Abstract:
A stamp includes a compressible housing having an upper housing portion telescopically receiving a lower housing portion, the lower housing portion defining an aperture at a lower end thereof substantially spanning a width of the lower housing portion; a printhead and ink cartridge arrangement housed within the lower housing, the printhead displaceable from a protected position within the housing to traverse the aperture of the lower housing portion; a mechanical arrangement comprising a pair of arms fixed at one end to a top of the printhead and at another end to the upper housing, the arms acting on the printhead in accordance with a movement of the upper housing portion with respect to the lower housing to effect traversal of the printhead from the protected position across the aperture; and a spring engaged at one end with the printhead and engaged at another end with the lower housing, the spring for returning the printhead to the protected position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/834,634 filed on Aug. 6, 2007, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,934, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/503,921 filed on Aug. 9, 2004, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,410, which is a 371 of PCT/AUO3/00168 filed on Feb. 12, 2003. All of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a hand held digital stamp for printing on print media, which is designed to replace existing rubber stamp devices or stencils. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Rubber stamps have been known for a long time and embody a variety of constructions including a fixed face or a movable face. In the latter the inked rubber surface is moved vertically into contact with the paper or media being stamped. The stamp is normally a fixed message and cannot be altered. 
         [0004]    A number of stamps are employed in an office to convey messages, for example, “Faxed”; “Copy”; or “Confirmation”. This creates considerable inventory as well as a limitation that any different message requires a new stamp to be created and, once created, the new stamp has only one functional purpose. 
         [0005]    While rubber stamps are common in office environments there are other types of markers. Stencils are one such type and it is contemplated that the instant invention may be used in place of stencils. 
       CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS 
       [0006]    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 on 12 Feb. 2003: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 PCT/AU03/00154 
                 PCT/AU03/00151 
                 PCT/AU03/00150 
                 PCT/AU03/00145 
                 PCT/AU03/00153 
               
               
                 PCT/AU03/00152 
                 PCT/AU03/00168 
                 PCT/AU03/00169 
                 PCT/AU03/00170 
                 PCT/AU03/00162 
               
               
                 PCT/AU03/00146 
                 PCT/AU03/00159 
                 PCT/AU03/00171 
                 PCT/AU03/00149 
                 PCT/AU03/00167 
               
               
                 PCT/AU03/00158 
                 PCT/AU03/00147 
                 PCT/AU03/00166 
                 PCT/AU03/00164 
                 PCT/AU03/00163 
               
               
                 PCT/AU03/00165 
                 PCT/AU03/00160 
                 PCT/AU03/00157 
                 PCT/AU03/00148 
                 PCT/AU03/00156 
               
               
                 PCT/AU03/00155 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0007]    The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference. 
       RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS 
       [0008]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 6,566,858 
                 6,331,946 
                 6,246,970 
                 6,442,525 
                 PCT/AU01/00141 
               
               
                 7,685,423 
                 PCT/AU01/00139 
                 6,816,968 
                 6,757,832 
                 PCT/AU01/00140 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00741 
                 6,238,044 
                 PCT/AU00/00742 
                 6,425,661 
                 6,227,652 
               
               
                 6,213,588 
                 6,213,589 
                 6,231,163 
                 6,247,795 
                 6,394,581 
               
               
                 6,244,691 
                 6,257,704 
                 6,416,168 
                 6,220,694 
                 6,257,705 
               
               
                 6,247,794 
                 6,234,610 
                 6,247,793 
                 6,264,306 
                 6,241,342 
               
               
                 6,247,792 
                 6,264,307 
                 6,254,220 
                 6,234,611 
                 6,302,528 
               
               
                 6,283,582 
                 6,239,821 
                 6,338,547 
                 6,247,796 
                 6,557,977 
               
               
                 6,390,603 
                 6,362,843 
                 6,293,653 
                 6,312,107 
                 6,227,653 
               
               
                 6,234,609 
                 6,238,040 
                 6,188,415 
                 6,227,654 
                 6,209,989 
               
