Ducting between ink outlets of sectioned ink reservoir

• US 7,780,288 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, King, Tobin Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGESSE, HENOK D
• Application Number:
  US11/124,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 347/29, 347/16, 347/84, 347/85, 347/20, 347/54, 347/101, 347/108, 347/109, 347/49, 347/86, 347/87, 347/104, 347/214
• US Class Current: 347/108
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications device comprising: a printhead for printing on a media substrate; a drive shaft for feeding the media substrate past the printhead; a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead; and, an ink reservoir for supplying ink to the printhead, the reservoir having: 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.

Claims

1. A mobile telecommunications device comprising:

a cradle defining a print media feed path, the cradle having a piezo-electric element and an arm, the arm extending from the cradle and supports the piezo-electric element;

a replaceable printhead cartridge receivable within the cradle adjacent the print media feed path, the replaceable printhead cartridge including;

a printhead for printing on a media substrate;

a drive shaft for feeding the media substrate past the printhead;

a drive wheel operably connected to the drive shaft, the drive wheel being located adjacent the arm of the cradle when the printhead cartridge is received within the cradle, wherein actuation of the piezo-electric element causes an oscillating movement of the arm to contact the drive wheel upon each oscillation to thereby cause rotational movement of the drive wheel; and

an ink reservoir for supplying ink to the printhead; and

a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead.

2. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the ink reservoir includes a housing which defines three ink storage volumes, each of the ink storage volumes being elongate and having baffles extending transversely across each of the storage volumes respectively.

3. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a pagewidth printhead.

4. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the printhead has a capping mechanism for capping the printhead when not in use.

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

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 media substrate, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; and

,

a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the media substrate 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 media substrate reaching the capper.

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

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 media substrate, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; and

,

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

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

8. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 further comprising 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 media substrate, wherein the capper assembly is held in the uncapped position by the media substrate such that the capper moves to the capped position upon disengagement with the media.

9. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein the print engine controller has a light emitting beacon, and the printhead further 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.

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

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

such that,

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

11. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1 wherein during use,

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

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

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

such that,

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

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

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

14. A mobile telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating movement of the arm is a reciprocating movement where the arm extends into contact with the drive wheel to cause an incremental rotation of the drive wheel, and retracts out of contact with the drive wheel.

15. A mobile telecommunication device according to claim 14, wherein the arm includes a hole which the piezo-electric element extends across, wherein a drive signal received by the piezo-electric element causes the piezo-electric element to expand causing the hole to deform such that the arm extends into contact with the drive wheel.