PRINTER CONSUMABLE CARTRIDGE WITH AIR FILTER

Abstract: The invention relates to a replaceable cartridge for supplying consumable material to an ink jet printer, the printer having: a printhead assembly; means to provide air to the printhead assembly; and, binding means adapted to bind printed pages into a bound document (618); wherein, the replaceable cartridge includes: an air filter unit, such that in use the air provided to the printhead assembly is filtered by the air filter unit; and a storage chamber for binding material suitable for use in the binding means.

Description: PRINTER CONSUMABLE CARTRIDGE WITH AIR FILTER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to ink jet printers and in particular, consumable cartridges for ink jet printers CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application PCT/AU00/00518. PCT/AU00/00519, PCT/AU00/00520, PCT/AU00/00521 , PCT/AU00/00522, PCT/AU00/00523, PCT/AU00/00524, PCT/AUOO/00525, PCT/AU00/00526, PCT/AU00/00527, PCT/AUOO/00528, PCT/AU00/00529, PCT/AU00/00530, PCT/AU00/00531 , PCT/AU00/00532, PCT/AUOO/00533, PCT/AU00/00534, PCT/AUOO/00535, PCT/AUOO/00536, PCT/AU00/00537, PCT/AU00/00538, PCT/AU00/00539, PCT/AU00/00540, PCT/AU00/00541 , PCT/AU00/00542, PCT/AU00/00543, PCT/AU00/00544, PCT/AU00/00545, PCT/AU00/00547, PCT/AUOO/00546, PCT/AU00/00554, PCT/AU00/00556, PCT/AUOO/00558, PCT/AU00/00559, PCT/AU00/00560, PCT/AU00/00561, PCT/AU00/00562, PCT/AU00/00563, PCT/AU00/00564, PCT/AU00/00565, PCT/AU00/00566, PCT/AU00/00567, PCT/AUOO/00568, PCT/AU00/00569, PCT/AUOO/00570, PCT/AU00/0057I, PCT/AU00/00572, PCT/AUOO/00573, PCT/AUOO/00574, PCT/AU00/00575, PCT/AUOO/00576, PCT/AU00/, PCT/AU00/00590, PCT/AU00/00591 , PCT/AU00/00592, PCT/AU00/00594, PCT/AU00/0059500577, PCT/AUOO/00578, PCT/AU00/00579, PCT/AU00/00581, PCT/AU00/00580, PCT/AU00/00582, PCT/AU00/00587, PCT/AU00/00588, PCT/AU00/00589, PCT/AU00/00583, PCT/AU00/00593, PCT/AU00/00596, PCT/AUOO/00597, PCT/AU00/00598, PCT/AU00/00516, and PCT/AUOO/00517 The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Inkjet printers are widely used for printed document production Inkjet pπntheads eject droplets of ink or other colorant onto a media substrate to form the printed text or image As the droplet size affects the resolution of the print, there is a need to keep the ejected ink drops small which in turn requires that the ejection nozzles in the printhead be correspondingly small To prevent particulate contaminants from clogging the nozzles, some ink jet printers are designed such that positive air pressure is provided within the pπntheads The air supplied to the pnntheads to create the positive pressure should be filtered to guard against clogging from within by airborne particles As with all filters, the air filter must be periodically cleaned or replaced Some businesses may have this done as part of a maintenance regime, however, often it is neglected until the printers operation is compromised It will be appreciated that printers used at home are even less likely to receive regular maintenance For this reason, it is expected that printers used in the Applicant's netpage system would ordinarily be susceptible to this problem A detailed overview of the netpage system is provided below Netpage printers are an important part of this system and a description of these is also set out below These printers produce magazine - la - quality printing in the form of bound documents. Because of the high-resolution printing, they have comparatively small ink nozzles formed using microelectromechanical techniques, which can easily clog from microscopic airborne contaminants. Furthermore, common forms of the printer, such as the wallprinter, are intended solely for use in a domestic environment where there is unlikely to be any regular maintenance regime in place. