JP2000001019A - One-piece type reciprocative cartridge structure with incorporated bearing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink-jet cartridge which is to be set as an exchangeable cartridge, a snapper type cartridge and a cartridge outside a shaft. SOLUTION: Ink-jet printing heads 44, 46 reciprocate over a printing medium 27 to print and a scanning head reciprocates traversing the printed sheet 27 to read preliminarily printed images. A reciprocative head employs a new one- piece type reciprocative cartridge structure having a bearing of a guide bar 35 formed integrally with cartridges 40, 42, thereby essentially eliminating a conventional separate reciprocation stage which receives the bearing of the guide bar 35 and holds an exchangeable cartridge. A reciprocative cartridge, i.e., both the ink-jet cartridges 40, 42 and a scan cartridge are set for use in a hard copy mechanism.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hard disk drive in which a reciprocating head reciprocates back and forth across a media sheet, such as an ink jet printing mechanism and a scanning mechanism, as well as a multifunctional mechanism having both scanning and printing capabilities. Related to copy mechanism. Ink jet print heads reciprocate over print media for printing, while scan heads reciprocate across printed sheets to read pre-printed images. More specifically, the present invention has a guide rod bearing formed integrally with the cartridge, and substantially omits a conventional separate carriage that houses the guide rod bearing and holds the replaceable cartridge. The present invention relates to a new integrated reciprocating cartridge structure.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ink jet printing mechanisms generally use a pen to fire a droplet of a liquid colorant, referred to herein as "ink," on a page. Each pen has a printhead in which very small nozzles are formed that fire ink droplets therethrough. To print an image, a printhead is propelled back and forth across a page, firing droplets of ink in a required pattern as it moves. The particular ink ejection mechanism in the printhead can take a variety of discrete forms known to those skilled in the art, such as those using piezoelectric or thermal printhead technology. For example, early thermal ink ejection mechanisms were disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,278,584 and 4,683,481, both assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the Hewlett-Packard Company.
No. is illustrated. In a thermal device, a barrier layer having an ink groove and an evaporation chamber is provided between the nozzle orifice plate and the base layer. The substrate layer typically comprises a linear array of heater elements, such as resistors, that are energized to heat the ink inside the evaporation chamber. When heated, a drop of ink is ejected from the nozzle associated with the energized resistor. By selectively energizing the resistors as the printhead moves across the page, the ink is ejected in a pattern onto the media and the desired image (e.g.,
Pictures, diagrams, or text).

[0003] To clean and protect the printhead, a "service station" mechanism is usually mounted in the printer chassis and the printhead can be moved above the station for maintenance. For storage or during non-printing periods, service stations typically include a capping device that seals the printhead nozzles wet from contaminants and drying. Some caps have also been designed to facilitate priming, such as by connecting the printhead to a pump device that draws a vacuum. In operation, printhead clogs are periodically removed by firing a number of drops of ink in a process referred to as "spitting" and collecting waste ink in a "spitoon" reservoir portion of the service station. After spitting, removing caps, or sometimes during printing, most service stations use an elastomeric material that wipes the printhead surface to remove ink residue as well as paper dust or other debris that has accumulated on the printhead. It has a wiper.

[0004] Recent work in improving the clarity and contrast of printed images has focused on improving the ink itself. Pigment-based inks have been developed to obtain faster, more water-resistant, darker black and more vivid color prints.
These pigment-based inks have a higher solids content than previous dye-based inks and produce higher optical densities for new inks. The two types of inks dry quickly and can be used by inkjet printing mechanisms to print on highly developed, specially coated papers, transparencies, textiles, and other media in addition to affordable and economical plain paper. To be able to form quality images.

As the ink-jet industry considers new printhead devices, one trend is to use fixed or semi-fixed printheads and place storage containers holding fresh ink supplies in place on the printheads. To use a “snapper” storage container system that snaps into place. Another new type of device uses a fixed or semi-fixed printhead in what is referred to in the industry as an "off-axis" printer. In an "off-axis" system, the printhead carries only a small supply of ink across the print area and transfers the supply to a "off-axis" stationary reservoir located at a remote, stationary location within the printer. Is replenished by a pipe system that distributes ink. As the print head becomes narrower, the printing mechanism becomes narrower and has a smaller "footprint" so that only a small desktop space is needed to accommodate the printing mechanism in use. Narrow printheads are usually smaller and lighter, so smaller carriages, bearings, and drive motors can be used, resulting in a less expensive printing device for consumers.

[0006] These snapper and off-axis inkjet systems provide a disposable printhead where the ink supply is in an inkjet cartridge.
In contrast to what is referred to as a "replaceable cartridge" system, when the reservoir is empty, the entire cartridge with printhead is replaced. The replaceable cartridge system ensures that the customer has a fresh, new printhead each time the ink supply is changed. One replaceable cartridge is, for example, a single color that holds only black ink, while another is multicolored and typically holds cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. Some printing mechanisms use four single color cartridges, while others use black single color cartridges in combination with three color cartridges.

[0007] One conventional printer uses four individually replaceable pens that hold black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. The carriage structure for aligning these four pens has six criteria that match the relevant criteria for each pen. The criteria needed to control pen alignment are in three orthogonal directions: 1. 1. print head scanning direction (X axis); 2. paper advance direction (Y axis), and Upright direction (Z axis).

[0008] Another pen misalignment is theta-Z (θ-Z).
Said error, this refers to the angular twist of the pen about the upright Z-axis. Theta-Z error is as follows:
As a result of not being parallel to the axis paper advance direction, it appears as a saw-tooth error in the printed image.

