Selectively coupling a device to a carriage
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorDwight Beardsley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing apparatus that selectively couples a device to a printer carriage is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printer carriage and an intervening mechanism. The printer carriage is movable back and forth to selectively retrieve the device from and return the device to a position where the device can be parked detached from the carriage. The carriage is arranged to selectively move back and forth relative to the device while the device is detached from the carriage and in unison with the device while the device is attached to the carriage. The intervening mechanism and the carriage have respective surfaces that engage as they meet each other to allow the carriage to move past the intervening mechanism.
Claims13
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a printer carriage;
- a device, the printer carriage being configured to selectively retrieve the device from and return the device to a position where the device can be parked detached from the printer carriage, the printer carriage being arranged to selectively move back and forth relative to the device while the device is detached from the printer carriage and in unison with the device while the device is attached to the printer carriage;
- a tool mounted to the printer carriage, the tool including an activated state and a deactivated state;
- and
- an intervening mechanism that activates and deactivates the tool, the printer carriage and the intervening mechanism having respective surfaces that engage as they meet each other to allow the printer carriage to move past the intervening mechanism.
A method of selectively coupling a device to a printer carriage comprising:
- providing a carriage moveable along a travel path including a printing region, the carriage including a printhead and a media cutter;
- providing a device located at a parked position;
- providing a media cutter actuation mechanism deployed along the travel path between the printing region and the parked position of the device;
- and
- optionally actuating the media cutter by causing the carriage to engage the media cutter actuation mechanism, the carriage then returning to the printing region of the travel path with the media cutter being actuated, or optionally causing the carriage to move past the media cutter actuation mechanism and couple to the device;
- the carriage then returning to the printing region of the travel path without the media cutter being actuated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.