Patent Publication Number: US-2007115334-A1

Title: System and Method for Integrated Dye Sublimation Photo Printer Paper Tray

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system printers, and more particularly to a system and method for an integrated dye sublimation photo printer paper tray.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      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.  
      Advances in information handling system processing and storage capabilities have resulted in frequent use of information handling systems for managing multimedia information, such as photographs and videos. In particular, the increasing availability and decreasing cost of digital cameras has made the digital camera a common household item. Quality digital photographs tend to use considerable storage so that photographers commonly rely on information handling systems as an organizational tool for maintaining photographic libraries. When a user wants a physical copy of a particular photograph, the user selects the photograph from the library and prints the photograph in the desired size. For instance, ink jet printers have evolved to have the ability to print high quality photographs from digitally-stored images. Ink jet printers spray ink in small pixels that present an overall image of the photograph. However, ink jet printers tend to have a relatively large footprint and are thus not generally a convenient mobile printing device that a user may take along with the digital camera. Portable ink jet printers are available but awkward to use and expensive with relatively low quality printing.  
      Recent advances in dye sublimation printing have made dye sublimation printing an increasingly popular alternative to ink jet printing for photographs. Dye sublimation printing applies heat to thin ink sheets so that the ink vaporizes from the ink sheet and reforms on printing paper. Dye sublimation printing tends to provide higher quality photographs compared with ink jet printing since dye sublimation blends pixels together at their edges while ink jet printing tends to leave separately identifiable pixels. The use of a heating element instead of inkjets allows dye sublimation printers to have smaller footprints that are more suitable to mobile use. For instance, portable dye sublimation printers are typically available to print one type of standard-sized photograph, such as 4×6 inch photographs. However, dye sublimation printers typically require a user to carry a paper tray separate from the printer that is inserted in the printer during printing. The separate paper tray tends to have a footprint that is large relative to the small size of the printer because the dye sublimation paper generally must be covered at all times to avoid getting dirt or other impurities on the paper. Impurities on dye sublimation paper have significant impact on print quality so that printer manufacturers tend to keep the paper enclosed until use in an enclosed paper tray.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore a need has arisen for a system and method which integrates a dye sublimation paper tray with a dye sublimation printer for improved portability.  
      In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided which substantially reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with previous methods and systems for portable dye sublimation printers and paper trays. The paper tray couples to the printer housing in a print configuration that feeds paper to a print mechanism for printing an image on the paper. The paper tray selectively couples to the printer housing in a storage configuration that reduces the footprint of the printer compared with the print configuration to provide improved portability.  
      More specifically, the dye sublimation printer has plural processing components disposed in a housing that accept photographic information and transfer the information to a print media as an image using a dye sublimation printing mechanism. A print media tray contains print media in an enclosed environment and couples to the housing at the print mechanism in a print configuration to feed paper to the print mechanism. The print media tray transitions between the print configuration and a storage configuration having a smaller footprint than the print configuration. For instance, the print media tray removably couples to the bottom of the housing or, alternatively, to the top of the housing to cover and protect an operator panel. As another example, a rotationally hinged mechanism connects the housing and the print media tray to guide transitions between the storage and print configurations with reduced risk of loss of the print media tray from the printer by connection the print media tray and housing throughout transitions.  
      The present invention provides a number of important technical advantages. One example of an important technical advantage is that a dye sublimation paper tray integrates with a dye sublimation printer for improved portability and usability. A user carries a single integrated printing device that maintains the dye sublimation paper in an enclosed environment until use and that transforms quickly and intuitively from the portable configuration to a printing configuration and back. In embodiments having the printer tray coupled to the printer, the user is less likely to misplace the paper tray and the complete device is more secure and sturdy, reducing the risk of damage from mishandling or dropping when separate pieces are assembled for use or taken apart for storage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.  
