Abstract:
A printer may include a printer housing, a service station in the printer housing, an automated carriage assembly, and a print cartridge storage compartment. The service station defines an area for servicing one or more print cartridges. The automated carriage assembly is configured to carry the particular print cartridge through a printing area during a printing operation of the printer, and to carry the particular print cartridge to the service station area for servicing. The print cartridge storage compartment is defined by the printer housing and configured to store a spare print cartridge, the print cartridge storage compartment being separate from the service station and inaccessible to the carriage assembly.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates in general to printers, and more particularly to storage of print cartridges for printers. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. 
         [0003]    A printer may be used in connection with an information handling system, for example, for printing or writing data from the information handling system to some medium. A printer may be, may include, or may be a part of, an information handling system. Some printers include one or more print cartridges, for example, an ink cartridge for printing ink to paper. Some cartridge include a print head, while others do not. Example cartridges include black ink cartridges and photo ink cartridges. Some printers may only use one cartridge with a print head at a time, for example, either using a black ink cartridge or a photo ink cartridge. Additional packaging parts, such as a container with a lid, are typically needed to store additional cartridges. This may be costly and time consuming. In addition, a user may forget where a specific cartridge or additional packaging parts for storing the cartridge are located. In other words, packages for cartridges, the cartridges themselves, and/or cartridges in packages may be misplaced. 
         [0004]    Care must be taken in swapping out printer cartridges, because cartridges removed from a printer may dry out. For example, ink drying on an outlet of a print head, such as for example the nozzles, may cause the printer to function improperly. In some cases, the pigments and dyes of the ink may dry out and form a solid block of hardened mass that plugs microscopic ink passageways, rendering the print head useless. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a printer includes a printer housing, a service station in the printer housing, an automated carriage assembly, and a print cartridge storage compartment. The service station defines an area for servicing one or more print cartridges. The automated carriage assembly is configured to automatically carry the particular print cartridge through a printing area during a printing operation of the printer, and to carry the particular print cartridge to the service station area for servicing. The print cartridge storage compartment is defined by the printer housing and configured to store a spare print cartridge, the print cartridge storage compartment being separate from the service station and inaccessible to the carriage assembly. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided. A printer including a printer housing, a service station located in the printer housing and defining an area for servicing one or more print cartridges, and a carriage assembly for carrying a print cartridge is operated. During operation of the printer, the carriage assembly automatically carries a particular print cartridge through a printing area during a printing operation and to the service station for servicing. A spare print cartridge is stored in a print cartridge storage compartment at least partially defined in the printer housing and configured for storing the spare print cartridge, the print cartridge storage compartment being separate from the service station and inaccessible to the carriage assembly. The spare print cartridge is manually transferred from the print cartridge storage compartment to the carriage assembly such that the carriage assembly may use the spare print cartridge for printing. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a capping system for capping a print cartridge for use in a printer includes a capping seal and a biasing member. The capping seal is configured to seal a print head of a spare print cartridge stored in a print cartridge storage compartment formed in a housing of a printer. The biasing member is configured to bias the capping seal against the print head of the spare print cartridge stored in the print cartridge storage compartment. The capping system is located in the print cartridge storage compartment, the print cartridge storage compartment being separate from a service station area for servicing one or more print cartridges delivered by an automated movable print cartridge carriage assembly. 
         [0008]    Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include any one or some advantages discussed herein. For example, some embodiments may reduce the need for additional packaging parts for storing spare printer cartridges. Such embodiments may reduce costs and time for swapping cartridges. 
         [0009]    Some embodiments may include a print head capping system to reduce the likelihood of a print head of a printer cartridge drying out. Such embodiments may reduce ink printing problems relating to ink drying on an outlet of a print head, e.g., the nozzles. Further, such embodiments may increase the ability of certain cartridges to be reused after periods of non-use. 
         [0010]    Other technical advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims. Various embodiments of the present application obtain only a subset of the advantages set forth. No one advantage is critical to the embodiments. Any claimed embodiment may be technically combined with any preceding claimed embodiment(s). 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring, by way of example, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein: 
           [0012]      FIGS. 1-5  illustrate various views of an example printer including a spare cartridge storage compartment for one or more spare print cartridges, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates an information handling system coupled to a printer, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 7-9  illustrate various views of a spare cartridge storage compartment including a capping system for forming a seal with a print head of a spare cartridge stored in the spare cartridge storage compartment, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Preferred embodiments and their advantages are best understood by reference to  FIGS. 1 to 9 , wherein like numbers are used to indicate like and corresponding parts. 