In order to maintain correct pen alignment, conventional four-pen printer devices required that both the pen and the carriage have very tight tolerances, which, unfortunately, is an inexpensive mold part. Couldn't get using. Instead, all carriage standards had to be machined, and for each pen, three of the six standards needed to be machined. These secondary machining operations are labor intensive and expensive, as opposed to simply molding the fiducials. The carriage mounts the pen relative to the X reference using a flexure member with an X bias spring and an insert mold cam that applies the required force to the clamp surface of the pen and places it in the X, Y , And Z reference. Unfortunately, these X biasing springs require expensive heat treatment and plating to achieve the required performance levels. The carriage uses an electrical interconnect mechanism that primarily transmits firing signals from the carriage to the pen and provides the necessary force to securely position the pen relative to one of the Y axis references. I do. Clamping devices require the operator to push and rotate each pen until it snaps into place, and often non-uniform or lateral forces are applied to the pen during insertion. Unfortunately, because of these installation difficulties, the pen's fiducial may not sit correctly on its corresponding carriage reference, and the nozzle no longer aligns with the other pens on the carriage,
Print quality will be degraded.

In a two-pen device using a black pen and a three-color pen, the carriages must provide precise and repeatable positioning with respect to each other and to the entire printing device. Precise positioning of the pen is one of the key variables controlling the alignment of ink dots on paper that directly affects print quality. One device first marketed on color ink-jet printer deskets 850C and 855C, manufactured by the assignee of the present invention, the Hewlett-Packard Company, is to move the θZ by moving one end of a common wall. While making adjustments, the two pens are aligned on either side of the common wall using a cammed clamp and latch, and the pens are pressed against their respective fiducials.

There is a need for a pen placement system that facilitates pen replacement while ensuring a high degree of repeatability in aligning the pen for optimal print quality. In addition, there is a need for a less expensive pen placement system that achieves pen positioning tolerances comparable to conventional two- and four-pen carriages without expensive secondary machining operations. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved pen placement system that maintains print head alignment during printing for optimal print quality.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an integrated reciprocating cartridge that reciprocates along a guide bar across an interaction area of a hardcopy mechanism. The integrated reciprocating cartridge includes a body and a head supported by the body for interacting with the print medium. The cartridge also includes a guide bar gripping member supported on the body for releasably gripping the guide bar and reciprocating the head across the interaction area.

According to another aspect of the invention, a hardcopy mechanism is provided having a chassis defining an interaction area. A guide bar is supported by the chassis and traverses the interaction area. The hard copy mechanism also includes an integral cartridge that can be as described above.

In one exemplary embodiment, the integral cartridge is an ink jet cartridge, but in other embodiments, the integral cartridge is a scanning cartridge. Ink jet cartridges can be used in hard copy mechanisms dedicated to printing only, and scan cartridges can be used in hard copy mechanisms dedicated to scanning only. In multi-function hard copy devices, inkjet and
The cartridge and the scanning cartridge can be interchanged, or they can both be mounted simultaneously on the guide rods to make use of both the printing and scanning capabilities at all times.

[0015] The overall goal of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printing mechanism that uses an ink-jet pen and uses an ink supply that is easy to install and remove when empty, providing consumers with a robust inkjet printing device. To provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet cartridge installation system that accurately aligns and maintains the printheads and provides optimal print quality.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet cartridge installation system that provides consumers with an inkjet printing mechanism that is economical to operate without sacrificing print quality.

[0018]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a hard copy device, an ink jet printing mechanism, shown here as an ink jet printer 20, constructed in accordance with the present invention. The mechanism is industrial,
It can be used for printing business reports, correspondence, small publications, etc. in an office, home or other environment. A variety of inkjet printing mechanisms are commercially available. For example, some of the printing mechanisms that can embody the invention include plotters, portable printing devices, copiers, cameras, video printers, and facsimile machines, to name a few. The concept of the present invention is illustrated in the context of an inkjet printer 20 for convenience.

While the components of the printer may vary from model to model, a typical ink jet printer 20 includes a chassis 22, usually enclosed in a housing, casing, or envelope 23 made of a plastic material. ing. A sheet of print media is passed from an input supply tray 24, here through an interaction area with a print area 25 for printer 20, by a print media handling device 26 using a series of conventional media drive rollers (not shown). Sent. Print media include paper, cardboard, transparencies, mylar, etc.
Although any type of suitable sheet material may be used, for convenience, the exemplary embodiments will be described using paper as the print medium. paper
As shown for 27, the post-print sheet 27 is propelled over a pair of retractable output drying wing members 28. A pair of wings 28 is used to hold the newly printed sheet 27 still in the output tray 29.
Temporarily hold on the previously printed sheet that is drying in, then retreat sideways and drop the newly printed sheet onto the output tray.

The printer 20 also includes a printer controller, schematically illustrated as a microprocessor 30, which receives commands from a host device, typically a computer such as a personal computer (not shown). Indeed, the functions of a number of printer controllers can be performed by the host computer, by the electronics provided with the printer, or by interaction between them. As used herein, the term "printer controller 30" refers to the host computer, the printer, and the interaction between them,
Or any of the combinatorial interactions of such elements encompasses their function. The printer controller 30 can also operate in response to user input provided by a keypad 32 located outside of the casing 23. A monitor coupled to the computer host can be used to display visual information to the operator, such as the status of the printer or a particular program running on the host computer. Personal computers, their input devices such as keyboard and / or mouse devices, and monitors are all well known to those skilled in the art.

As will be described in more detail below, one or more ink jet cartridges are slidably supported by ink jet cartridge guide rods 35 to traverse the print area 25 for printing and provide maintenance services. Region 34
Reciprocate back and forth inside. The guide rod 35 is attached to the chassis 22
Thus, it is preferably supported at a fixed position above the print area 25. Printer 20 also includes a cartridge drive mechanism, such as a drive gear assembly 36, coupled to drive a DC motor and endless belt 38. Assembly 36
Operate in response to a control signal received from controller 30.