               
                 6,247,791 
                 6,336,710 
                 6,217,153 
                 6,416,167 
                 6,243,113 
               
               
                 6,283,581 
                 6,247,790 
                 6,260,953 
                 6,267,469 
                 6,273,544 
               
               
                 6,309,048 
                 6,420,196 
                 6,443,558 
                 6,439,689 
                 6,378,989 
               
               
                 6,848,181 
                 6,634,735 
                 PCT/AU98/00550 
                 PCT/AU00/00095 
                 6,390,605 
               
               
                 6,322,195 
                 6,612,110 
                 6,480,089 
                 6,460,778 
                 6,305,788 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00172 
                 6,426,014 
                 PCT/AU00/00338 
                 6,364,453 
                 PCT/AU00/00339 
               
               
                 6,457,795 
                 PCT/AU00/00581 
                 6,315,399 
                 PCT/AU00/00580 
                 6,338,548 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00582 
                 6,540,319 
                 PCT/AU00/00587 
                 6,328,431 
                 PCT/AU00/00588 
               
               
                 6,328,425 
                 PCT/AU00/00589 
                 6,991,320 
                 PCT/AU00/00341 
                 6,595,624 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00340 
                 PCT/AU00/00749 
                 6,417,757 
                 PCT/AU01/01332 
                 7,095,309 
               
               
                 PCT/AU01/01318 
                 6,854,825 
                 PCT/AU00/00750 
                 7,075,677 
                 PCT/AU00/00751 
               
               
                 6,428,139 
                 PCT/AU00/00752 
                 6,575,549 
                 PCT/AU01/00502 
                 PCT/AU00/00583 
               
               
                 6,383,833 
                 PCT/AU02/01120 
                 PCT/AU00/00593 
                 6,464,332 
                 PCT/AU00/00333 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/01513 
                 6,428,142 
                 PCT/AU00/00590 
                 6,390,591 
                 PCT/AU00/00591 
               
               
                 7,018,016 
                 PCT/AU00/00592 
                 6,328,417 
                 PCT/AU00/00584 
                 6,322,194 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00585 
                 6,382,779 
                 PCT/AU00/00586 
                 6,629,745 
                 PCT/AU00/01514 
               
               
                 6,565,193 
                 PCT/AU00/01515 
                 6,609,786 
                 PCT/AU00/01516 
                 6,609,787 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/01517 
                 6,439,908 
                 PCT/AU00/01512 
                 6,684,503 
                 PCT/AU00/00753 
               
               
                 6,755,513 
                 PCT/AU00/00594 
                 6,409,323 
                 PCT/AU00/00595 
                 6,281,912 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00596 
                 6,604,810 
                 PCT/AU00/00597 
                 6,318,920 
                 PCT/AU00/00598 
               
               
                 6,488,422 
                 PCT/AU01/01321 
                 6,655,786 
                 PCT/AU01/01322 
                 6,457,810 
               
               
                 PCT/AU01/01323 
                 6,485,135 
                 PCT/AU00/00516 
                 6,795,215 
                 PCT/AU00/00517 
               
               
                 7,154,638 
                 PCT/AU00/00511 
                 6,859,289 
                 PCT/AU00/00754 
                 6,977,751 
               
               
                 PCT/AU00/00755 
                 6,398,332 
                 PCT/AU00/00756 
                 6,394,573 
                 PCT/AU00/00757 
               
