NOZZLE CAPPING MECHANISM

Abstract: A nozzle capping mechanism comprises a pair of capping arms operatively associated with a powered roller of a printer. A cap is held between the capping arms and normally seats adjacent the printhead of the printer to prevent ink drying in the nozzles of the printhead. When the powered roller activates, the capping arm moves the cap away from the printhead. A space is made between the cap and the printhead that allows passage of a card being printed. The cap suitably consists of a pair of elastomeric seals located on each side of the printhead and a blotter that locates near the printhead.

Description: NOZZLE CAPPING MECHANISM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a compact pπnter system able to pπnt full-color, business card size documents from a device about the size of a pen The system includes vaπous hot-connectable modules that provide a range of functions In particular the invention relates to a capping mechanism to prevent ink drying in the pπnter Reference may be had to co-pending applications claiming pπoπty from Australian Provisional Patent Application number PQ0560 dated 25 May 1999 The co-pending applications descπbe related modules and methods for implementing the compact pπnter system The co-pending applications are as follows BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Microelectronic manufactunng techniques have led to the mimatuπzation of numerous devices Mobile phones, personal digital assistant devices, and digital cameras are very common examples of the rmmatuπzation trend One device that has not seen the advantage of microelectronic manufactunng techniques is the pπnter Commercially available pπnters are large compared to many of the devices they could support For instance, it is impractical to carry a color pπnter for the purpose of instantly pπnting photographs taken with known compact digital cameras A compact pπnthead has been descπbed m co-pending Patent Cooperation Treaty applications filed simultaneously to the present application and hereby incorporated by cross reference Most color pπnters use mk for pπnting The ink is selectively delivered through nozzles forming part of the pπnthead Ink drying in the mk nozzles is a common problem with ink jet pπnters It is known to provide a cap for the nozzles to substantially prevent evaporation and thereby minimize the problems of dry ink blocking the nozzles The problem causes particular difficulties in a compact pπnter due to the inaccessibility of the pπnthead The known capping mechanisms obstruct the paper path in pπnters having a stationary pπnthead and moving paper While cleaning remains an option, it is preferable to prevent the problem of dry ink as far as possible SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, the invention resides a nozzle capping mechanism for a pπnthead of a compact pπnter having a powered roller for moving pπntable media past said pπnthead said mechanism compπsmg at least one capping arm operatively associated with the powered roller, and a cap supported by said capping arm and movable with said capping arm between a position engaging the pπnthead and a position spaced from said pπnthead, wherein said cap rests in contact with said pπnthead and the capping arm moves said cap away from said pπnthead when said powered roller rotates Further features of the invention will be evident from the following descπption BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to assist with descπbing preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will be made to the following figures in which FIG 1 is a pπnter module, FIG 2 is a camera module, FIG 3 is a memory module, FIG 4 is a communication module, FIG 5 is a flash module, FIG 6 is a timer module, FIG 7 is a laser module, FIG 8 is an effects module, FIG 9 is a characters module, FIG 10 is an adaptor module, FIG 11 is a pen module, FIG 12 is a dispenser module, FIG 13 is a first compact pπnter configuration, FIG 14 is a second compact pπnter configuration, FIG 15 is a third compact pnnter configuration, FIG 16 is a fourth compact pπnter configuration, FIG 17 is an exploded view of the Pπnter Module of FIG 1 , FIG 18 is a top view of the Pπnter Module with mk cartπdge removed, FIG 19 is a cross-sectional view through A A in FIG 18, FIG 20 is an embodiment of a nozzle capping mechanism, and FIG 21 shows the embodiment of FIG 20 in an uncapped state, FIG 22 shows the underside of the dπve assembly of the Pπnter Module of FIG 1 , and FIG 23 shows a top three quarter view of the dπve assembly of FIG 22 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGs 1 to 12, there are shown vaπous modules that together form a compact pπnter system Individual modules can be attached and detached from the compact pπnter configuration to allow a user-definable solution to business-card sized printing Images can also be transferred from one compact pπnter to another without the use of a secondary computer system Modules have a minimal user-interface to allow straightforward interaction A compact pπnter system configuration consists of a number of compact pπnter modules connected together Each compact pπnter module has a function that contπbutes to the overall functionality of the particular compact pπnter configuration Each compact pπnter module is typically shaped like part of a pen, physically connecting with other compact pπnter modules to form the complete pen-shaped device The length of the compact pπnter device