In print area 25, media sheet 27 is a new type of media, shown here as black ink cartridge 40 and color ink cartridge 42, both constructed in accordance with the present invention, as described further below with respect to FIG. Receiving ink from a built-in inkjet cartridge structure.
Cartridges 40 and 42 are often referred to by those skilled in the art as "pens." The pens 40 and 42 run back and forth,
That is, “reciprocate” above the print area 25 in the direction of the scanning axis 43. The scanning axis 43 is defined by the guide bar 35 parallel to the X axis. Although the illustrated color pen 42 is a three-color pen, in some embodiments, a pair of individual single-color pens can be used. The color pen 42 contains pigment-based ink for the purpose of explanation, but the pen 42 has cyan, yellow,
In the following description, it is assumed that three dye-based inks such as magenta are contained. Here, the black ink pen 40 will be described as containing pigment-based ink. In addition to paraffin-based inks, other types of inks, such as mixed or composite inks having both dye and pigment properties,
Obviously, it can be used for 40 and 42.

The exemplary pens 40, 42 each include a body forming a storage container for storing a supply of ink therein. The pens 40 and 42 each have a print head 4
4, 46, each of which includes an orifice plate having a plurality of nozzles formed therethrough in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Example print head 44,
46 is a thermal inkjet printhead, but other types of printheads, such as a piezoelectric printhead, can be used. Printheads 44, 46 typically include a plurality of resistors associated with the nozzles. When a given resistor is energized, a gas bubble is formed which ejects ink droplets from the nozzles in the print area 25 to a sheet of paper under the nozzles. The printhead resistors are selectively energized in response to a firing command control signal transmitted by the multi-core strip 48 from the controller 30 to the printheads 44, 46, as described further below. Although the pens 40, 42 are shown as replaceable inkjet cartridges, when empty, they are removed and replaced with fresh cartridges with new printheads 44, 46. Thus, the example printer 20 can be considered a "replaceable cartridge" inkjet printer.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of another embodiment of an ink jet printing mechanism, constructed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the ink delivery portion of an "off-axis" ink jet printer 20 'is shown. Instead of using the replaceable cartridges 40, 42 of the printer 20, the off-axis printer 20 '
Uses four single-color cartridges instead of the black cartridge 40 and the three-color cartridge 42, so that the chassis 22 ', casing 23', controller 30 ', guide rod 35', service station 34 ', scanning axis 43 'and a slightly different configuration for the flexible cable 48'. In particular, the off-axis printer 20 'is shown here for a black ink cartridge 50 and a three-color ink cartridge 52, 54, and 56, all constructed in accordance with the present invention, as described further below with respect to FIG. Dispenses ink using a new integrated inkjet cartridge construction. Off-axis inkjet cartridge 50-56
Is often referred to by those skilled in the art as a "pen".

The black ink pen 50 is shown here as containing pigment-based ink. Illustrative color pen 25-
Although 56 can contain pigment-based inks, for illustrative purposes, color pens 25-56 are each fitted with cyan,
Description will be made assuming that magenta and yellow dye-based inks are contained. Obviously, other types of inks can be used with the pens 50-56 in addition to paraffin-based inks, such as mixed or composite inks having both dye and pigment properties.

The exemplary pens 50-56 each include a small storage container for storing ink supplies in what is referred to as an "off-axis" ink dispenser, wherein each pen comprises:
In contrast to a replaceable cartridge device that includes a reservoir that carries the entire ink supply as the printhead reciprocates above print area 25 in the direction of scan axis 43. Thus, the replaceable cartridge device of FIG. 1 can be considered an "on-axis" device, and a device that stores the primary ink supply in a stationary position remote from the print area scan axis 43 'is referred to as an "off-axis" device. In the illustrated off-axis printer 20 ', each color ink for each print head is a group of primary stationary storage containers 60, 62,
From 64 and 66, they are delivered by conduits or tubing to the on-board storage containers of pens 50, 52, 54 and 56, respectively. Main stationary storage containers 60-66 are replaceable ink supplies stored in storage container receptacles 68 supported by printer chassis 22 '. The body of each pen 50, 52, 54, and 56 supports a printhead 70, 72, 74, and 76, respectively, which selectively ejects ink to place the media in print area 25. An image is formed on a sheet.

The print heads 70, 72, 74, and 76 each include
An orifice plate having a plurality of nozzles formed therethrough in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Each print head
The 70-76 nozzles are usually formed in at least one linear array, but are usually formed in two linear arrays along the orifice plate. Thus, as used herein, the term "linear" can be interpreted as "substantially linear" or substantially linear, to encompass nozzle devices that are slightly offset from one another, e.g., in a staggered arrangement. it can. Each linear array is typically aligned longitudinally parallel to the Y axis and perpendicular to the scan axis 43 ', and the length of each array determines the maximum image swath for a single pass of the printhead. The exemplary printheads 70-76 are thermal ink jet printheads, but other types of printheads, such as piezoelectric printheads, can be used. Thermal print head 70-76
Typically comprises a plurality of resistors associated with the nozzle.
Upon energizing a given resistor, a gas bubble is formed which causes the ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzles in the printing area 25 to a sheet of paper under the nozzles. The printhead resistors are selectively energized in response to a fire command control signal transmitted by controller 30 'over multi-core strip 48'.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a third embodiment of a snapper-type integrated inkjet cartridge structure 78 constructed in accordance with the present invention, which can replace the replaceable cartridges 40, 42 of the printer 20. Is shown. The illustrated snapper type cartridge device 78 includes,
It has a printhead structure having four fixed or semi-fixed printheads 80, 82, 84, and 86 for distributing black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. Print heads 80-86 and the inks
-76 can be as described above. Each printhead 80-86 receives ink from an associated replaceable ink reservoir or source 90, 92, 94, and 96. Each replaceable ink reservoir 90-96 is replaceably received within the body of print carriage 100, which also supports print heads 80-86. The carriage 100 is provided with the respective ink supply sources 90, 92, 9
Four storage bin compartments 102, 104, 10 receiving 4, and 96
6, and 108 are formed. A variety of methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to couple the ink inside each source to their associated printheads 80-86 for printing.