               
                 6,622,923 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a stamp includes a compressible housing having an upper housing portion telescopically receiving a lower housing portion, the lower housing portion defining an aperture at a lower end thereof substantially spanning a width of the lower housing portion; a printhead and ink cartridge arrangement housed within the lower housing, the printhead displaceable from a protected position within the housing to traverse the aperture of the lower housing portion; a mechanical arrangement comprising a pair of arms fixed at one end to a top of the printhead and at another end to the upper housing, the arms acting on the printhead in accordance with a movement of the upper housing portion with respect to the lower housing to effect traversal of the printhead from the protected position across the aperture; and a spring engaged at one end with the printhead and engaged at another end with the lower housing, the spring for returning the printhead to the protected position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with respect to the following figures in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a cross sectional schematic of a stamp according to a first embodiment of the invention in a first position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional schematic of the stamp of  FIG. 1  in a second, operative position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3 , shows an underneath view of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4 , shows an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  illustrating the components thereof; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  shows an example of use of the stamp of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  shows a cartridge being mated with the body of the stamp of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  shows one embodiment of a cartridge according to the invention for use with the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  shows schematically a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  shows schematically a third embodiment of the invention: 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  shows schematically a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  shows schematically a fifth embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0022]      FIGS. 12 and 13  show schematically two alternative embodiments for positioning the printhead in the aperture of the stamp. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the stamp according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a housing having two parts, an upper part  10  and a lower part  12  with the upper part  10  of the housing moveable with respect to the lower part or base  12  of the housing.  FIG. 1  shows the stamp with the housing in the inoperative or extended position while  FIG. 2  shows the stamp in its operative mode towards the end of a stamping operation. 
         [0024]    Fixed to the outside of the upper housing  10  is a slide  14  which is fixed to a printed circuit board  16  on the inside of the upper housing  10 . In the lower housing  12 , a printhead  30  is located at one end  32  of an opening  34  in the lower housing  12  and is supplied with ink from ink cartridge  20  via ink connector  19  and tubes  52 . The printed circuit board (PCB)  16  has the necessary solid state memory  15  and processing capabilities to operate the printhead  30  and control other function within the stamp housing, such as detecting the presence or absence of an ink cartridge  20 . Solid state memory includes, for example, ROM, PROM, EEPROM or low power consumption RAM such as CMOS, DRAM or SRAM devices. 
         [0025]    Slide  14  is used to select what indicia are to be printed as stored in memory  15 . The slide  14  may be a potentiometer whose resistance value is interpreted by circuitry on PCB  16  to select a print choice from memory  15 , or may be a selector switch which chooses the required print by contacting conductor strips or fingers on PCB  16  which strips are coded for the desired location in memory  15 . The selector switch may be a linear slide switch, as shown, or may be a rotary switch. 
         [0026]    A battery (not shown) for operating the printhead  30  can be accommodated in or associated with the ink cartridge  20 , which is supported on base moulding  22 . 
         [0027]    The printhead  30  moves across the opening  34  and in doing so prints the selected indicia  24 , characteristic of the stamp, for example as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , on print media  26 . The printhead  30  may be moved by an electrical motor or by various mechanical arrangements or a combination of motor and mechanical linkage. Typical mechanical arrangements may be rack and pinion, peg and groove or rack and pinion and worm screw. 