depends on the number and type of compact pπnter modules connected The functionality of a compact pπnter configuration depends on the compact pπnter modules in the given configuration The compact pπnter modules connect both physically and logically The physical connection allows modules to be connected m any order, and the logical connection is taken care of by the compact pπnter Seπal Bus - a bus that provides power, allows the modules to self configure and provides for the transfer of data In terms of physical connection, most compact pπnter modules consist of a central body, a male connector at one end, and a female connector at the other Since most modules have both a male and female connector, the modules can typically be connected in any order Certain modules only have a male or a female connector, but this is determined by the function of the module Adaptor modules allow these smgle-connector modules to be connected at either end of a given compact pπnter configuration A four wire physical connection between all the compact pπnter modules provides the logical connection between them in the form of the compact pπnter Seπal Bus The compact pπnter Seπal Bus provides power to each module, and provides the means by which data is transferred between modules Importantly, the compact pπnter Seπal Bus and accompanying protocol provides the means by which the compact pnnter system auto-configures, reducing the user-interface burden on the end-user Compact pπnter modules can be grouped into three types • image processing modules including a Pπnter Module (FIG 1), a Camera Module (FIG 2), and a Memory Module (FIG 3) Image processing modules are pπmanly what sets the compact pπnter system apart from other pen-like devices Image processing modules capture, pπnt, store or manipulate photographic images, • housekeeping modules including an Adapter Module (FIG 10), an Effects Module (FIG 8), a Communications Module (FIG 4), and a Timer Module (FIG 6) Housekeeping modules provide services to other modules or extended functionality to other modules, and • isolated modules including a Pen Module (FIG 11) and a Laser Module (FIG 7) Isolated modules are those that attach to the compact pnnter system but are completely independent of any other module They do not necessanly require power, and may even provide their own power Isolated Modules are defined because the functionality they provide is typically incorporated into other pen-like devices Although housekeeping modules and isolated modules are useful components in a compact pπnter system, they are extras in a system dedicated to image processing and photographic manipulation Life size (1 1) illustrations of the compact pnnter modules are shown in FIGs 1 to 12, and example configurations produced by connecting vanous modules together are shown m FIGs 13 to 16 FIG 1 shows a pnnter module that incorporates a compact pπnthead descπbed co-pending United States Patent Applications listed in the Background section of this application, incorporated herewith by reference, and refened to herewith as a Memjet pnnthead The Memjet pπnthead is a drop-on-demand 1600 dpi Inkjet pπnter that produces bi- level dots in up to 4 colors to produce a pπnted page of a particular width Since the pπnthead pπnts dots at 1600 dpi, each dot is approximately 22 5μm in diameter, and spaced 15 875μm apart Because the pπnting is bi-level, the input image should be dithered or eπor-diffused for best results Typically a Memjet pπnthead for a particular application is page- width This enables the pπnthead to be stationary and allows the paper to move past the pπnthead A Memjet pπnthead is composed of a number of identical 1/2 inch Memjet segments The pπnter module 10 comprises a bodv 1 1 housing the Memjet pπnthead Power is supplied by a three volt battery housed in battery compartment 12 The pπnthead is activated to commence pπnting when a business card (or similar sized pπntable media) is inserted into slot 13 Male connector 14 and female connector 15 facilitate connection of other modules to the pπnter module 10 FIG 2 shows a camera module 20 The camera module provides a point-and-shoot camera component to the compact pπnter system as a means of captuπng images The camera module compπses a body 21 having a female connector 22 A lens 23 directs an image to an image sensor and specialized image processing chip within the camera 24 A conventional view finder 25 is provided as well as a lens cap 26 An image is captured when the Take button 27 is pushed Captured images are transferred to the Pπnter Module 10 for subsequent pπnting, manipulation, or storage The Camera Module also contains a self-timer mode similar to that found on regular cameras FIG 3 shows a Memory Module 30 compπsing a body 31, LCD 32, IN button 33, OUT button 34 and SELECT button 35 The Memory Module 30 is a standard module used for stoπng photographic images captured by the Camera 20 The memory module stores 48 images, each of which can be accessed either at full resolution or at thumbnail resolution Full resolution provides read and wπte access to individual images, and thumbnail resolution provides read access to 16 images at once in thumbnail form The Memory Module 30 attaches to other modules via a female connector 36 or male connector 37 The male and female connectors allow the module to be connected at either end of a configuration Power is provided from the Pnnter Module 10 via the Seπal Bus A Communications Module 40 is shown in