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate the above problems associated with ink jet printers Accordingly, the present invention provides A replaceable cartridge for supplying consumable material to an ink jet printer, the printer having a pπnthead, means provide air to the print head, and, binding means adapted to bind prmted pages into a bound document, wherein, the replaceable cartridge mcludes an air filter unit, such that m use the air provided to the pπnthead is filtered by the air filter unit, and a storage chamber for binding mateπal suitable for use m the binding means Preferably, the air filter unit is capable of removing microscopic particles from the air provided to the printhead In a further preferred form, the means to provide air to the printhead mcludes an air pump and conduit system for fluid communication with the pπnthead, wherein, the filter unit is adapted to detachably interface with the conduit system to filter airflow to the pnnthead In a particularly preferred form, the cartridge is adapted to supply the printer with, cyan, magenta, yellow and/or black ink In other preferred forms, the cartπdge is also adapted to supply infrared ink and/or fixative As discussed above, the present invention will be descπbed with reference to the netpage system developed by the Applicant and m particular, the netpage wallprmter developed specifically for use withm this system However, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied in many other forms BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a front three-quarter view of the wallprmter, Figure 2 shows a section through the length of the wallprmter, Figure 3 shows a front three-quarter view of the open media tray, Figure 4 shows a front three-quarter view of the electπcal system of the printer; Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the ink cartridge, Figures 6a and 6b show three quarter views of the ink cartπdge, Figure 7 shows a three quarter view of a single ink bladder, Figure 8a is a lateral section through the ink cartπdge, Figure 8b is a longitudinal section through the ink cartπdge, Figure 9 shows the ink, air and adhesive supply hoses to the print engmes, Figure 10 shows an enlarged section through the ink outlet nozzle of a bladder DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS Note Memjet™ is a trade marks of Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd, Australia In the preferred embodiment, the invention is configured to work with the netpage system, an overview of which follows The system is descπbed m this specification to reduce the need for external reference when attempting to understand the context m which the preferred embodiments and aspects of the present invention operate In its preferred form, the netpage system relies on the production of, and human interaction with, netpages These are pages of text, graphics and images prmted on ordmary paper, but which work like mteractive Web pages Information is encoded on each page using ink, which is substantially invisible to the unaided human eye The ink, however, and thereby the encoded information, can be sensed by an optically imaging pen and transmitted to the netpage system In the preferred form, active buttons and hyperlinks on each page can be clicked with the pen to request information from the network or to signal preferences to a network server In one embodiment, text wπtten by hand on a netpage is automatically recognized via the pen, allowing forms to be filled in In other embodiments, signatures recorded on a netpage are automatically verified, allowing e-commerce transactions to be securely authorized The netpage pen works m conjunction with a netpage printer, an Internet-connected printing appliance for home, office or mobile use The pen is wireless and commumcates securely with the netpage prmter via a short-range radio link The netpage prmter delivers, periodically or on demand, personalized newspapers, magazmes, catalogues, brochures and other publications, all prmted at high quality as mteractive netpages Unlike a personal computer, the netpage prmter is an appliance which can be, for example, wall-mounted adjacent an area where the morning news is first consumed, such as m a user's kitchen, near a breakfast table, or at the household's pomt of departure for the day It also comes m tabletop, desktop, portable and miniature versions Netpages prmted at their pomt of consumption combme the ease-of-use of paper with the timeliness and interactivity of an mteractive medium The netpage system is made considerably more convenient because of the functional supeπonty of the netpage printers At the heart of these prmters are high-speed microelectromechamcal system (MEMS) based Inkjet (Memjet™) pπntheads, as disclosed m vaπous co-pendmg and co-filed applications from the list above In the preferred form of this technology, relatively high-speed and high-quality printing is made more affordable to consumers In its preferred form, a netpage publication has the physical characteπstics of a traditional newsmagazine, such as a set of letter-size glossy pages prmted m