         [0016]    For the purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a PDA, a consumer electronic device, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include memory, one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic. Additional components or the information handling system may include one or more storage devices, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a video display, and a printer, for example. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communication between the various hardware components. A printer may be used in connection with an information handling system, for example for printing information from the information handling system. A printer may comprise, or may be a part of, an information handling system. 
         [0017]    As used herein, the term “printer” refers to any device, system or apparatus, used alone and/or in combination with one or more information handling systems to print images (e.g., text and/or pictures) on a recording medium (e.g., paper, transparencies, and/or any other suitable medium) using an imaging medium (e.g., toner, ink, and/or other suitable medium). As two examples only, printers may include toner-based imaging devices and inkjet imaging devices. 
         [0018]    The imaging medium (e.g., toner, ink, and/or other suitable medium) for use in a printer may be housed in print cartridges that may be used by the printer. Typically, print cartridges may be swapped in and out of a printer as desired. As used herein, the term “cartridge” or “print cartridge” refers to any removable and/or replaceable component that houses any type of imaging medium (e.g., toner, ink, and/or other suitable medium) for use in a printer. A container may or may not also include one or more print heads. For example, a cartridge may include a container for image medium (e.g., an ink container) and/or a print head, e.g., for use in an ink printer or an ink jet printer. When such a cartridge is exhausted or replaced, the whole cartridge, including the container and the print head, may be removed and replaced with a new cartridge including a new print head. Alternatively, only one or more parts or components of the replaceable cartridge (e.g., the imaging medium container), may be replaced such that one or more other parts or components of the replaceable cartridge (e.g., a print head) may continue to be used. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, more than one cartridge or print head can be combined as treated as a single cartridge. A cartridge may contain one or more partitioned ink reservoirs. In some embodiments, a cartridge (e.g., the print head portion of a cartridge) may include electronic contacts and/or a chip for communicating with a printer or information handling system. 
         [0020]    A print head may comprise one or more outlets for ink. An outlet may include one or more nozzles that allow ink to be delivered from an ink cartridge to a medium, e.g., paper. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 1-5  illustrate an example printer  100  including a storage compartment for one or more spare print cartridges, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 1  shows a  3 -dimensional view of printer  100 ,  FIG. 2  shows a front view of printer  100 ,  FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic representation of a front view of printer  100 ,  FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic representation of a side view of printer  100 , and  FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic representation of a top view of printer  100 . The printer  100  may be, for example, an ink jet printer. 
         [0022]    Taken together,  FIG. 1-5  illustrate the printer  100  including a housing  70 , a carriage  20 , a carriage assembly  10  traveling on carriage  20  for moveably carrying one or more print cartridges  15 , a service station  30  for storing one or more cartridges  15  that may be grabbed by carriage assembly  10 , an outlet  60  for a print medium, and a spare print cartridge storage compartment  40  for storing one or more spare print cartridges  15 A. 
         [0023]    The carriage assembly  10  travels on the carriage  20  and carries one or more cartridges  15 , for example an ink cartridge. When the printer  100  is operating, e.g., printing, the carriage assembly  10  travels along the carriage  20  (as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 1 ) and allows the cartridge  15  to print on the medium. When the printer  100  is not operating, the carriage assembly  10  may travel to the service station  30  (e.g., a storage or maintenance station), where the cartridge  15  may be parked. A cartridge  15  on the carriage assembly  10  may be carried to the service station  30  when moved to a home position or when the printer is not printing. 
         [0024]    The service station  30  may be configured to “service” one or more print cartridges  15  not currently undergoing a printing operation. Servicing a print cartridge  15  may include any one or more of the following: storing the print cartridge  15 ; cleaning, wiping, and/or moistening a print head of a print cartridge  15 ; sealing a print head or ink compartment of a print cartridge  15  (e.g., to prevent leaking or drying out of the ink); and/or any other storage or maintenance service for a print cartridge  15 . The service station  30  may be at any location in the printer, e.g., one or both end positions of the carriage  20  (e.g., the left and/or right end sides of the carriage  20  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ). In the example embodiment of printer  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the service station  30  is located at the right end side of the carriage  20 . 
         [0025]    A carriage travel area  50  may be defined as the area through which the movable carriage assembly  10  may move, as the carriage assembly  10  moves between the two end side positions of the carriage  20 . This carriage travel area  50  is indicated as the shaded area in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0026]    An outlet  60  is defined as the area allowing a print medium, e.g., paper, to exit the printer  100 . The medium may enter, pass through, and exit the printer  100  as generally known in the printing industry. The necessary area required for the medium to exit the printer  100  may influence the overall configuration of the printer and its components. 
