Printing device having supply of colorant and receptive to print cartridge having self-contained supply of colorant
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPatrick Therien, David Olsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing device includes a supply of colorant and a mechanism. The mechanism is receptive to removable insertion of a first print cartridge and a second print cartridge. One of the first print cartridge and the second print cartridge can be inserted into the mechanism at any given time. The first print cartridge at least ultimately uses the supply of colorant of the printing device to form the images on the media. The second print cartridge has a self-contained supply of colorant that is exclusively used in lieu of the supply of colorant of the printing device to form the images on the media.
Claims20
A printing device comprising:
- a supply of colorant;
- and,
- a mechanism receptive to removable insertion of a first print cartridge and a second print cartridge, where one of the first print cartridge and the second print cartridge can be inserted into the mechanism at any given time;
- wherein the first print cartridge at least ultimately uses the supply of colorant of the printing device to form the images on the media, and
- wherein the second print cartridge has a self-contained supply of colorant that is exclusively used in lieu of the supply of colorant of the printing device to form the images on the media.
A printing device comprising:
- a supply of colorant;
- and,
- means for receiving a first print cartridge or a second print cartridge, each of the first and the second print cartridges having a printhead by which the printing device forms images on media,
- wherein the first print cartridge at least ultimately uses the supply of colorant of the printing device to form the images on the media, and
- wherein the second print cartridge has a self-contained supply of colorant that is exclusively used in lieu of the supply of colorant of the printing device to form the images on the media.
A method comprising:
- inserting a first print cartridge into a corresponding mechanism of the printing device, the first print cartridge having a printhead and that is fluidically coupled to a supply of colorant of the printing device external to the first print cartridge;
- forming images on media using the first print cartridge until the supply of colorant of the printing device is at least substantially exhausted;
- removing the first print cartridge from the printing device;
- inserting a second print cartridge into the corresponding mechanism of the printing device, the second print cartridge having a printhead and a self-contained supply of colorant;
- and,
- forming images on media using the second print cartridge until the self-contained supply of colorant within the second print cartridge is at least substantially exhausted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.