The printing mechanism using the illustrated snapper-type cartridge structure 78 also includes a back plate member 110, which receives the guide rod 35 in a slidable manner.
4 has a sliding sleeve portion 112 through it. hole
114 may include a bearing (not shown) mounted or molded therein, which may be made integrally from a separate metal component or the same plastic material as the backplate. Alternatively, the bore 114 can provide a bearing surface by a portion of the carriage 100 to provide a relatively loose fit around the guide bar 35, or as further described below with respect to FIGS. As a result, the bearing function can be shared between the back plate 110 and the carriage 100. The back plate includes an upper wall 116 projecting upward from the slider sleeve 112 and a lower wall 118 projecting downward from the sleeve 112. A variety of components can be mounted using either the upper wall 116 or the lower wall 118 of the backplate 110, and the locations and positioning shown here replace various other mounting devices to perform the required functions. It is clear that this can be done and is only an example.

The back-facing surface of the backplate walls 116, 118 can provide a convenient mounting location for several separate components. For example, a flexible conductor 48 "that transmits a firing command to print heads 80-86 may be attached to top wall 116.
Can be connected to the electronic device composite package 120 mounted on the back of the electronic device. To propel printheads 80-86 across print area 25 and service station area 34,
The drive belt 38 is mounted to the wall 116 in the same manner as the drive belt is mounted to a normal printhead carriage, and the printhead is moved to the guide rod 3
5 can be advanced step by step. Preferably, to assist in the dynamic stability of the carriage 100, when the drive belt 38 is preferably assembled to the backplate wall 116, as shown in FIG. 9
6 as close as possible to the slider sleeve 112 which is located close to the center of mass.

To provide carriage position feedback information to printer controller 30, encoder strip 122
(See also FIG. 1) extends over the service station area 34 along the length of the print area 25. A conventional optical encoder reader 124 is mounted on the back of lower wall 118 to read the position information provided by encoder strip 122. To provide accurate position information, the optical encoder reader 124 is preferably located as close as possible to the orifice plate of the printheads 80-86. The method of position feedback information by encoder reader 124 can be achieved in a variety of different conventional ways known to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIG. 3, the back plate 110
It also serves the function of transmitting firing signals from the on-board decoder electronics to the printheads 80-86 using electromechanical interconnects or interfaces that can be configured in a variety of different ways known to those skilled in the art. The interface includes a carriage coupling assembly 126 and a backplate coupling assembly 128. As shown in FIG. 3, the backplate coupling assembly 1284 interconnect pads 130, 132, 134 and 13
6, four such interlocking carriages, such as the reciprocating interconnection pin arrangements of U.S. Pat. Can be coupled to an interconnect. One example of another interconnect system is described below in connection with FIG.

The printing mechanism using the illustrated snapper cartridge structure 78 preferably includes a carriage with a pair of guide bar gripping members, such as a pair of fingers or hook members 138, 140, which slidably receive the guide bar 35. It has 100.
The backplate slider sleeve 112 is sandwiched between the hooks 138 and 140 on the bar 35, and reliably positions the carriage 100 and the print heads 80-86 in the X-axis direction parallel to the scanning axis 43. . To enable a smooth sliding movement of the carriage 100 along the guide bar 35, each of the hooks 138, 140 preferably accommodates a bearing assembly 142, as shown in FIG. Preferably, bearing 142 is insert molded into carriage hooks 138 and 140 when forming carriage 100. More preferably, the bearing 142 is made of a plastic material and is formed integrally with the carriage 100. Teflon materials or other carbon-filled plastics with low friction addition are one suitable composition. Although a wide variety of conventional types of bearings or bushings can be used, one suitable bearing assembly 142 is described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,36,537 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the Hewlett-Packard Company.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,305 uses a V-groove slide bearing top.

In FIG. 5, the sliding bearing 142 forms a generally inverted V-shaped upper peripheral region forming a bearing surface 144. To ensure that the guide rod 35 and the bearing surface 144 are in contact with each other,
An optional bearing preload member 145 can protrude from the back plate 110 to contact the lower surface of the guide rod 35. To accommodate this contact when a single preload load 145 is mounted in the center of the backplate 110, the slider sleeve 11
2 has a preload load material 1 with a window 145 'cut through it
An opening from which 45 projects can be formed. Although the exemplary preload 145 is shown as a leaf spring, it should be apparent that other types of preload may be used, such as a pair of preloads projecting from each side of the lower wall 118 of the backplate. In fact, other types of biasing elements, such as coil springs, can be used to bring the guide rod 35 into contact with the bearing surface 144.

The exemplary plain bearing 142 has a bearing surface 144, preferably a pair of opposed faces located approximately at 1:30 and 10:30, both having an inverted V shape with respect to the timepiece surface. , Are shown as having substantially planar contact surfaces 146 and 148 that are symmetrically arcuately spaced. When supporting the ink supply source 90-96, receiving the weight of the carriage 100, the guide rod 35 is installed in the bearing 142, so that the planar contact surfaces 146, 148 of the bearing It rests on the guide rod in a stable relationship to resist directional forces. Gravity or preload 145
When using a bearing, both the gravity and the preloading material act on the slide bearing 142, so that only the surfaces 146 and 148
, Which advantageously minimizes friction during printing. As a further aid in minimizing friction, the bearing 142 is preferably made of oil-impregnated bronze manufactured by a sintering process, although an integrally molded plastic bearing is more preferred. The angle of intersection between the two planes formed by the contact surfaces 146, 148 is most preferably approximately 90 degrees, although other angles can prove more practical in other embodiments.
The exemplary shape of the bearing contact surfaces 146, 148 is planar, but other shapes can be used, such as a relatively large radius, concave or convex, cylindrical portion.

FIG. 6 shows a sliding bearing 142 'in which the hooks 138, 140 form essentially the right half of the generally inverted V-shaped bearing 142 of FIG.
Show a shared bearing assembly 149 containing
Has an upper peripheral region 144 'forming a bearing surface 146'. The bearing assembly 149 also includes an optional preload 145 (not shown) as described above with respect to FIG. The shared bearing assembly 149 includes the back plate slider 112.
The inner surface of the hole 114 forms a bearing surface 148 'which basically forms the left half of the generally inverted V-shaped bearing 142 shown in FIG. The gripping action of the hooks 138 and 140 under the weight of gravity is
With or without the pushing action of 145, both bearing surfaces 146 'and 148' are drawn into contact with the bearing face of guide rod 35. The bearing surfaces 146 ', 148' can be configured as described above for the bearing 142, preferably by attaching them to the hooks 138, 140, and the backplate slide 112, respectively.
And mold together. Of course, the shape of the bearing contact surfaces 146 ', 148' is illustrated as planar, but a relatively large radius for either or both bearing surfaces 146 ', 148', such as a concave or convex cylindrical portion. , Other shapes can be used.

