Abstract:
Disclosed is an ink jet printer for having a scan module detachably mounted thereon. According to the present invention, the ink jet printer includes a body including a paper carrying section and a capping section formed at an outside of the paper carrying section; a guide shaft mounted to be normal to a direction of carrying the paper along a width of the body; and a carriage which has at least one scan module and a plurality of ink cartridges mounted thereon, the carriage is reciprocally moved along the guide shaft in the paper carrying section, and which is carried to the capping section when a printing or scanning is finished, wherein the scan module is detachably mounted on the carriage and a distance between the scan module and the capping section is larger than a distance between the ink cartridges and the capping section.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 arising from an application for THE INKJET PRINTER USING EXCHANGE OF INKHEAD FOR SCANNER OF CARRIAGE earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Dec. 12, 1997 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 68381/1997. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an ink jet printer, and more particularly to an ink jet printer capable of scanning a document, in which a scan module is mounted on a carriage instead of one of ink cartridges, for examples color ink cartridges and mono ink cartridges, mounted on the carriage. Further, the present invention relates to an ink jet printer capable of preventing the scan module from being polluted by a cap mounted in a capping section when the scan module is mounted therein. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Generally, an ink jet printer is an apparatus for printing data transferred from a computer on a recordable paper, which has one or more than one ink cartridges mounted on a carriage. Ink jet printers can be combined with a scanner to form a device that can either scan a document or print a document. What is needed is an ink jet printer that can have a scanning module replace one of the ink cartridges allowing an ink jet printer to operate as a scanner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet printer for having a plurality of ink cartridges and at least one scan module mounted detachably on a carriage. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink jet printer in which a carriage is positioned in a capping section when a printing or scanning is finished in a case that a scan module is mounted in the ink jet printer. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an inkjet printer in which a scan module is prevented from being polluted by a cap mounted on a capping section in a case that the scan module is mounted in the ink jet printer. 
     To accomplish the above object of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printer for having a scan module detachablly thereon, having: 
     a body including a paper carrying section and a capping section formed at an outside of the paper carrying section; 
     a guide shaft mounted to be normal to a direction of carrying the paper along a width of the body; 
     a carriage having a plurality of ink cartridges mounted thereon, which is reciprocally moved along the guide shaft in the paper carrying section, and which is carried to the capping section when a printing or scanning operation is finished; and 
     a scan module that is detachably mounted on the carriage and a distance between the scan module and the capping section is larger than a distance between the ink cartridges and the capping section. 
     The scan module is spaced from the capping section not to be contacted with a cap mounted in the capping section to prevent ink in nozzles of the ink cartridge from being dried. 
     The scan module can be mounted on the carriage instead of one of the plurality of the ink cartridges. 
     The cable for applying a predetermined signal to the scan module and the plurality of the ink cartridges includes private connectors which are respectively connected to each ink cartridge and common connectors which are connected to the scan module. 
     The scan module is basically the same size as one of the ink cartridges. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete appreciation of this invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of an ink jet printer according to the conventional art; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of a carriage on which ink cartridges for mono or color ink are mounted according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge detached from a FPC cable according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of a carriage on which ink cartridges for mono or color ink are mounted according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a scanner detached from a FPC cable according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of an ink jet printer according to the conventional art. As shown in FIG. 1, a color ink cartridge and a mono ink cartridge are mounted on a carriage. When a printing is performed, the carriage  21  is positioned at a side of the ink jet printer  10  according to an operation of a sensor  25  for detecting a position of the carriage. When the printer receives an instruction for printing from the computer, the sensor  25  detects the position of the carriage  21 . If the carriage  21  is positioned at a specified position on the guide shaft  11 , a controller (not shown) moves the carriage  21  to a side of the guide shaft  11 . 
     A capping section  31  is formed at a lower portion of the ink jet printer  10  and a wiper  32  is mounted on an upper portion of the capping section  31  to wash a nozzle of the color and mono ink cartridges  22  and  23 . A cap  33  is mounted in the capping section  31  to be opposite to the nozzle  26  of each ink cartridge  22  and  23  as the carriage  21  is positioned at the side of the guide shaft  11 . Accordingly, the cap  33  prevents the ink in an entry of the nozzle  26  from being dried. 
     The carriage  21  moves reciprocally along the guide shaft  11  to perform the printing while the recordable paper is carried on a base frame  41 . When the printing is completed, the carriage  21  moves along the guide shaft  11  to reach the capping section  31 . At this time, the wiper  32  washes the ink off the nozzle  26  while contacting with the nozzle  26  of each ink cartridge  22  and  23 . When the carriage  21  is stopped at the capping section  31 , the cap  33  is positioned below the nozzle  26  to close the nozzle  26  tightly so that the ink in the entry of the nozzle can be prevented from being dried. 
     Head connectors  24  and  24 ′ are respectively formed on a back surface of the color and mono ink cartridges  22  and  23 . On the other hand, a cable connector is formed at one end of a FPC cable connected to the controller to be corresponding to head connectors  24  and  24 ′. Accordingly, the head connectors  24  and  24 ′ are in electric contact with the cable connector on the back surface of the carriage  21 . 
     When the color ink cartridge  22  and the mono ink cartridge  23  are respectively incorporated with the carriage  21 , the head connector  24  and  24 ′ of the ink cartridges  22  and  23  is in close contact with the cable connector. 