         [0028]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the printhead  30  is moved across the opening  34  by a mechanical mechanism comprising a pair of arms  35  fixed at one end to the top 36 of the printhead  30  by axle  31  and at their other end to a bracket  38  of the upper housing  10  by axle  33 . A pair of pulley wheels or bearings  37  fixed to printhead  30  (see  FIG. 4 ) engage in slot  39  to constrain the motion of the printhead  30  to a linear motion across the opening  34 . As the upper housing  10  is moved toward the lower housing  12  by manual action the arms  35  move the printhead  30  from left, as shown in  FIG. 1 , to the right, as shown in  FIG. 2 . At the same time, the printhead  30  is activated to print the indicia required. The printhead  30  is supplied with information and activating signals from the processing circuitry on PCB  16  via the wires  50  and with ink from the ink cartridge  20  via ink connector  19  and tubes  52 . A four ink (red, yellow, cyan, black) printhead is illustrated although printheads having from one to six inks can be employed as disclosed in applicant&#39;s applications listed in the appendix. 
         [0029]    A return spring  42  is fixed between a stationary part  47  of the lower housing  12  and axle  31  on printhead  30  and ensures that the printhead  30  and upper housing  10  will return to their initial starting positions as shown in  FIG. 1 , upon release of the pressure from the upper housing  10 . 
         [0030]    A tambour or shutter  55  covers the opening  34  when the stamp is not in use (see  FIG. 1 ). The tambour  55  is attached to the ledge  40  of printhead  30 . As the printhead  30  moves across the opening  34  the tambour  55  is moved around the rollers or bearings  51 ,  53  and along the base of the ink cartridge  20 . The tambour  55  is shown in its fully retracted state in  FIG. 2 . When spring  42  returns the printhead  30  to its rest position, the tambour  55  is drawn back to cover the opening  34  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0031]    A copper arm  56  extends from the lower housing  12  to cover the printhead  30  when in the “home position” as shown in  FIG. 1 . In this way the face of the printhead  30  is protected from dirt and damage. The copper arm  56  may further include a sponge or other absorbent material for collecting drips or extraneous ink between runs of the printhead  30 . The copper arm  56  may also act as a lever to contact a microswitch (not shown) when the arm  56  is pressed onto print media to activate the circuitry controlling the printing by printhead  30 . A pair of rubber feet  37  supports the lower housing  12  and hence printhead  30  away from any support surface or the surface of the print media when printing. Printhead  30  is an inkjet printhead and the thickness of the feet  37  spaces the printhead  30  from the print media without interfering in the operation thereof. 
         [0032]    A sensor (not shown) for example, a CCD image sensor, may be provided on the side of the printhead  30  to detect the position of the printhead  30  with respect to the housing to co-ordinate printing by the printhead  30 . Signals from the CCD image sensor are fed to circuitry on PCB (printed circuit board)  16  for processing. This circuitry controls the operations of the printhead  30 . The printhead  30  is a type of electromechanically driven inkjet printhead and the circuitry provides the signals to the respective ink nozzles required to print the message stored in ROM or RAM on the PCB  16 . 
         [0033]    The ink cartridge  20  is replaceable so that the stamp can be reused once the ink supply has been exhausted. It is also contemplated that a stamp may be used once only and therefore that the ink cartridge  20  is not designed to be replaceable in some forms of the invention. 
         [0034]    One embodiment of a replaceable cartridge  20  is shown in  FIG. 7 . It comprises a body  200  having flanges  202  at the front face  204  for grabbing and wedge-shaped cut-outs  206  at the sides  208  for mating with complimentary structures on the inside of the side walls  210  of the lower housing  12 . Ink outlets  212 , four in number are shown, provide access to separate internal compartments storing each of the four inks. A printed circuit chip  214  is fixed to the rear  216  of the cartridge  20  and is encoded with details of the cartridge  20  such as the features (number, colours) and characteristics (viscosity, use by date) of the ink or inks used so that when inserted into the housing the chip  214  contacts a receiving connector dock  220  (see  FIG. 6 ) whereby these details may be read by the processing circuitry on PCB  16 . The ink outlets  212  mate with inlet sockets  222  on the ink connector  19 . The connector  19  is provided with means for rupturing seals (not shown) in the ink outlets  212  of the cartridge  20  when the cartridge  20  is first installed. For example, the inlets  222  may have sharp metal edges for doing this. The ink cartridge  20  may also include a battery pack with enough energy to operate the printhead  30  for the duration of the ink supply. Alternatively, provision for a battery pack may be provided elsewhere within the housing to fulfil these requirements or to supplement them. 
         [0035]    The printhead  30  can be of a type of sufficient size and detail to print across and along the opening  34  but preferably involves an inkjet printhead of a type such as disclosed in the inventor&#39;s earlier applications as listed below in the Appendix. 
         [0036]    The stamp according to the invention may be operated mechanically, as described above, or may be operated fully electrically, in which case the upper housing need not be made moveable with respect to the base housing but the two housings could be of a fixed configuration. 