The print heads 80-86 are generally parallel to the XY plane or at an angle to the XY plane,
To maintain the required relatively horizontal orientation, the carriage includes anti-rotation members, such as roller members 150. The roller 150 is attached to an axle member 152 projecting from a lower surface 154 of the carriage 100. The roller 150 rolls along the lateral surface 155 of the chassis 22 during printing to prevent the carriage from rotating around the X axis in the θ-X direction. Advantageously, roller 150 cooperates with a pair of bearings 142 inside each of hook members 138, 140 to provide a three point carriage support system.

The basic concept of a new type of integrated ink jet cartridge structure having integrally formed guide rod bearings is now understood with respect to the snapper cartridge device 78, and these concepts are illustrated in FIG.
Using 42, it is extended to the integral replaceable cartridge structure 156 shown in FIG. Here upper wall 116 ', lower wall 11
8 ', and sleeve 112 as described above,
Look at the modified backplate 110 ′ with the slider sleeve 112 surrounding the guide bar 35. Other components having the same function as described above will continue to have the same item numbers as theirs, but their location on the backplate 110 'will be
3 and 4 may be different. For example, the carriage drive belt 38 is connected to the lower wall 118 'of the back plate.
However, it may be more suitable to mount the belt 38 closer to the back plate and the center of gravity of the cartridges 40, 42, as shown in FIG.

The integrated replaceable cartridge structure shown in FIG.
156 omits the ink supply carriage 100, and instead uses cartridges 40, 42 each having its own combination of guide bar gripping fingers or hook members. The body of the black pen 40 has a hook member 138 'projecting therefrom and
140 ', but the body of the color pen 42 has hook members 138 "and 140" projecting therefrom, each of which includes the bearing assembly 142 or 142' of FIGS. Thus, the hooks 138, 140 can be configured as described above. To mount the cartridges 40 and 42, the back plate 110 'forms a series of hook receiving slots 158, 160, 162, and 164 therethrough, which are hooks 138', 140 ', respectively. 138 ",
And 140 ". These hook slots 158-164 preferably extend through a portion of the perimeter of the backplate slider sleeve 112 'and contact surface 1 of bearing 142.
The contact surface 46, 148 (FIG. 5) or the contact surface 148 ′ of the bearing 142 ′ (FIG. 6) rests on the bearing surface of the guide rod 35.

Instead of the anti-rotation roller 150 of FIGS. 3 and 4, which is used to hold the print heads 44, 46 in the required orientation to prevent rotation about the X axis in the θ-X direction. A replaceable, one-piece replaceable cartridge structure 156 with an alternating anti-rotation system 165 is shown in FIG. Here, a pair of sliding members 166 projecting downward from the lower surface of the black cartridge 40 is shown, and another pair of sliding members 168 project downward from the lower surface of the color cartridge 42, which is preferably the cartridge body. And are integrally molded. Friction between the sliding members 166, 168 and the chassis sliding surface 155 may be reduced by the use of a lubricant, or more preferably, by sliding members 166, 168.
Alternatively, minimization can be achieved by making any of the surfaces 155 from a low friction material such as plastic impregnated with Teflon additives. Although only a single sliding member can be used for each cartridge 40, 42 in combination with the cartridge hooks to provide a three point support system,
The use of a pair of sliding members for each cartridge advantageously increases lateral stability.

FIG. 7 shows another alternate hook anti-rotation system 170 that can be substituted for the sliding member device 165 or for the anti-rotation roller 150 of FIGS. In this hook type anti-rotation system 170, each cartridge 40, 4
2 each include anti-rotation hook members 172, 174 that project upwardly from the top of each cartridge body and are preferably molded integrally with the cartridge body. The anti-rotation hooks 172 and 174 surround and slide along the lateral surface 175 of the chassis 22 during printing, and the pens 40, 42 move the θ-X around the X axis.
It does not rotate in the direction. Hook members 172, 174
The friction between the sliding member 175 and the sliding surface 175 can be minimized as described above for the sliding member device 165. It is clear from the various anti-rotation systems 150, 165, and 170 illustrated that this configuration can be achieved in a variety of different ways.

FIG. 8 shows the black off-axis cartridge 50 of FIG. 2 applying the basic concept of the new integrated ink-jet cartridge structure to the integrated off-axis cartridge structure 176. Here we have another modified backplate 110 "with an upper wall 116", a lower wall 118 "and a slider sleeve 112" surrounding the guide bar 35 'of the printer 20'. For clarity, the drive belt 38 ', the leader for the encoder strip 122', and the attachment of the flex circuit 48 'to the backplate 110 "have been omitted from the view of FIG.
38, reader 124, and flex circuits 48 ", 48 can be mounted as described above with respect to FIG. 4 or FIG. 7. The on board fire signal decoder electronics 120 has also been omitted from the view of FIG. 8 for clarity. There is a cartridge
50-56 may be provided with any of the anti-rotation systems 150, 165, or 170 described above, along with any of their structural equivalents; 8 is omitted from FIG.

