Patent ID: 7789579

Claim:
A stamp comprising: a housing defining an opening; a printhead and ink cartridge arrangement housed within the housing, said printhead displaceable between a protected position within the housing and a printing position in which the printhead is exposed via the opening; a pair of rotating elements attached to the printhead, the pair of rotating elements for engaging with a slot of the housing to constrain displacement of the printhead to a linear motion across the opening; control circuitry configured to control the printhead for printing preprogrammed indicia on a print media, the control circuitry including a memory for storing said indicia; a mechanical arrangement for displacing the printhead from the protected position to the printing position, the mechanical arrangement regulating a motion of the printhead during printing; and a spring attached at one end to the printhead, and attached at another end to the housing, the spring for returning the printhead from the printing position to the protected position.