FIG 4 The communications module 40 consists of a connector 41 and a cable 42 that terminates in an appropπate connector for a computer port, such as a USB port, RS232 seπal port or parallel port The Communications Module 40 allows the compact pπnter system to be connected to a computer When so connected, images can be transfeπed between the computer and the vaπous modules of the compact pπnter system The communications module allows captured images to be downloaded to the computer, and new images for pπnting to be uploaded into the pnnter module 10 A Flash Module 50 is shown in FIG 5 The Hash Module 50 is used to generate a flash with flash cell 51 when taking photographs with the Camera Module 20 The Flash Module attaches to other modules via female connector 52 and male connector 53 It contains its own power source The Flash Module is automatically selected by the Camera Module when required A simple switch allows the Flash Module to be explicitly turned off to maximize battery life FIG 6 shows a Timer Module 60 that is used to automate the taking of multiple photos with the Camera Module 20, each photo separated by a specific time interval The captured photos are stored in Memory Module 30 Any flash requirements are handled by the Camera Module 20, and can therefore be ignored by the Timer Module The Timer Module 60 consists of a body 61 housing a LCD 62, START/STOP button 63 and UNITS button 64 A SELECT button 65 allows the user to select time units and the number of units are set by UNITS button 64 The Timer Module 60 includes a male connector 66 and female connector 67 The Timer Module takes its power from the Pnnter Module 10 via the Seπal Bus A Laser Module 70 is shown in FIG 7 The Laser Module 70 consists of a body 71 containing a conventional laser pointer operated by button 72 As the Laser Module is a terminal module it only has one connector, which in the example is a male connector 73 The Laser Module is an isolated module, m that it does not perform any image capture, storage, or processing It exists as a functional addition to the compact pπnter system It is provided because laser pointer services are typically incorporated into other pen-like devices The Laser Module contains its own power supply and does not appear as a device on the Seπal Bus The Effects Module shown m FIG 8 is an image processing module It allows a user to select a number of effects and applies them to the current image stored m the Pπnter Module 10 The effects include borders, clip-art, captions, warps, color changes, and painting styles The Effects Module compπses a body 81 housing custom electronics and a LCD 82 A CHOOSE button 83 allows a user to choose between a number of different types of effects A SELECT button 84 allows the user to select one effect from the number of effects of the chosen type Pressing the APPLY button 85 applies the effect to image stored in the Pπnter Module 10 The Effects Module obtains power from the Seπal Bus Male connector 86 and female connector 87 allow the Effects Module to be connected to other compact pπnter system modules FIG 9 shows a Character Module 90 that is a special type of Effects Module (descπbed above) that only contains character clip-art effects of a given topic or genre Examples include The Simpsons ® , Star Wars ® , Batman ® , and Dilbert ® as well as company specific modules for McDonalds ® etc As such it is an image processing module It consists of a body 91 housing custom electronics and a LCD 92 SELECT button 93 allows the user to choose the effect that is to be applied with APPLY button 94 The Character Module obtains power from the Seπal Bus through male connector 95 and female connector 96 The Adaptor Module 100, shown in FIG 10. is a female/female connector that allows connection between two modules that terminate in male connectors A male/male connector (not shown) allows connection between two modules that terminate in female connectors The Adaptor Module is a housekeeping module, in that it facilitates the use of other modules, and does not perform any specific processing of its own All "through" modules have a male connector at one end and a female connector at the other end The modules can therefore be chained together, with each module connected at either end of the chain However some modules, such as the Laser Module 70, are terminating modules, and therefore have either a male or female connector only Such smgle- connector modules can only be connected at one end of the chain If two such modules are to be connected at the one time, an Adaptor Module 100 is required FIG 11 shows a Pen Module 110 which is a pen m a module form It is an isolated module in that it attaches to the compact pnnter system but is completely independent of any other module It does not consume or require any power The Pen Module is defined because it is a convement extension of a pen shaped, pen sized device It may also come with a cap 111 The cap may be used to keep terminating connectors clean in the case where the chain ends with a connector rather than a terminating module To assist with accurately feeding a business card sized pπnt media into slot 13 of the pπnter module 10, a dispenser module 120 is provided as shown in FIG 12 The dispenser module 120 compπses a body 121 that holds a store of business card sized pnnt media A Pπnter Module 10 locates into socket 122 on the dispenser module 120 When conectly aligned, a card dispensed from the dispenser module by slider 123 enters slot 