FIG. 8 illustrates one form of electromechanical interconnects 126 'and 128' for transmitting firing signals from the backplate 110 "to the printhead resistors of the integral off-axis cartridge structure 176, and these concepts. Is equally applicable to the snapper device 78 or the replaceable cartridge device 156. For illustrative purposes, the black pen 50 is shown,
The concepts illustrated here are representative for pens 52, 54, and 56. The pen 50 has an electrical interconnect 177 located along the rearward portion of the cartridge. The electrical interconnect 177 can comprise a conventional flex tab circuit having a plurality of electrical interconnect pads (shown as dots in FIG. 8), which is assigned to Hewlett-Packard, assignee of the present invention. -Can be configured as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,907,018, assigned to the Company. In this position, the flex tab circuit of interconnect 177 can be conveniently expanded to make electrical contact with the firing resistor of printhead 70. Connect the interconnect pads of interconnect 177 to backplate 1
It is placed in electrical contact with a series of matching contact pads on a flex strip 130 'mounted at 10 ".
Pen Flex 177 is Back Plate Flex 1
The electrical signal received from 30 'is transmitted to a firing resistor which heats the ink and ejects droplets from the nozzles of the print head 70.

To provide a strong mechanical contact between the pad of the black pen interconnect 177 and the backplate flex strip 130 ', the flex strip 130' is preferably biased by a spring 190. The carriage flex strip 130 'is supported by a pusher member 178 which contacts the pen interconnect 177. Since a variety of other mechanisms have been used for many years to push the two parts 126 'and 128' of the electromechanical interconnect together, the spring 190 is simply used as the presently preferred embodiment for performing this operation. It is only shown, and it is clear that a variety of other mechanisms can be substituted for the spring 190.

The integrated off-axis cartridge structure 176 of FIG. 8 also omits the ink supply carriage 100 and uses cartridges 50-56 instead. The body of each cartridge 50-56 includes a set of guide bar gripping fingers or hook members projecting therefrom, as shown for the black pen hook members 138 "and 140", as shown in FIG.
And, including the bearing assembly 142 or 142 'of FIG. 6, the hook members 138, 140 can be configured as described above. To mount cartridges 50-56, a backplate 110 "is formed for each cartridge to form a pair of hook receiving slots 192 and 194 therethrough,
They are in positions to receive hooks 138 "and 140", respectively. These hook slots 192, 194 preferably extend through a portion of the perimeter of the backplate slider sleeve 112 ", as shown for slot 195,
The contact surfaces 146, 148 of the bearing 142 (FIG. 5) and the surface 148 ′ of the bearing 142 ′ (FIG. 6) rest on the bearing surface of the guide rod 35 ′.

For pen 50 to receive black ink from main reservoir 60 of exemplary off-axis printer 20 ′, pen 50 has a hollow entry needle 196 located in the rear portion of pen 50. The straight needle 196 is protected by a shroud 198 to prevent operator fingers from inadvertently touching the needle. The back plate 110 "supports the inlet valve 200 on a shelf or shelf 201 projecting from the back of the top wall 116". Inlet valve 200
Has an elastomeric partition wall 202 therethrough defining a preformed slit 204. Valve 200 is a black ink tube 5
Combined with 8 ', it receives black ink from main storage container 60. The black ink tubes 58 'are part of the tube assembly 58 of FIG. 1 that distributes ink from each main reservoir 60-66 to a respective pen 50-56.

The entry needle 196 of the pen 50 is rigidly mounted inside the shroud 198 and pierces the septum 202 along the slit 204 during pen installation. Valve 200 is preferably a back plate shelf
Although configured to be slightly tilted with respect to 201, this configuration requires that the needle 196 be inserted into, and removed from, the septum 202 using a substantially linear motion as indicated by arrow 206 in FIG. It is clear that this must be done. Therefore,
During pen installation, pen hooks 138 "and 140" are first inserted through slots 192, 194 in the backplate, followed by a downward movement in the direction of arrow 206, thereby causing needle 196 to move.
Pierces the bulkhead 202, during which the hooks 138 ", 140" bearing 142
Is stationary in its associated backplate slot 195.

FIG. 9 illustrates another form of reciprocating cartridge comprising a reciprocating scanning cartridge 220 constructed in accordance with the present invention, which may be installed in a scanning hardcopy device or a multi-function hardcopy device, possibly with a new image. Is printed in the interaction area 25 and the previously printed image is read. In this case, the interaction area is considered as the scanning area 25 '. By using a modified scanner controller 30 "that can modify the printer 20 of FIG. 1 to accommodate the needs of a multifunction hardcopy device, such a scanning hardcopy device 20", or Can be easily modified to a multifunctional hardcopy device. To construct the scanner 20 ', the inkjet cartridges 40, 42 (FIGS. 1 and 2) or the snapper carriage 100 (FIGS. 3 and 4) can be replaced by a scan cartridge 220. Instead, the scanning plate 220 can be used to print and scan the backplate, with full printing and scanning capabilities always available, in addition to the full complement of inkjet cartridges 40-42, 50-56, 90-96. Can be attached to the guide rod 35 or 35 'by modification to accommodate both, and thus provide a multifunctional hardcopy device. Scan cartridge 220 includes a body that supports scan head 222, which can be configured in a variety of conventional ways known to those skilled in the art. Some of these various configurations are described in Hewlett-Packard, assignee of the present invention.
U.S. Patent No. 5,410,347, currently assigned to the Company
Described in the issue.

The scanning cartridge 220 includes hooks 138 and 140
And a pair of guide bar gripping fingers or hook members, including bearing assemblies 142, 142 '(FIGS. 5-6), configured as illustrated in FIG. . The scanner 20 "or multifunction hardcopy device may have the same basic configuration as the backplate 110, but a modified electronics package 120 which sends a scan signal representing the previously printed image being scanned to the controller 30". The encoder strip 122 and the drive belt 38 may be coupled to the backplate 110 "as described above with respect to FIG. 4 for the backplate 110. Roller as shown
8 or 150 or anti-rotating slide system 165 or FIG.
An anti-rotation function can be provided using an anti-rotation hook device 170 as shown in FIG.

In one embodiment, for example, a scan head having an external configuration that facilitates installation of replaceable black ink cartridge 40 or off-axis ink cartridge 50 using slides 112 'or 112 ", respectively. By substitution, the controllers 30, 30 "can be modified to accommodate interchangeable print heads and scan heads. Such replaceable devices allow printing black images using synthetic black, where droplets of each color ink (cyan, magenta, and yellow) are printed on top of each other color. To form printed dots having a dark color. Thus, the printer 20, 20 'can be easily converted to a multifunction hardcopy device whenever a consumer needs it. Alternatively, the scanner cartridge 220, along with all of the ink jet print heads 40-42, 70-76, 80-86, is mounted on the guide bar 35, 35 'so that full printing and full scanning capabilities are always available.

