Claims
- 1. Apparatus for horizontally loading a print cartridge into a carriage, said apparatus comprising:said print cartridge having: a generally rectangular prismatic print cartridge body having first and second horizontally spaced apart and generally vertical side walls, vertically spaced apart and generally horizontal top and bottom walls, and horizontally spaced apart and generally vertical front and back walls; said bottom wall having a lower surface for said print cartridge upon which is carried a generally horizontally extending and planar print head, said print head having an array of vertically extending fine-dimension print orifices from which issues during operation of said print cartridge vertically downwardly directed ink droplets and said top wall having a planar outside surface; an elongate supporting lip located on said first side wall and extending generally horizontally and parallel to said planar outside surface of said top wall; said carriage having: a carriage body; a generally horizontally extending chute mounted on said carriage body for generally horizontally receiving said print cartridge, said chute having horizontally spaced apart and generally vertical first and second side walls and a generally vertical end wall; and a generally horizontally extending rail on said first side wall of said chute for engaging said elongate supporting lip on said print cartridge and for guiding said print cartridge generally horizontally into said carriage.
- 2. The carriage of claim 1 wherein said horizontally extending rail is arcuate.
- 3. The carriage of claim 1 wherein said horizontally extending rail is inclined slightly upward.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second elongate supporting lip located on said second side wall of said cartridge body, said second elongate supporting lip likewise being parallel to said planar outside surface of said top wall, and said apparatus further including a second generally horizontal rail on said second side wall of said chute for engaging said second elongate supporting lip on said print cartridge and guiding said print cartridge generally horizontally into said carriage.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 further inducing a latch located on the top wall of the print cartridge and a cantilever latch spring mounted on the carriage and having a generally horizontal tab so that when the print cartridge is fully received in the carriage, the latch is mechanically engaged by the latch spring.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top wall has a planar outside surface, said latch including a latch ramp leading to a latch wall, and said latch wall being disposed perpendicularly to the outside surface of the top wall.
- 7. A method of horizontally loading a print cartridge into a carriage, comprising the steps of:a) translating a print cartridge horizontally forward into a carriage, both said print cartridge and said carriage have corresponding datums for aligning one with the other; b) engaging an elongate horizontally extending lip on said print cartridge with an elongate horizontally extending guide rail on said carriage; c) sliding said print cartridge into engagement with said datums on said carriage by substantially horizontal sliding movement of said print cartridge lip along said guide rail of said carriage; and d) latching said print cartridge in said carriage.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of translating said print cartridge horizontally forward into said carriage further includes the step of pitching up a front end of said print cartridge by providing an upward angulation of said guide rail.
- 9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of translating said print cartridge horizontally forward into said carriage further includes the step of pitching down a front end of the said print cartridge by providing a vertically downwardly directed force from a latch spring.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of pitching down said front end of said print cartridge is performed after the step of pitching up said front end of said print cartridge.
- 11. A print cartridge which is insertable substantially horizontally into a carriage receiving pocket, the carriage receiving pocket being received between a pair of vertically spaced apart upper and lower horizontally extending planes which effectively constrain vertical movements of the print cartridge between said pair of planes, said print cartridge comprising:said print cartridge having a horizontally insertable low profile of a print cartridge body, said print cartridge body having structural features enabling complete insertion of the print cartridge body into said cartridge receiving pocket with a predominately horizontal motion between said pair of upper and lower constraining planes, and said low profile of said print cartridge body resulting from said print cartridge body having major dimension along an axis aligned with the horizontal motion of the print cartridge into said carriage; wherein the receiving pocket includes a horizontally extending guide rail and wherein said structural features include a lip extending laterally on said print cartridge for engaging said guide rail and supporting said print cartridge against vertically downward motion.
- 12. The print cartridge of claim 11, wherein the receiving pocket includes a carriage latch feature, said print cartridge body includes a top wall having a corresponding latch feature for engaging said carriage latch feature.
- 13. The print cartridge of claim 12, wherein said latch feature is spaced from all edges of said top wall.
- 14. The print cartridge of claim 11, wherein said structural features also enable rotation of said print cartridge about a datum on said carriage, and resulting in unlatching of said print cartridge from said carriage.
- 15. A print cartridge which is insertable substantially horizontally into a carriage receiving pocket, the carriage receiving pocket being received between a pair of vertically spaced apart upper and lower horizontally extending planes which effectively constrain vertical movements of the print cartridge between said pair of planes, said print cartridge comprising:said print cartridge having a horizontally insertable low profile print cartridge body, said print cartridge body having structural features enabling complete insertion of the print cartridge body into said carriage receiving pocket with a predominately horizontal motion between said pair of upper and lower constraining planes, and said low profile of said print cartridge body resulting from said print cartridge body having its major dimension along an axis aligned with the horizontal motion of the print cartridge into said carriage.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to the following copending utility patent applications, each filed concurrently on Jan. 5, 2000:
Ser. No.: 09/477,645, by Ram Santhanam et al., entitled “Vent For An Ink-Jet Print Cartridge”;
Ser. No.: 09/477,646, by Ram Santhanam et al., entitled “Ink-Jet Print Cartridge Having A Low Profile”;
Ser. No.: 09/477,644, by Junji Yamamoto et al., entitled “Horizontally Loadable Carriage For An Ink-Jet Printer”;
Ser. No.: 09/478,148, by Richard A. Becker et al., entitled “Techniques For Providing Ink-Jet Cartridges With A Universal Body Structure”;
Ser. No.: 09/477,843, by Ram Santhanam et al., entitled “Techniques For Adapting A Small Form Factor Ink-Jet Cartridge For Use In A Carriage Sized For A Large Form Factor Cartridge”;
Ser. No.: 09/478,190, by James M. Osmus, entitled “Printer With A Two Roller, Two Motor Paper Delivery System”;
Ser. No.: 09/477,860, by Keng Leong Ng, entitled “Low Height Inkjet Service Station”;
Ser. No.: 09/477,648, by Matt Shepherd et al., entitled “New Method of Propelling An Inkjet Printer Carriage”;
Ser. No.: 29/116,564, by Ram Santhanam et al., entitled “Ink Jet Print Cartridge”; and
Ser. No.: 09/477,940, by Ram Santhanam et al., entitled “Multiple Bit Matrix Configuration For Key-Latched Printheads”,
all of which are incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
519457A2 |
Dec 1992 |
EP |
604940A1 |
Jul 1994 |
EP |
610965A1 |
Aug 1994 |
EP |
3-184873 |
Dec 1989 |
JP |