     The connector  24  of the color ink cartridge  22  and the connector  24 ′ of the mono ink cartridge  23  are separately mounted on the carriage  21  because signals transferred between the controller and the connectors  24  and  24 ′ are different from each other. 
     Such ink jet printer is used for only printing and a separate scanner is needed for scanning a document. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of a carriage on which ink cartridges for mono or color ink are mounted according to the present invention. The ink jet printer having two ink cartridges mounted therein will be described as example to help readers understanding. 
     A FPC (flexible printer cable)  235  is secured by a screw to a back plate of the carriage  210  which has a common FPC connector  236  and a private FPC connector  237  respectively corresponding to connectors of the FPC cable  235  for a color ink cartridge  220  and a mono ink cartridge  230 . In this case, the common FPC connector  236  is formed at a position corresponding to the color ink cartridge  220 , however, the common FPC connector  236  may be formed at a position corresponding to the mono ink cartridge  230 . It is importance that the common FPC connector  236  must be formed at a position corresponding to a connector  238  on any one of the ink cartridges. 
     Since a connector of the ink cartridge and a connector of a scan module are selectively connected with the common FPC connector  236  as described below, an arrangement of holes for the common FPC connector  236  may be different from an arrangement of holes for the private FPC connector  237 . 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the color ink cartridge  220  which is detached from the common FPC connector  236  of the FPC cable  235  according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the carriage on which the scan module and the mono ink cartridge are mounted according to the present invention. 
     The scan module  240  is basically the same size as the ink cartridge enough to be easy mounted on the carriage  210 . As shown in FIG. 5, a connector  241  formed on a back surface of the scan module  240  especially is formed to be exactly corresponding to the common FPC connector  236  of the FPC cable  235 . 
     According to the present invention, the scan module  240  has a lower portion  140  higher than a lower portion of ink cartridge  230 , i.e., the ink head  130 . Accordingly, the scan module  240  is spaced at a predetermined distance “a” from a cap  330  not to be in contact with the cap  330  when the carriage  210  moves to the capping section  310  formed at a corner of the ink jet printer. 
     Hereinafter, an operation of the ink jet printer according to the present invention will be described in detail. The ink jet printer will described with respect to the carriage  210  having the color ink cartridge  220  and the mono ink cartridge  230  mounted thereon. 
     When a printing is formed, the carriage  210  is moved along the guide shaft to one end of the guide shaft according to an operation of a sensor for detecting a position of the carriage. 
     The capping section  310  is formed at a side of a lower portion of the inkjet printer, on which a cap  330  is mounted to be opposite to nozzles of the respective ink heads  120  and  130  so as to prevent the ink at an entry of the nozzles from being dried. 
     The ink cartridge performs the printing normally according to a printing command of the controller and is introduced into and stops at the capping section  310  when the printing is completed. 
     On the other hand, in order to scan a document, a scan module  240  is mounted on the carriage  210  after one of the plural ink cartridges, for example the color ink cartridge  220 , is detached from the carriage  210 . Since the scan module  240  has the same size as the ink cartridge, the scan module  240  can be facilitated to be mounted on the carriage  210 . Further, since connectors corresponding to the connectors  241  of the scan module  240  are provided to the common FPC connector  236  of the FPC cable  235  which is in electrical contact with the connector  241  of the scan module  240 , the controller can recognize the scan module  240  as soon as being mounted on the carriage  210 . 
     When the scan module  240  is mounted on the carriage  210 , the connector  241  of the scan module  240  is in electrical contact with the common FPC connector  236  so that scanning signals are transferred from the controller to the connector  241  of the scan module  240  through the common FPC connector  236 , thereby scanning the document. 
     When an electric motor for the carriage  210  is driven, the carriage  210  moves reciprocally along the guide shaft while the scan module  240  scans the document disposed on a base frame. 
     According to the present invention, after the scanning is completed by the scan module  240 , the carriage  210  having the scan module  240  and the ink cartridge  230  is moved to the capping section  310 . This results in preventing the ink in the nozzles of the ink cartridge from being dried. The ink head  130  of ink cartridge  230  comes in contact with the cap  330  at the capping section  310  to prevent the ink in the nozzles from being dried. Further, since the scan module  240  is spaced at the predetermined distance a from the cap  330 , the scan module  240  is prevented from being polluted by the cap  330 . 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one scan module  240  is securely mounted on the carriage  210  along with the plurality of the ink cartridges. That is, the scan module  240  can be permanently secured to the carriage  210  because, unlike the ink cartridges, it is not necessary to periodically change the scan module. In the above case, the cap  330  may not be mounted in the capping section  310  to be corresponding to the scan module  240 . 
     According to the present invention as described above, there are advantages in that the ink in the nozzles of the ink cartridge can be prevented by the cap from being dried and the scan module can be prevented from being polluted by the cap as the cap is not mounted in the capping section. 
     According to the present invention, there is another advantage in that the printing and scanning can be selectively performed as at least one scan module can be detachably mounted on the carriage along with the plurality of the ink cartridges. 
     Furthermore, as the scan module is made to be smaller size than the ink cartridge, the scan module can be prevented from being polluted in the capping section. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be effected therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.