13 and is pπnted In the sense that a minimum configuration compact pπnter system must be able to pπnt out photos, a minimum compact pπnter configuration contains at least a Pnnter Module 10 The Pπnter Module holds a single photographic image that can be pπnted out via its Memjet pnnter It also contains the 3V battery required to power the compact pπnter system In this minimum configuration, the user is only able to pπnt out photos Each time a user inserts a business card 130 into the slot m the Pπnter Module, the image in the Pπnter Module is pπnted onto the card The same image is pπnted each time a business card is inserted into the pπnter In this minimum configuration there is no way for a user to change the image that is pπnted The dispenser module 120 can be used to feed cards 130 into the Pnnter Module with a minimum of fuss, as shown in FIG 13 By connecting a Camera Module 20 to the minimum configuration compact pnnter system the user now has an instant pπnting digital camera a pen, as shown FIG 14 The Camera Module 20 provides the mechanism for captuπng images and the Pπnter Module 10 provides the mechanism for pπnting them out The battery m the Pπnter Module provides power for both the camera and the pπnter When the user presses the "Take" button 27 on the Camera Module 20, the image is captured by the camera 24 and transferred to the Pnnter Module 10 Each time a business card is inserted into the pπnter the captured image is pπnted out If the user presses "Take" on the Camera Module again, the old image in the Pπnter Module is replaced by the new image If the Camera Module is subsequently detached from the compact pπnter system, the captured image remains in the Pπnter Module, and can be pπnted out as many times as desired The Camera Module is simply there to capture images to be placed in the Pπnter Module FIG 15 shows a further configuration in which a Memory Module 30 is connected to the configuration of FIG 14 In the embodiment of FIG 15, the user has the ability to transfer images between the Pπnter Module 10 and a storage area contained in the Memory Module 30 The user selects the image number on the Memory Module, and then either sends that image to the Pπnter Module (replacing whatever image was already stored there), or bπngs the current image from the Pπnter Module to the specified image number in the Memory Module The Memory Module also provides a way of sending sets of thumbnail images to the Pπnter Module Multiple Memory Modules can be included in a given system, extending the number of images that can be stored A given Memory Module can be disconnected from one compact pnnter system and connected to another for subsequent image pπnting With the Camera Module 20 attached to a Memory Module/Pπnter Module compact pπnter system, as shown in FIG 15, the user can "Take" an image with the Camera Module, then transfer it to the specified image number in the Memory Module The captured images can then be pπnted out in any order By connecting a Communications Module 40 to the minimum configuration compact pnnter system, the user ga s the ability to transfer images between a PC and the compact pnnter system FIG 16 shows the configuration of FIG 15 with the addition of a Communications Module 40 The Communications Module makes the Pnnter Module 10 and any Memory Modules 30 visible to an external computer system This allows the download or uploading of images The communications module also allows computer control of any connected compact pπnter modules, such as the Camera Module 20 In the general case, the Pnnter Module holds the "current" image, and the other modules function with respect to this central repository of the cuπent image The Pnnter Module is therefore the central location for image interchange in the compact pπnter system, and the Pπnter Module provides a service to other modules as specified by user interaction A given module may act as an image source It therefore has the ability to transfer an image to the Pπnter Module A different module may act as an image store It therefore has the ability to read the image from the Pnnter Module Some modules act as both image store and image source These modules can both read images from and wnte images to the Pπnter Module's current image Detailed views of the Pπnter Module 10 are shown in FIGs 17 and 18 The Pπnter Module 10 is the central module tn the compact pπnter system It contains a 2-mch Memjet pπnthead 16, a Cyan/Magenta/Yellow ink cartπdge 17, the current image stored in flash memory on the pπnthead, and a power source in the form of a 3 V battery 12a in the battery compartment 12 With regards to processing, the Pnnter Module 10 contains a controller 101 that incorporates an image processing chip to pπnt the stored image m high quality, and a QA chip for ensunng the mk cartndge 17 does not run dry The Pπnter Module 10 can be used as a stand-alone pnnter of a single image (such as business cards), or can be used in conjunction with other modules to pπnt a vaπety of images Looking m detail at FIG 17, the body 11 of the pπnter module is m three parts being a lid 1 la, base 1 lb and chassis 1 lc Pnnthead 16 with filter 16a fits into the chassis l ie Powered rollers 18a are dnven by motor and gearbox 103 Neutral rollers 18b fit into ink cartndge 17 and guide a card past the pnnthead 16 Spπngs 18c (FIG 19) urge the neutral rollers 18b towards the powered rollers 18a The ink cartπdge 17 is located beyond the rollers 18 so that the card passes