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US 6,672,696 B2Granted
Automatic printhead-to-media spacing adjustment system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsMichael A. Fairchild, Allan D. Donley
Life of this patent
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AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsMichael A. Fairchild, Allan D. Donley
Estimating the term…
An inkjet printer service station has a movable member that interacts with another printer subsystem, which is changeable between a first state and a second state. To vary the printhead-to-media spacing to accommodate different thickness of media, such as plain paper and envelopes, a cam-operated locking mechanism and a lever-operated mechanism raise and lower the inkjet printhead. Other printer subsystems may be transitioned between two or more states through motion of a service station movable member, including motion using gravity assist, centrifugal forces, or momentum to accomplish one of the transitions. Other locking mechanisms may be used to secure a subsystem in one state or another, such as electrical or electromechanical mechanisms, as well as other structurally equivalent forms beyond the specific preferred embodiments illustrated herein without departing from the broad concepts disclosed. An inkjet printing mechanism having such a system, along with methods of operation are also provided.
A method of establishing positions of a carriage about a rod to which the carriage is rotatably mounted and along which rod the carriage is slidable while guided for such sliding movement by a slider member on the carriage, comprising:
An assembly for establishing the positions of a printer carriage about a rod to which the carriage is rotatably mounted and along which rod the carriage is slidable while guided for such sliding movement by a slider member that is on the carriage, comprising:
A method of securing a carriage in a first rotational position about an elongated support rod, comprising the steps of:
A method of establishing positions of a carriage about a rod to which the carriage is rotatably mounted and along which rod the carriage is slidable while guided for such sliding movement by a slider member on the carriage, comprising:
A method of establishing positions of a carriage about a rod to which the carriage is rotatably mounted and along which rod the carriage is slidable while guided for such sliding movement by a slider member on the carriage, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.