing the nozzles with print data; and

,

a photosensor for optically receiving the print data from the beacon.

14. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the drive shaft is driven by a piezo-electric resonant linear drive system.

15. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead; and

,

a position sensor for providing the print engine controller with a signal indicative of a position of the print media relative to the printhead;

such that,

the print engine controller differentiates the signal to derive a speed of the print media relative to the printhead and adjusts operation of the printhead in response to variations in the speed.

16. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead;

wherein during use,

the print engine controller senses a number of complete and partial rotations of the drive shaft and adjusts operation of the printhead in response to variations in the angular velocity of drive shaft.

17. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one ink reservoir, the at least one reservoir comprising:

a housing defining an ink storage volume;

one or more baffles dividing the ink storage volume into sections, each of the sections having at least one ink outlet for sealed connection to the printhead; and

,

at least one conduit establishing fluid communication between the ink outlets of adjacent sections.

18. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a media feed assembly for feeding the print media along a feed path past the printhead;

a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead; and

,

a sensor for reading coded data on at least part of the print media and generating a signal indicative of at least one dimension of the print media, and transmitting the signal to the print engine controller;

such that,

the print engine controller uses the signal to initiate and printing when the print media is at a predetermined position relative to the printhead.

19. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead; and

,

a dual sensing facility for reading coded data on at least part of the print media before, as well as after, it has passed the printhead.