       FIG. 1  depicts one embodiment of a dye sublimation printer having a rotationally hinged paper tray;  
       FIG. 2  depicts a blown-up view of the rotationally hinged paper tray;  
       FIGS. 3A, 3B ,  3 C and  3 D depict one embodiment of a dye sublimation printer having a paper tray removeably coupled to the bottom of the printer housing;  
       FIG. 4  depicts one embodiment of a dye sublimation printer having a paper tray removeably coupled to the top of the printer housing; and  
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  depict one embodiment of a dye sublimation printer having a vertically oriented storage orientation and a horizontally oriented print orientation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      A portable information handling system dye sublimation printer integrates a paper tray that keeps the paper in an enclosed container in a storage configuration and transitions the paper tray to a print configuration for printing images communicated from the information handling system. For 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, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, 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 random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a top perspective view of a dye sublimation printer  10  depicts a transition from a storage configuration to a print configuration. Dye sublimation printer  10  has an outer housing  12  that contains processing components to process photographic information received from an information handling system and a dye sublimation print mechanism for transferring the photographic information to print media as an image. An operator panel  14  disposed at the top of housing  12  accepts user inputs to control print functions. Print media, such as photographic paper, is fed from a print media tray  16  to a print mechanism  18  located within housing  12 . Print media tray  16  maintains an enclosed environment to reduce the introduction of contaminants to the print media. Print media tray  16  connects to housing  12  with a rotationally hinged mechanism  20  that rotates print media tray  16  between a storage configuration at the bottom of housing  12  and a print configuration having an operational coupling with print mechanism  18 , as depicted by arrow  22 . In the storage configuration, print media tray  16  aligns its length and width with the length and width of housing  12  to have a minimal footprint. In the print configuration, the footprint of printer  10  increases due to the insertion of print media tray  16  along its width into print mechanism  18  at a print axis  24  along the length of housing  12 . Print media tray  16  opens or detaches to accept inputs of new paper in the print orientation.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a blown-up view of dye sublimation printer  10  depicts rotationally hinged mechanism  20  in greater detail. A hinged flap  26  rests over tray  16  and has an opening aligned with a securing pin  28  connected to tray  16 . Securing pin  28  rotationally couples to tray  16  as depicted by arrows  30  to align tray  16  for insertion in print mechanism  18  or for storage at the bottom of housing  12 . Hinged flap  26  has opposing pins  32  that engage pin guides  34 . Pin guides  34  guide tray  16  to a position proximate printing mechanism  18  by guiding pins  32  out from under the bottom of housing  12  and upwards to an insertion position for print mechanism  18 . Alternatively, pin guides  34  guide tray  16  to a release point having an opening to allow decoupling of tray  16  from housing  12 . Maintaining a continuous connection between tray  16  and housing  12  reduces the risk of inadvertent separation resulting in the loss of tray  16 . Allowing separation of tray  16  from housing  12  allows the user greater flexibility and helps avoid breakage of pins  32  from application of excessive force when inserting tray  16  into print mechanism  18 .  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 3A, 3B ,  3 C and  3 D, an alternative embodiment is depicted in which print tray  16  is removeably coupled to housing  12  of dye sublimation printer  10 .  FIG. 3A  depicts tray  16  coupled to housing  12  to form a contiguous unit in a storage configuration having ease of portability and a relatively small footprint.  FIG. 3B  depicts decoupling of tray  16  from housing  12  by opening print mechanism  18  and releasing tray  16 . For instance, tray  16  couples to housing  12  with a connector having a form factor similar to the connector of print mechanism  18 . Thus connection and release of tray  16  to housing  12  is similar to connection and release of trayl 6  to print mechanism  18  for ease of user adaptability.  FIG. 3C  shows tray  16  separate from housing  12  during the transition between the storage and print orientations, such as for loading paper in tray  16 . As depicted by  FIG. 3D , tray  16  decouples from housing  12  for a user to align tray  16  in a print configuration for printing information on paper in tray  16 . Tray  16  remains enclosed against contaminants in both the storage and print configurations. An alternative embodiment depicted by  FIG. 4  removeably couples tray  16  to the top of housing  12  so that, in addition to providing a convenient storage configuration, protection is provided to operator panel  14  in the storage configuration.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , another alternative embodiment is depicted in which print tray  16  is removeably coupled to housing  12  of dye sublimation printer  10 .  FIG. 3A  depicts tray  16  coupled to housing  12  to form a contiguous unit in a storage configuration having ease of portability and a relatively small footprint. Tray  16  aligns in a vertical storage orientation that covers the operator panel of printer  10 .  FIG. 3B  depicts decoupling of tray  16  from housing  12  by releasing tray  16  to rotate to a horizontal print orientation and insert into print mechanism  18 . Tray  16  remains enclosed against contaminants in both the storage and print configurations. Rotation from the storage orientation to the print orientation exposed operator panel  14  and allows the lid of tray  16  to lift for insertion of additional paper.  
      Although the present invention 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 scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.