         [0027]    A spare cartridge storage compartment  40  for one or more spare cartridges  15 A may be at least partially defined in the housing  70  of the printer  100 . The spare cartridge storage compartment  40  is in addition to, and separate from, the service station  30 . The spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may store one or more spare cartridges  15 A (e.g., one or more photo ink cartridge) while the carriage assembly  10  carries one or more cartridge  15  currently in use (e.g., a black ink cartridge  15 ). The spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be formed integral with the housing  70  or a separate storage compartment coupled to or arranged within the housing  70 . A spare cartridge  15 A stored in the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may or may not protrude from the spare cartridge storage compartment  40 . 
         [0028]    Some printers may be conceptually divided into an upper portion and a lower portion. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , printer  100  is conceptually divided into an upper portion “U” and a lower portion “S.” The lower portion may also be referred to as the support base of the printer. Generally, the upper portion U is located towards the top of the printer and the lower portion S is located towards the bottom of the printer. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic representation of a side view of printer  100 , as viewed from the left side. As stated above, the printer  100  includes the housing  70 , the carriage assembly  10 , the carriage  20 , the service station  30 , and the storage compartment  40 . The carriage travel area  50 , defined as the space through which the movable carriage assembly  10  may move, is illustrated as shaded in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0030]    A printer may be divided into a front portion and a back portion or sections. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , printer  100  has been divided into a front portion “F” and a back portion “B”. Generally, the front portion F is located towards the front of the printer and the back portion B is located towards the rear of the printer. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic representation of a top view of the printer  100 . As stated above, the printer  100  includes the housing  70 , the carriage assembly  10 , the carriage  20 , the service station  30 , and the storage compartment  40 . The carriage travel area  50 , defined as the space the movable carriage assembly  10  may move, is again indicated with shading. 
         [0032]    The spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be situated in any location within the housing  70  of the printer  100  that does not interfere with the carriage travel area  50 . Preferably, the location of the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  additionally does not interfere with the outlet  60 . In some embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be located in the support base S, which may allow a user to access the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  from an upper surface of the support base S. In some embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be located towards the front portion F. In addition, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be located to the left or right of the outlet  60 . Such a location may reduce or eliminate the interference of the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  with other components of the printer  100 . In addition, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may include enough space for a capping seal system for sealing a print head of at least one spare cartridge  15 A. 
         [0033]    In some embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be adapted to store one or more spare cartridges  15 A in a vertical or upright orientation, which may help keep the ink or other imaging medium in the desired position within the cartridge  15 A when the cartridge  15 A is taken out of the storage compartment, e.g., to be inserted into the carriage assembly  10  (or in some embodiments, into the service station  30 ). 
         [0034]    In some embodiments, the printer  100  may include a spare print cartridge identification system  110  (see  FIG. 3 ) configured to detect various information from spare cartridges  15 A (e.g., from a print head of a stored cartridge  15 A) stored in storage compartment  40 . This may allow a printer  100  to determine and/or communicate to a user data such as, e.g., whether a cartridge  15 A is stored in the storage compartment, how many cartridges  15 A are stored in the storage compartment, which type(s) or cartridge(s)  15 A is/are stored in the storage compartment  40 , how long each cartridge  15 A has been stored or used, etc. Furthermore, an information handling system connected to the printer may use the information collected from each spare cartridge  15 A. 
         [0035]    In some embodiments, the printer  100  may include a cleaning/moistening system  120  (see  FIG. 3 ) adapted to clean, or to moisten, or both, a print head of at least one stored spare cartridge  15 A. This may reduce drying out of nozzles within the print head and/or reduce clogged nozzles, which may improve the printing quality. 
         [0036]    As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, an information handling system  400  may include a printer  100  including a storage compartment  40  for at least one spare cartridge  15 A. The information handling system  400  may be a part of the printer  100 , externally connected to the printer  100  (e.g., via a network), or the printer  100  may be a part of the information handling system  400 . As discussed above, in some embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be adapted to detect information of one or more stored spare cartridge(s)  15 A or a print head for such spare cartridge(s)  15 A and communicate such information to the information handling system  400 . Additionally, the information handling system  400  may be adapted to clean and/or moisten a print head of the stored cartridge(s)  15  in the storage compartment. 
         [0037]    In some embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may include a capping system  130  for capping a print head or other similar component of a stored print cartridge  15 A, e.g., to prevent a stored cartridge  15 A from drying out.  FIGS. 7-9  illustrate an example embodiment of a spare cartridge storage compartment  40  including a capping system  130  for capping a print head of a single cartridge  15 A. Capping system  130  may include a capping seal  80 , a biasing member  85 , a securing element  46 , a removable bottom portion  44 , and at least one cartridge supporting element  42 . 