full color on both sides, bound together for easy navigation and comfortable handling A netpage prmter prints pages of photographic-quality images and magazine quality text at a rate of over 30 double sided sheets per minute (that is, more than 60 pages per minute) They come m a vanety of forms, mcludmg wall-mounted versions, tabletop versions, portable versions, and pocket versions Given the nature of the netpage system, it is envisaged that one of the most commercially relevant forms of netpage prmter will be the wall mounted version referred to as wallprmter For convemence, the present mvention will be descπbed m detail with reference to this specific version shown m the accompanying drawings The vertically-mounted netpage wallprmter 600 is shown fully assembled m Figure 1 As best shown m Figure 2, it prints netpages on Letter/A4 sized media using duplexed 8! " Memjet™ print engmes 602 and 603 It uses a straight paper path with the paper 604 passmg through duplexed print engmes 602 and 603 which pnnt both sides of a sheet simultaneously, m full color and with full bleed wallprmter provides the pnnt engmes m staggered configuration, however, in other prmters and configurations they are mutually opposed A multi-DSP raster image processor (RIP) rasteπzes pages to internal memory, and a pair of custom pnnt engme controllers expand, dither and pnnt page images to the duplexed pnntheads m real time An integral binding assembly 605 applies a stπp of glue along the front of one edge of each prmted sheet, adhering it to the previous sheet when pressed against it This creates a final bound document which can range m thickness from one sheet to several hundred sheets Prmted, bound documents 618 exit through the base of the wallprmter 600 mto a clear, plastic, removable collection tray 619 The wallprmter consists of a mam chassis 606, which accommodates all major components and assemblies As best shown m Figure 5, it has a pivotmg media tray 607 on the front upper portion, which is covered by a front molding 608 and handle molding 609 The front molding 608, handle molding 609 and lower front molding 610 can vary m color, texture and finish to make the product more appealing to consumers They simply clip onto the front of the wallprmter 600 Figure 4 shows the wallprmter electπcal system m isolation A flexible prmted circuit board (flex PCB) 11 runs from the media tray 607 to the mam PCB 612 It mcludes four different color LEDs 613, 614, 615 and 616 and a push button 617 The LEDs show through the front molding and indicate "on" 613, "ink out" 614, "paper out" 615, and "error" 616 The push button 617 elicits prmted "help" m the form of usage instructions, prmter and consumable status information, and a directory of resources on the netpage network The wallprmter 600 is powered by an internal 110V/220V power supply 620 and has a metal mounting plate 621 that is secured to a wall or stable vertical surface by four screws Plunged keyhole slot details 622 m the metal plate 621 allow for four spigots mounted on the rear of the prmter to hook onto the plate As best shown m Figures 2 and 19, the wallprmter 600 is prevented from being lifted off by a screw, which locates the chassis molding 606 to the plate 621 at one position behind the media tray 607 The side of the wallprmter 600 mcludes a module bay 624 which accommodates a network interface module 625 which allows the prmter to be connected to the netpage network and to a local computer or network The interface module 625 can be selected and installed m the factory or m the field to provide the interfaces required by the user A range of interface modules are available, each containing a netpage network interface and optionally a local computer or network interface The mam PCB 612 is attached to the rear of the chassis 606 The board 612 interfaces through the chassis molding 606 to the interface module 625 The PCB also carries the necessary peπpheral electronics to the Memjet™ pnntheads This mcludes a mam CPU with two 32MB DRAMs, flash memory, IEEE 1394 interface chip, six motor controllers, vanous sensor connectors, interface module PCB edge connector, power management, internal/external data connectors and a QA chip Referring to Figure 3, paper is placed mto a hinged media tray 607 and pressed down onto a sprung platen (not shown) When the front cover 608 is sensed closed, a release mechanism allows the sprung platen to push the paper 604 against a motorized media pick-up