between the pπnthead 16 and the ink cartπdge 17 Ink inlets 105 provide communication between the ink cartπdge RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE βtf 17 and the pπnthead 16 Micro-moulded channels 106 in the chassis 1 lc distπbute the ink from the ink inlets 105 to the length of the pπnthead 16 Seπal bus 104 provides power and data between the pπnter module 10 and other modules connected to male connector 14 and female connector 15 The senal bus 104 picks up power from the battery 12a and signals from the controller 101 Looking at FIG 19, to pπnt an image, a user simply inserts a business card into the input slot 13 of the Pπnter Module Sensor 102 detects the insertion and the motor and gearbox 103 activates powered rollers 18a to carry the card through the module with neutral rollers 18b A tab film 107 prov ides signal connection from the sensor 102 to the controller 101 and hence to the motor and gearbox 103 A wedge 108 holds the tab film 107 against the controller 101 to make a signal connection The pπnted card is ejected from the output slot 13a of the module over a time peπod of 1 second There is no on/off switch - the act of inserting the card is the effective "on switch for the duration of a pπnt To reduce the chance of mk drying in the pπnthead 16 a capping mechanism 19 is provided to cap the ink nozzles in the pπnthead The capping mechanism 19 compπses a capping arm 191 supporting a cap in the form of adjacent elastomeπc seals 193 The elastomeπc seals are suitably formed as a continuous elastomeπc πng that is glued to the end of the capping aπn A blotter 192 is located at the end of the capping arm between the seals The blotter soaks up ink ejected from the pπnthead dunng cleaning As shown in FIGs 20 to 23, a dnve gear 194 is operatively associated with both of the powered rollers 18a to move the capping arm 191 out of the path of the card for pnnting The dπve gear 194 is dnven directly by the motor 103a and powers both dnve rollers 18a The capping arm 191 is moved away from the pnnthead 16 when a reversing gear assembly 203 is activated The reversing gear assembly consists plastic molded housing 204 and two gears The longer transmission gear 205 engages with the main dnve gear 194 and in one direction powers the second smaller reversing gear 206 around to make contact with gear on the end of the capping arm 201 These act together to pivot the capping arm away and uncap the pnnthead 16 When pπnting is finished, the main gear 194 is reversed, which reverses the dnve rollers and pivots the capping arm 191 to the home position after it is engaged by the reversing gear assembly 203 It rotates back towards the pπnthead 16 until the elastomeπc seals 193 seal either side of the pnnthead 16 The elastomeπc seals 193 maintain a moist environment in the vicinity of the pπnthead As shown in FIGs 20 to 23, the ink cartπdge 17 is shaped to receive the capping arm 191 out of the path of the pnntable media. There is a capping arm at each end of the pπnthead with the cap extending between the capping arms Each capping arm is separated by a space sufficient to allow the passage of the card being pπnted Throughout the specification the aim has been to descπbe the preferred embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize vanations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention

Claims: CLAIMS 1 A nozzle capping mechanism for a pπnthead of a compact printer having at least one powered roller for moving pπntable media past said pπnthead, said mechanism compπsing at least one capping arm operatively associated with the powered roller, and a cap supported by said capping arm and movable with said capping arm between a position protecting the pπnthead and a position spaced from said pπnthead, wherein said cap rests adjacent said pπnthead and the capping arm moves said cap away from said pπnthead when said powered roller rotates 2 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 1 further compπsing a clutch providing said operative association between said at least one capping arm and said powered roller 3 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 2 wherein the clutch is a frictional clutch 4 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 1 further compπsing a motive means associated with said capping arm, said motive means moving said capping arm when said powered roller rotates 5 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 4 wherein said motive means is a solenoid 6 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 4 wherein said motive means is a gear between said at least one powered roller and said capping arm 7 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 1 wherein the cap compπses one or more seals that locate adjacent said pnnthead 8. The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 7 wherein there is a single seal that locates either side around said pπnthead 9 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 7 wherein said one or more seals are elastomeπc seals 10 The nozzle capping mechanism of claim 1 wherein said cap compπses one or more seals that locate ad j acent said pπnthead and a blotter that locates near said pπnthead

Inventors: SILVERBROOK KIA, SILVERBROOK, KIA
Applicants: SILVERBROOK KIA, SILVERBROOK RES PTY LTD, SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY LTD, SILVERBROOK, KIA
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B41J2
IPC codes: B41J2, B41J3, B41J13, B41J23, B41J29, H04N1, H04N5