Conclusion A high quality image is output from the printer 20, 20 'to the sheet 27.
Print heads 44-46, 70-76, and
The positioning of the 80-86 must be accurate as well as repeatable with respect to each other and the entire printing system. That is, when an empty cartridge is replaced by an operator, the alignment of the new complete cartridge must be the same as the empty cartridge. In addition to the replaceable device 156, the positioning of the cartridge in the off-axis device 176 is also achieved by the print heads 44-46 and 70-76.
It is one of the key variables that control the alignment of ink droplets on the print media because it affects the orientation of the ink droplets. Snapper device
At 78, replacement of the ink supplies 90-96 is
This is not so important as −86 is permanently mounted on carriage 100. Therefore, the positioning of the carriage 100 with respect to the guide bar 35 is an important concern in the snapper device 78.

Up to now, replaceable ink jet printers
The pen was housed in a carriage that was slidably coupled to the guide bar for reciprocating over the print area 25. Not only misalignment between the printheads, but also absolute misalignment of the printheads with respect to the print area and print media, results in poor print quality. Accordingly, theta Z alignment, pen-to-pen alignment, and absolute pen alignment with the media 27 are each of paramount importance in achieving high print quality. As mentioned in the prior art section above, these early carriages move each pen in all six directions: X, Y, Z, Theta X, Theta Y, and Theta Z. It was expensive to manufacture because it was molded with very tight tolerances that needed to be aligned. The pen body also had to be molded with very tight tolerances at its reference plane, and in some cases required expensive secondary machining operations to meet tight tolerance requirements. The pen datum is often at the carriage datum level using a complex latching mechanism, which added further to the cost of the initial carriage equipment.

Fortunately, the new integrated cartridge construction includes a snapper device 78, a replaceable cartridge device.
As illustrated for the 156, and off-axis devices 176, while still providing a printhead alignment device for printing high quality images, it advantageously eliminates a number of disadvantages associated with these early carriage systems. For example, the elimination of the latching mechanism may result in the printhead 44-46, 70-
The position of 76 becomes more accurate. Advantageously, the unitary unitary structure of the printhead and guide rod bearing 142 eliminates the deflection variations of these components that occur in conventional carriage systems.

In the integrated cartridge structure introduced here, the cartridge is supplied integrally to the replaceable device 156 and the off-axis device 176, and the print head carriage 100 is supplied to the snapper device 78. The design principle illustrated by the example of the devices 78, 156, and 176 is that the cartridges 40-42 and 50
In addition to -56, the snapper carriage 100 is made as simple as possible by providing only the necessary components, such as an inverted V-bearing 142. This inverted V bearing is connected to the hook member 138, 1
The incorporation of 40, 138 ', 140', 138 ", 140", 138 "', and 140"' adds enormous value to the overall device, makes it easier for the bearing 142 to be molded into the hook member,
On the other hand, the cartridges 40-42, 50-56 and the carriage 100 can be easily removed from the guide rods 35, 35 '.

An advantage of the integrated structure of the snapper device 78, the replaceable device 156, and the off-axis device 176 is that the overall size of the print head up to the guide bar interface is small. This small size results from the elimination of complex latches and the redundant plastic needed to completely surround the ink jet cartridge in earlier carriage systems. As shown above, devices 156 and 1
For the one-piece construction of 76, the entire conventional carriage has been replaced by back plates 110 'and 110 "associated with the new one-piece cartridges 40-42, 50-56.

As a further advantage of the integrated construction of the devices 78, 156, and 176, the alignment of the printhead with the guide bar is more accurate because the conventional separate pen carriage is no longer in the tolerance loop. That is. Here, each print head 44-46, 70-76, and 80-86 has the same rigid structure that supports the guide rod bearing 142, in particular, the body of the replaceable cartridge 40-42, the snapper carriage 100, and It is supported by the body of the off-axis cartridge 50-56. Snapper device 78 has the additional advantage of using a monolithic structure in which a single piece of silicon is machined to form the nozzles of all print heads 80-86. This monolithic snapper printhead structure allows the X, Y, and Z alignments with respect to the guide bar 35 to be advantageously mitigated by perfect order of magnitude.
In addition, theta Z alignment can be improved over conventional carriage systems by using a wider reference target provided by bearing surfaces 146, 148 of bearing 142. In addition, these broad reference goals provided by bearings 142 will also improve alignment in the theta X and theta Y directions.

The dynamic advantage is also achieved using the integrated cartridge construction of the devices 78, 156, and 176 by use of the back plates 110, 110 ', and 110 ". For example, the guide rods 35, 35' and the drive With the belt 38 attached, the cartridge 40- is mounted with the ink supply source 90-96 installed inside.
42, 50-56 and close to the center of mass of the carriage 100. Other advantages of the devices 78, 156, 176 are:
The elimination of the conventional bulky printhead carriage allows the encoder strip 122 and reader 124 to be placed closer to the print area 25.

Finally, another advantage of the integrated cartridge of devices 78, 156 and 176 is that it is easy to install in printers 20 and 20 '. Cartridges 40-42, 50-56,
And carriage 100 all have their associated guide rod hooks located above guide rods 35, 35 ', and in FIGS. 7 and 8 these hooks are attached to the backplate slider sleeve.
Easily installed by installing in the slots formed by 112 ', 112 ". In addition, removal of worn print heads or empty cartridges guides these hooks without the use of complicated latching mechanisms. This is easily done by lifting from rods 35, 35 '.

