Carriage with clamping device for reliable mounting of printheads

A printer carriage for removably holding a print cartridge, comprising:

• a chute forming a cavity with a top opening, a floor, a front wall and a back wall;
• a datum set on the front wall for engaging a corresponding forward area on the print cartridge;
• a set of support guides on the floor for engaging a corresponding bottom area on the print cartridge;
• a clamp in a rear portion of the chute and movable between an open position which allows manual insertion and removal of the print cartridge from the chute and a closed position which securely holds the print cartridge in the chute against said datum set by applying a clamping force against a back portion of the print cartridge;
• and
• a biasing spring coupled to said clamp for biasing said clamp in a forward direction, wherein said clamp is latched in said open position such that when said clamp is unlatched said biasing spring causes said clamp to move all the way from said open position to said closed position.

A printer carriage for removably holding a print cartridge, comprising:

• a chute forming a cavity with a top opening, a floor, a front wall and a back wall;
• a datum set on the front wall for engaging a corresponding forward area on the print cartridge;
• a set of support guides on the floor for engaging a corresponding bottom area on the print cartridge;
• a clamp in a rear portion of the chute and movable between an open position which allows manual insertion and removal of the print cartridge from the chute and a closed position which securely holds the print cartridge in the chute against said datum set by applying a clamping force against a back portion of the print cartridge;
• and
• a handle having a cam surface, wherein said clamp includes a cam follower proximate to the cam surface such that actuation of said handle rotates the cam surface back and forth between a lower position latching said cam follower and said clamp in said open position and an upper position unlatching said cam follower and allowing said cam follower and said clamp to move smoothly in the forward direction to said closed position.

A printing system for applying a marking liquid to print media, comprising:

• a print carnage having a chute with walls, a floor and an open top, and also having position datums on a front wall and support guides on the floor;
• a clamp in a rear portion of said carriage and movable between an open retracted position and a closed non-retracted position, said clamp biased toward said closed position;
• a print cartridge with a liquid reservoir and a nozzle plate connected to the reservoir, said print cartridge for mounting in the chute when said clamp is in said open position with said nozzle plate in an upstanding position and exposed for ejecting the marking liquid approximately in a horizontal direction onto the print media;
• and
• a handle on said carriage and coupled to said clamp to move said clamp to said closed position to contact a lower back portion of the print cartridge and apply a clamping force in order to securely hold the print cartridge against the position datums after the print cartridge has been mounted in the chute;
• wherein said clamp comprises a contact surface for abutting said print cartridge, wherein said contact surface extends at an angle to a surface of said print cartridge when said clamp is in said closed position, said contact surface also engaging a projection extending from said surface of said print cartridge when said clamp is in said closed position.

A method for installing and operating a print cartridge in a carriage having an open top chute with a set of datums and also electrical interconnect pads located on a front portion of the chute, and support guides located on a floor of the chute, comprising:

• providing a clamp in a rear portion of the chute which moves between a retracted rest position and a forward spring biased position;
• putting the clamp in the rest position;
• inserting the print cartridge with marking liquid into the open top chute to rest against the support guides on the floor;
• moving the clamp from the rest position to the forward position in order to apply a clamping force against a back of the print cartridge to securely hold projections on the print cartridge against the datums, and to hold signal pads on the print cartridge in conductive contact with the electrical interconnects;
• after putting said clamp fully into said forward position and while said clamp is in said forward position, applying said clamping force with said clamp to urge said print cartridge toward both said front portion and said floor of said chute;
• and
• sending signals through the electrical interconnects to the signal pads to activate the print cartridge and eject marking liquid onto print media.

A printer carriage for removably holding a print cartridge, comprising:

• a chute with a top opening, a floor, a front wall and a hack wall for receiving a print cartridge, comprising;
• a datum set on the front wall for engaging a corresponding forward area on the print cartridge;
• a clamp in a rear portion of the chute and movable between an open position which allows insertion and removal of the print cartridge from the chute and a closed position which securely holds the print cartridge in the chute against said datum set;
• a flex circuit located inside of the front wall and having a row of electrical interconnect pads;
• a groove located on the inside of the front wall under said pads said groove enclosed by a raised perimeter;
• and
• a compression cushion in said groove such that when said clamp is in said closed position, the clamping force applied against the print cartridge in said chute presses the interconnect pads against said cushion causing said cushion to expand laterally against the raised perimeter wherein said groove includes expansion space to accommodate the lateral expansion of said cushion;
• wherein said clamp includes an arm member having a contact surface for abutting said print cartridge, wherein said contact surface extends at an angle to a surface of said print cartridge when said clamp is in said closed position, said contact surface also engaging a projection extending from said surface of said print cartridge when said clamp is in said closed position.