Printer for duplex printing with transfer rollers

• US 7,978,375 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2009
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; James A
• Application Number:
  US12/422,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20090195833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.9, 358/296, 358/400, 358/401, 358/448, 358/464, 358/500, 399/13, 399/16, 399/130, 399/159, 399/306, 399/313, 399/361, 399/364, 347/197, 347/198, 400/124.08, 400/124.09, 400/124.11, 400/124.16, 400/188
• US Class Current: 358/296
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/002 Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00216 using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
• 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 2/04508 aiming at correcting other parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0451 for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator
• 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 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2139 Compensation for malfunctioning nozzles creating dot place or dot size errors generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• 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 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: H04N 1/393 Enlarging or reducing

Abstract

A printer is provided having a print media feed mechanism for feeding print media along a feed path, opposed transfer rollers for simultaneously contacting both sides of the print media as the print media is fed along the feed path, and printheads for printing on the transfer rollers so that material printed on the transfer rollers is simultaneously transferred to both sides of the print media by the transfer rollers.

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

a print media feed mechanism for feeding print media along a feed path;

opposed transfer rollers for simultaneously contacting both sides of the print media as the print media is fed along the feed path;

printheads for printing on the transfer rollers so that material printed on the transfer rollers is simultaneously transferred to both sides of the print media by the transfer rollers; and

a mechanism for urging the transfer rollers against the printheads when the printheads are inoperative.

2. A printer as claimed in claim 1, in which the print media feed mechanism includes a platen and drive roller for feeding the print media along the feed path.

3. A printer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising control circuitry comprising:

a control and data bus;

a network controller connected to the control and data bus to permit the printer to be connected to a network;

a processor connected to the control and data bus to receive and process data to be printed;

a pair of controllers connected to the control and data bus to control operation of the printheads; and

interface circuitry to permit the memory to be connected to the control and data bus.

4. A printer as claimed in claim 3, in which each controller comprises:

a control and data bus;

memory interface circuitry connected to the control and data bus;

expansion circuitry connected to the control and data bus to receive compressed data and to expand said compressed data;

bus interface circuitry connected to the control and data bus to communicate data from a printer controller bus to the control and data bus; and

printhead interface circuitry connected to the control and data bus to communicate control and print data to the printheads.

5. A printer as claimed in claim 4, in which the expansion circuitry includes decoding, dithering and compositing circuitry.