roller 626 shown in Figure 7 An ink cartπdge 627 connects mto a pivotmg ink connector moldmg 628 via a senes of self-sealing connectors 629, which transmit ink, air and glue to their separate locations A detailed section of the connectors 629 is shown in Figure 10. This ink connector molding 628 contains a sensor (not shown) which detects a QA chip on the ink cartridge 627. The QA chip allows ink usage to be recorded, in order to avoid exhausting the ink supply and consequently damaging the Memjet™ printheads. It can also be used to prevent the use of non-netpage cartridges. This helps to control the printers' operating conditions by ensuring that the printheads are only provided with suitable consumables. Figures 5, 6a, 6b, 7, 8a and 8b show the complete assembly of the replaceable ink cartridge 627. The cartridge 627 is housed within a thin wall casing 640. It has bladders or chambers for storing fixative 644, adhesive 630, and cyan 631, magenta 632, yellow 633, black 634 and infrared 635 inks. The ink bladders 631 to 635 and fixitive bladder 644 are suspended within the casing by a pin 645 which hooks the cartridge together. A single glue bladder 630 is accommodated in the base molding 637. This is a fully recyclable product with a capacity for printing and gluing 3000 pages (1500 sheets). The cartridge 627 also contains a micro air filter 636 in a base molding 637. As shown in Figure 9, the micro air filter 636 interfaces with an air pump 638 inside the printer via a hose 639. This provides filtered air to the printheads to prevent ingress of micro particles into the Memjet™ printheads which may clog the nozzles. By incorporating the air filter 636 within the cartridge 627, the operational life of the filter is effectively linked to the life of the cartridge. This ensures that the filter is replaced together with the cartridge rather than relying on the user to clean or replace the filter at the required intervals. By enforcing the regular replacement of the air filter 636 in this way, the operating conditions of the printheads can be better controlled. Obviously, this in turn benefits the printhead reliability and operational life of the printhead. The invention has been described herein by way of example only. Workers in this field will readily recognise many variations and modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the broad inventive concept.

Claims: - 6 - CLAIMS 1 A replaceable cartπdge for supplying consumable mateπal to an ink jet printer, the prmter having a prmthead, means provide air to the pnnt head, and, binding means adapted to bmd prmted pages mto a bound document, wherem, the replaceable cartndge mcludes an air filter umt, such that m use the air provided to the prmthead is filtered by the air filter umt, and a storage chamber for binding mateπal suitable for use m the binding means 2 A replaceable cartndge according to claim 1 wherem the air filter umt is capable of removing microscopic particles from the air provided to the pπnthead 3 A replaceable cartπdge according to claim 1 wherem the means to provide air to the pπnthead mcludes an air pump and conduit system for fluid commumcation with the pπnthead, wherem, the filter umt is adapted to detachably interface with the conduit system to filter airflow to the pπnthead 4 A replaceable cartndge according to claim 1 further adapted to supply the prmter with cyan, magenta, yellow ink 5 A replaceable cartndge according to claim 1 further adapted to supply black ink 6 A replaceable cartndge according to claim 1 further adapted to supply Infrared ink 7 A replaceable cartπdge according to claim 1 further adapted to supply fixative 8 A replaceable cartπdge according to claim 1 further mcludmg an authentication device wherem the prmter has a sensor adapted to recognize the authentication device and prevent normal operation of the printer whenever the sensor fails to recognize the authentication device

Inventors: KING TOBIN ALLEN, LAPSTUN PAUL, KING, TOBIN, ALLEN, LAPSTUN, PAUL
Applicants: KING TOBIN ALLEN, LAPSTUN PAUL, SILVERBROOK KIA, SILVERBROOK RES PTY LTD, KING, TOBIN, ALLEN, LAPSTUN, PAUL, SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY. LTD., SILVERBROOK, KIA
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B41J2
IPC codes: B41J2, B41J5, B41J13, B41J21, B41J29, B42C9, B42C19, B42D15, B65H29, B65H37, G06F3, G06F13, G06F17, G06F21, G06K9, G06K17, G06K19, G06Q10, G06Q30, G06Q50, G06T1, G06T11, G08C17, H04L9, H04N1