Adjustable pen-to-paper spacing mechanism
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsKong Hock Lim, Hock Lim Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer with adjustable PPS is provided. The printer includes a printer frame structure, a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across a print zone during printing operations, and at least one cartridge mounted on the carriage for printing on a medium in the print zone. The printer further has means for driving the cartridge relative to the printer between a first position in which the printer prints at a first PPS measured from a bottom surface of the medium, and a second position in which the printer prints at a second PPS.
Claims14
An inkjet printer, comprising:
- a printer frame structure;
- a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across a print zone during printing operations;
- at least one cartridge mounted on the carriage for printing on a medium in the print zone;
- and
- means for driving the cartridge relative to the printer between a first position in which the printer prints at a first pen-to-paper spacing measured from a bottom surface of the medium, and a second position in which the printer prints at a second pen-to-paper spacing.
An inkjet printer for printing on a medium in a print zone, comprising:
- a printer frame structure;
- a first path and a second path defined in the printer frame structure;
- and
- a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across the print zone during printing operations, including a first slider for moving along one of the first and the second paths;
- wherein the printer prints at a first pen-to-paper spacing distanced from a bottom surface of the medium as the first slider moves along the first path, while prints at a second pen-to-paper spacing distanced from said bottom surface as the first slider moves along the second path.
An inkjet printer for printing on a medium in a print zone, comprising:
- a printer frame structure;
- a carriage movable in the printer frame structure for movement across the print zone during printing operations, including a first slider and a second slider disposed at the front and back of the carriage respectively;
- a first rail mounted on the printer frame structure and disposed at the front of the carriage for the first slider to move along with, wherein the first rail determines a first pen-to-paper spacing distanced from a bottom surface of the medium at which spacing the printer prints as the first slider moves along the first rail;
- and
- a second rail mounted on the printer frame structure and disposed at the back of the carriage for the second slider to move along with, wherein the second rail determines a second pen-to-paper spacing distanced from said bottom surface at which spacing the printer prints as the second slider moves along the second rail.
The printer of claim 10, further comprising:
- at least one cartridge mounted on the carriage;
- and
- means for driving the cartridge to move relative to the printer frame structure in a direction vertical to the medium from a first position in which the printer prints at the first pen-to-paper spacing, to a second position in which the printer prints at the second pen-to-paper spacing.
The printer of claim 11, wherein said means includes an actuator mounted on a service station carrier for driving the cartridge to the second position.
The printer of claim 12, wherein the carriage has a longitudinal portion, and wherein if the second pen-to-paper spacing is desired, the actuator interacts with the longitudinal portion to drive the carriage such that the cartridge moves to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.