The integrated cartridge structure is used as a snapper device 7.
8. Although illustrated with respect to the replaceable cartridge device 156 and the off-axis cartridge device 176, these concepts can be applied to other cartridge devices developed in the future.
In addition, for example, by using a wider single hook member instead of the double hook device 138, 140, or by using another hook member for attaching to the guide rod 35, 35 '. Other modifications can be made to the build cartridge structure. In addition, anti-rotation roller 150,
Instead of using the slider device 165 or the sliding hook 170, other schemes can be used to prevent the bearing 142 from rotating in the theta X direction around the guide rods 35, 35 '. For example, the lower portion of the guide rods 35, 35 'may be formed with a flat surface to provide a flat surface corresponding to the hole 114 of the slider sleeve 112 to prevent rotation of the back plate 110 about the guide rod 35. it can. The upper wall 116 and lower wall 118 of the back plate 110 then prevent the cartridges 40-42, 50-56, or carriage 100 from rotating about the guide rods 35, 35 '.

The integrated scanner cartridge 220 is shown in FIG.
There are many of the same advantages as the integrated inkjet cartridge and carriage shown in FIG. As yet another advantage, the scanning mechanism 20 "is a multi-functional hardware by configuring the body of the scanner cartridge 220 to be mechanically interchangeable with print cartridges such as cartridges 40-42, 50-56, 80-86. As described above, the black replaceable inkjet cartridge 40 or the black off-axis inkjet cartridge 50 may be used for simultaneous printing and scanning using a "working black" printing device, as described above. By replacing the scanner cartridge 220, for example, a drop of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink can create a black dot on the media 27 at a single pixel on the media. . Thus, the consumer can have a multifunction hardcopy device with interchangeable printing and scanning capabilities that can be easily switched between the two configurations.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an inkjet printing mechanism, here a replaceable inkjet cartridge, incorporating a first embodiment of the inkjet cartridge installation system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view of an inkjet printing mechanism, here illustrated as an off-axis inkjet printer, incorporating a second form of the inkjet cartridge installation system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a third embodiment of the inkjet cartridge installation system of the present invention, which is illustrated here as a snapper type inkjet cartridge device;
It is an exploded front perspective view.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 3, shown assembled.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of one embodiment of the built-in guide rod bearing of FIGS. 3 and 4;

6 is an enlarged side elevational view of another embodiment of a built-in guide rod bearing that can replace the bearing of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the first configuration of the installation apparatus of FIG. 1, shown with two replaceable inkjet cartridges.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the first embodiment of the installation apparatus of FIG. 1, showing one way of installing one of the off-axis inkjet cartridges.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged front perspective view of one embodiment of the scanning cartridge installation device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 Hard copy mechanism 22 Chassis 25 Interaction area 27 Print medium 35 Guide rod 40,42,50-56 Cartridge body 44-46,70-76,80-84 Head 78 Integrated reciprocating cartridge 58 Ink dispenser 60-66 Ink Storage container 138-142 Gripping member 222 Operation head

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Jefferson P. Ward, Washington, U.S.A.Brush Prairie North East Homestead Drive 17903 (72) Inventor, David M. Wechler Vancouver, Washington, USA North East 7S・ Circle 13905

Claims (10)

[Claims] An integrated reciprocating cartridge reciprocating along a guide bar across an interaction area of a hard copy mechanism, comprising: a body; a head supported by the body and interacting with a print medium;
An integrated reciprocating cartridge, comprising: a guide bar gripping member supported by the body for releasably and slidably gripping the guide bar and reciprocating the head across the interaction area. 2. The integrated reciprocating cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is used in a hard copy mechanism having a back plate member slidably attached to the guide rod. An integrated reciprocating cartridge characterized in that it can be releasably gripped with a. 3. The integrated reciprocating cartridge of claim 2, wherein said cartridge is used in a hard copy mechanism having a back plate member supporting a first portion of said electrical interface. An integrated reciprocating device comprising a second portion of the electrical interface, wherein the gripping member is electrically coupled to the first portion of the electrical interface when the gripping bar releasably grips the guide rod with the backplate member. cartridge. 4. The integrated reciprocating cartridge according to claim 1, which is used for a hard copy mechanism having a chassis having a surface parallel to the guide rod.
An anti-rotation member supported by the body and engaging the surface during reciprocation of the head across the interaction area to prevent rotation of the body about the guide rod. , Integrated reciprocating cartridge. 5. The guide rod gripping member according to claim 1, wherein said guide bar gripping member includes a hook member forming a bearing surface which slides along said guide rod during said reciprocating movement of said head. Integrated reciprocating cartridge. 6. The integrated reciprocating cartridge according to claim 1, which is used in a hard copy mechanism having an ink jet printing mechanism, wherein said head comprises an ink jet print head, and said main body comprises ink jet ink. A carriage that interchangeably receives the ink container holding the supplies and fluidly couples the ink container with the printhead to form a chamber for dispensing the inkjet ink thereto. Integrated reciprocating cartridge. 7. The integrated reciprocating cartridge according to claim 1, which is used in a hard copy mechanism having an ink jet printing mechanism, wherein said head comprises an ink jet print head, and said main body comprises ink jet ink. An integrated reciprocating cartridge, wherein an ink reservoir is formed to hold the supply of ink, the ink reservoir being non-removably fluidly coupled to deliver the ink-jet ink to a printhead. 8. An off-axis printing mechanism having a main reservoir containing another supply of the ink-jet ink and an ink delivery device fluidly coupling the main reservoir to the ink reservoir. The integrated reciprocating cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the integrated cartridge is used for a hard copy mechanism, wherein the head includes an inkjet print head, and the integrated cartridge further receives the inkjet ink supply device and stores the inkjet ink in the ink reservoir. An integrated reciprocating cartridge comprising an ink inlet member for distribution. 9. The integrated reciprocating cartridge according to claim 1, which is used in a hard copy mechanism having a scanning mechanism, wherein the interaction area comprises a scanning area, and the head prints in the scanning area. An integrated reciprocating cartridge comprising a scanning head for reading information recorded in advance on a sheet of a medium. 10. A reciprocating cartridge according to any of the preceding claims, comprising: a chassis defining an interaction area; a guide rod supported by the chassis and extending across the interaction area; A hard copy mechanism.