         [0037]    Other ways of moving the printhead  30  are also contemplated, including using a DC or an AC motor under internal power or through an external power connection. Regulation of the motion of the printhead  30  may be provided by a mechanical governor or by the control circuitry for the motor such as by using a stepper motor or a synchronous AC motor. 
         [0038]    As an alternative to the CCD image sensor, positioning of the printhead  30  may be sensed by an optical quadrature wheel. 
         [0039]    If the stamp is electrically powered, the power may be provided internally either from a separate battery pack, from a battery integral with the ink cartridge, from a generator or dynamo operated when the upper housing is moved downwardly, as described above, or by an external wired connection, for example a USB (universal serial bas) connection (see  FIG. 9 ). 
         [0040]    Various embodiments of the stamp are contemplated and four further embodiments thereof are shown in  FIGS. 8-11  respectively. 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 8 , a pre-programmed stamp is shown. A fixed message is, for example, provided in a ROM associated with the circuitry driving the printhead. The message may be displayed on an LCD  60  on the face of the stamp and may be further programmable by a set of select buttons, keys or toggles  62  which may, for example, present a time or a date to be printed out with the fixed word, message or image. 
         [0042]    In  FIG. 9 , a programmable stamp is shown which has a connector socket  70 , for example a USB (universal serial bus) connector for connecting to a portable or fixed computer which can be used to program or provide input via the USB to the stamp for printing out a message made up via the keyboard or mouse of said portable or fixed computer. 
         [0043]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 10 , a stamp is made with a removable module  80  which can be clipped onto top housing  10  and has a number of selectable printable elements  82  which can be selected by the selection dial  84 . For example, the material that may be selected may be character images of a type such as Mickey Mouse, or Simpsons characters. Module  80  may be removed and replaced by a separate module  90  to provide a different selection of characters allowing the stamp to be selectively “programmed”. Contacts  86  in the base of a module  80 ,  90  allow the information for the printing of the selected character(s) to be transferred to the processing circuitry of the stamp housing. 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , a stamp is provided which has an attached lens  100 , view finder  102  and image sensor  104 , the latter two for example being a LCD  102  and a charge coupled device (CCD)  104  respectively, making in effect a miniature camera. The CCD  104  can be used to take a picture of a scene using the button  106  while displaying the scene on the viewfinder  102 . The image can then be stored and printed out using the printhead  30  in the manner such as disclosed in the applicant&#39;s Artcam applications for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,619. The stamp may also be provided with a processor unit that can add other details to the image taken by the CCD  104 , for example, the time and date or some text. The stamp may also be provided with a programmable input, such as disclosed with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 9 , whereby, for example, the time and date or the name of the author of the photograph or image may be applied thereto when printed out. 
         [0045]    The stamp may be used to replace the prior art rubber stamps used in office environments but may also be used in a variety of other situations, for example, to print a barcode and/or price on a tag or label with the tag or label fixed to the product or separate therefrom. In the latter case, an embodiment such as described with respect to  FIG. 9  may be used whereby the stamp is connected via a connector such as an USB to the inventory computer in a supermarket or retail store which loads the details of a barcode and/or price for printing by the printhead  30 . The printhead  30  is, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,619 a linear inkjet printhead having from 1 up to 6 colour jets which are arranged in a linear columnar configuration printing a column of dots in each colour as the printhead traverses the aperture in the base of the stamp. The printhead  30  may be positioned in the opening  250  in the base  252  of the stamp to move along either the long axis  254  or the short axis  256  of the opening  250  as shown respectively in  FIGS. 12 and 13 . Such printheads may have a resolution of up to 1600 dots per inch allowing the printing of a detailed monochrome or colour strip. In addition, if an infra-red ink is used an invisible watermark or security code may be included with the visible printed matter. The width of the strip will vary depending upon the size of the printhead used but a print head has a typical width of 5-8 mm. A wider printhead can be provided by overlapping more than one such printhead. 
         [0046]    The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications may be made to the invention, with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention. For example, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied in hardware and/or software in a suitably programmed device, both aspects of which are readily accomplished by those of ordinary skill in the respective arts. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.