         [0038]    The capping seal  80  may be biased against the stored cartridge  15 A by a biasing member  85 . Biasing member  85  may comprise a flexible member or any other device or material configured to provide a biasing force. For example, in the example shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , biasing member  85  comprises a spring. As another example, a flexible protrusion, such as a tongue, extending from a part of the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  or the removable bottom portion  44 , may be used. Other examples include a foam material or an extended flexible part of the capping seal itself. The biasing member  85  biases or urges the capping seal  80  towards and against a print head  95  of the spare cartridge  15 A in the storage compartment  40 , which may help prevent nozzles of the print head  95  from drying out. 
         [0039]    The spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may include one or more securing elements  46  for engaging the cartridge  15 A and for counteracting the flexibly held capping seal  80 . The securing element  46  may engage the cartridge  15 A on an opposite side as the capping seal  80 , for example the top side of cartridge  15 A, to counteract the force applied to the bottom of cartridge  15 A by the biasing member  85  and to secure the cartridge  15 A in the storage compartment  40 . The securing element  46  may have any suitable shape for engaging the cartridge  15 A. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7-9 , each securing element  46  is a flexible arm connected to housing  70  at one end and having a hooked catch portion  47  at the free end, the hooked catch portion  47  configured to mate with a surface or edge of cartridge  15 A, e.g., a lip portion  92  of the cartridge  15 A shown in  FIGS. 7-9 . 
         [0040]    To secure a cartridge  15 A in the spare cartridge storage compartment  40 , a user may align the cartridge  15 A vertically and press the cartridge  15 A downward until the hooked catch portion  47  of the securing elements  46  catch on the lip portion  92  of the cartridge  15 A. As the bottom of the cartridge  15 A is pressed down into the bottom the storage compartment  40 , the print head  95  is received in the capping seal  80 , which forms a seal with the print head  95 . 
         [0041]    To remove the cartridge  15 A from the spare cartridge storage compartment  40 , the user may flex the securing elements  46  outwardly to free cartridge  15 A from the hooked catch portions  47 . Biasing element  85  may then force the cartridge  15 A upwardly such that user may remove the cartridge  15 A from the storage compartment  40 . 
         [0042]    The biasing member  85  and the capping seal  80  may be supported by a part of the housing  70  and/or the storage compartment  40 . In some embodiments, the biasing member  85  and the capping seal  80  may be supported by a removable bottom portion  44  of the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  shown in  FIGS. 7-9 . The removable bottom portion  44  may be, for example, hinged, snap fitted, screwed, and/or attached by other fastening means to the housing  70  and/or the storage compartment  40 . Any bottom part removably secured to the housing  70  and/or the storage compartment  40 , from below or above, and supporting the biasing member  85  and the capping seal  80  may be used. 
         [0043]    The spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may include at least one cartridge supporting element  42  to guide, position and/or hold the cartridge  15 A in a designated position within the storage compartment  40 .  FIG. 8  illustrates an example embodiment including two cartridge supporting element  42 . In other embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may have four, five, six, seven, eight, or any other number of cartridge supporting element  42 . For example, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may include two cartridge supporting element  42  on each longer side walls and one or two cartridge supporting element  42  on each shorter side walls. The bottom of the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may also have at least one cartridge supporting element  42 . The cartridge supporting elements  42  may improve the position of the print head  95  of the cartridge  15 A within the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  and thus may also improve the sealing properties of the capping seal  80  sealing the print head  95 . In some embodiments, the spare cartridge storage compartment  40  may be adapted to clamp at least one cartridge  15 A. 
         [0044]    In operation, a printer with a housing including a spare cartridge storage compartment may be used for storing one or more spare print cartridges in addition to any print cartridges in the carriage assembly and/or the service station of the printer. The spare cartridge storage compartment is preferably adapted to store at least one print cartridge in a vertical position and may include a capping seal for a print head of the at least one print cartridge. As an example, a user may wish to swap out a black ink cartridge used by the printer for a photo ink cartridge stored in the spare cartridge storage compartment. In such a case, the user may remove the black ink cartridge from the carriage assembly or from the service station. The user may remove the photo ink cartridge from the spare cartridge storage compartment and insert it in the carriage assembly (or, in some embodiments, into the service station for pick-up by the carriage assembly). The user may insert the black ink cartridge in the spare cartridge storage compartment for later use. It should be understood that this is only one example implementation. 
         [0045]    Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims