Mobile device including a force transfer mechanism

• US 7,407,257 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Tow, Gregory Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dubnow; Joshua M
• Application Number:
  US11/124,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 347/22, 347/29, 347/32
• US Class Current: 347/32
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16508 connected with the printer frame
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 23/02 Mechanical power drives
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• 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 3/46 Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/405 Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/52 Circuits or arrangements for halftone screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6019 using look-up tables H04N1/6025 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile device including: (a) an inkjet printhead; (b) a print media feed path for directing a print medium past the printhead in a feed direction during printing; (c) a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between: a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead; and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print medium, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; (d) a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the print medium 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 medium reaching the capper.

Claims

1. A mobile device including:

(a) an inkjet printhead;

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

(c) a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between;

a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead; and

an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print medium, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead;

(d) a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the print medium 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 medium reaching the capper;

(e) a locking mechanism for holding the capper in the uncapped position whilst the print medium is being printed on by the printhead, wherein the locking mechanism includes at least one cam mounted for rotation between an unlocked position and a locked position, the at least one cam being configured such that, in the unlocked position, it extends at least partially into the feed path when the print medium is not present, the at least one cam being positioned and configured to engage an edge of the print medium as the print medium is fed through the feed path such that the at least one cam is rotated by the print medium into the locked position, such that, in the locked position, the capper is held in the uncapped position until after a trailing edge of the print medium is clear of the printhead.

2. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the capper is moved completely into the uncapped position by the force transfer mechanism.

3. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the force transfer device includes at least one crank member mounted to pivot about an axis, the crank member including:

a first region for engaging the print medium; and

a second region, rotationally displaced from the first region, for engaging the capping mechanism;

the crank member being configured to translate liner force provided by the print medium into a torque that causes movement of the capper from the capped position towards the uncapped position.

4. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the cam is resiliently biased to return to the unlocked position once the print medium edge moves past a predetermined position in the feed path, thereby causing the capper to return to the capped position.

5. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cam is mounted for rotation about an axis that is substantially normal to the print medium as it engages the cam in the feed path.

6. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein print medium for use with the device includes a linear-encoded data track extending in an intended direction of printing, the mobile device including:

a sensor configured to sense the data track during printing of the dot data;

a printhead for printing onto the print medium in response to a fire control signal; and

fire control means connected to generate the fire control signal based on the sensed data track.

7. A mobile device according to claim 6 wherein the data track is a clock track containing only a clock code, the fire control mans being configured to generate the fire control signal in the form of a clock signal generated from the sensed data track.

8. A mobile device according to claim 6, wherein the data track includes first information, the first information including an embedded clock signal, the fire control means being configured to generate the fire control signal in the form of a clock signal extracted from the sensed data track.

9. A mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the first information is indicative of at least one physical characteristic of the print medium, the mobile device being configured to control operation of the printhead at least partially on the basis of at least one of the physical characteristics.

10. A mobile device according to claim 6, configured to use the sensed data track to determine an absolute position of the print medium with respect to the printhead, and to print onto the print medium in reliance on the determination.

11. A mobile device according to claim 10, the data track further encoding first information and the print medium further including second coded data that encodes second information, the first information being indicative of the second information, wherein the mobile device is configured to print onto the print medium such that there is a predetermined registration between what is being printed and the second coded data.

12. A mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile device includes a transceiver, the mobile device being configured to receive the information indicative of the predetermined registration from a remote computer system via a transceiver.

13. A mobile device according to claim 10, the data track further encoding first information and the print medium further including second coded data that encodes second information, the first information being indicative of the second information, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine a registration between what is being printed and the second coded data.

14. A mobile device according to claim 13, configured to transmit the determined registration to a remote computer system via the transceiver.