The disclosed embodiments relate to the field of printing, and more particularly to a print head assembly for use with ink cartridges.
Industrial printers are common instruments for printing in relatively high intensity settings like offices with many well-known prior art products and systems in existence. Such printers fall under a varieties of technologies, such as ink jet printing and laser printing, for example. The present disclosure concerns technology for primary use within industrial ink jet printers, however, may be applicable to printers for use in desktop and/or home settings.
Ink jet printers typically include one or more replaceable ink cartridges mounted within a cavity in communicative contact with a circuit board for communicating and initiating printing instructions. Single color printers may include a cavity for a single (black) cartridge whereas full color printers typically include a plurality cavities for receiving ink cartridges of various colors. Typically, when an ink cartridge is in an installed position, it is held tightly at an interface against the circuitry.
Such circuitry is delicate, and thus understandably, circuits are susceptible to damage via inadvertent contact during removal and installation of an ink cartridge or otherwise. For this reason, print head assemblies in known industrial printers are configured such that ink cartridges are installed at an angle and then shifted angularly into place closely contacting with the circuitry. Such systems necessarily require a larger cavity space and overall larger parts to accommodate the shifting action of the cartridges during installation and removal, which leads to a larger sized and cumbersome system overall. Even within systems that provide for angular installation of ink cartridges, circuit boards are vulnerable to damage from inadvertent contact.
It would thus be useful to provide an assembly and/or system that avoids the aforementioned drawbacks and damage risks, while allowing for a reduction in size of the product. Such an assembly would protect circuitry during installation and removal of cartridges and allow for vertical installation thus allowing for a lower profile design.
Provided herein is a print head assembly with circuit board that dynamically shifts outward from the cartridge receipt cavity, which may be initiated upon opening the cover. Preferred embodiments of the inventive assembly are provided via cooperation between the circuit board and a front plate that has flat sections and relief dimples/ramps, sets of bias members separately acting upon the circuit board and front plate in different directions, and an interactive cam system. Other specific configurations and mechanisms for providing movement of the circuit board away from the cavity/cartridge are provided as well.
The assembly allows completely vertical removal and insertion of ink cartridges, rather than at an angle, while ensuring that the circuit board is protected throughout the process. This allows manufacture of smaller print heads and lower profile configurations.
In one embodiment, a print head assembly includes a housing, a cover and a circuit board. The housing defines an inner cavity configured for receipt and retention of a print ink cartridge. The cover operatively opens and closes an access opening in the housing that communicates with the cavity. The circuit board is movable and configured and positioned for communicating with a print ink cartridge installed within the cavity. Opening of the cover to an opened position initiates movement of the circuit board away from the cavity and disengagement from a print ink cartridge installed within the cavity. Closing of the cover to a closed position initiates movement of the circuit board toward the cavity and engagement with a print ink cartridge installed within the cavity.
In another embodiment, a print head assembly comprises a housing, a cover and a circuit board. The housing defines an inner cavity configured for receipt and retention of a print ink cartridge. The cover is configured to open and close an access opening in the housing that provides access to the inner cavity. The circuit board is positioned within the housing and is movable back-and-forth repeatedly between a first position toward the inner cavity and a second position away from the inner cavity.
In yet another embodiment, a print head assembly includes a housing, a cover, a circuit board shield and a plate. The housing defines an inner cavity configured for receipt and retention of a print ink cartridge. The cover operatively opens and closes an access opening in the housing that communicates with the cavity. The circuit board is positioned forward of the cavity and configured for communicative contact with a print ink cartridge installed within the cavity. The circuit board shield is positioned forward of the cavity and defines a shield opening, and the plate is positioned forward of the circuit board. The plate is operatively connected to the cover whereby when the cover is in a closed position closing the access opening, the plate forces the circuit board into the shield opening. When the cover is in an opened position allowing access to the access opening, the plate allows the circuit board to move forward withdrawing from the shield opening such that the shield is positioned between the cavity and the circuit board.
Among the benefits and improvements disclosed herein, other objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the figures. Detailed embodiments of a print head assembly with dynamic shifting circuit board, are disclosed; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. In addition, each of the examples given in connection with the various embodiments of the invention are intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in some embodiments” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s), although it may. The phrases “in another embodiment” and “in some other embodiments” as used herein do not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments may be readily combined without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
Further, the terms “substantial,” “substantially,” “similar,” “similarly,” “analogous,” “analogously,” “approximate,” “approximately,” and any combination thereof mean that differences between compared features or characteristics is less than 25% of the respective values/magnitudes in which the compared features or characteristics are measured and/or defined.
As can be seen and readily understood by those skilled in the art, the depicted embodiment of the assembly 10 is a single-piece Penstall design for use with Hewlett-Packard branded ink cartridges and printers. However, the inventive elements, relationships and concepts disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to this specific implementation. While the print head assembly is in operation, an internally mounted circuit board 18 is in communicative contact with electrical elements on a front surface of an installed ink cartridge 100 (front surface of cartridge and electrical elements thereon are not shown). As used herein, “front” refers to the general side on the left in
However, as discussed in the background section, removing and replacing cartridges has typically always required an angled removal and insertion of the cartridge and shifting into operative position relative to the valves and electrical connections. That is, an ink cartridge cannot be inserted straight downward into position due to the positioning of the circuit board. A circuit board is always in close proximity and/or contact to the ink cartridge during use. A cartridge should never be inserted in a manner with contact between the circuit board and cartridge since such contact while moving would cause scraping and damage to the elements on each. Since ink cartridges must be inserted at an angle, cavities in prior art systems must be extensive in the front/rear direction to accommodate such movement. This necessarily results in a larger sized housing.
The disclosed assembly 10 initiates disengagement of the circuit board 18 from the cartridge 100 and withdrawal of the circuit board from the cartridge receipt cavity, and thus provides clearance to remove and insert a cartridge entirely vertically. In this embodiment, this is accomplished via a cooperative engagement between a front plate 16 and the circuit board 18, a set of bias members providing a directional bias on each of the front plate and circuit board and a cam system. More specifically, in the preferred embodiment, the bias members are one or more compressed compression springs, 22 and 24, respectively, that are positioned substantially perpendicular to one another. Here, with reference to cross-sectional views in
With reference to
As shown most clearly in
As shown in
The front plate 16 also includes a top edge 17 that abuts a surface of the cover 14, as will be discussed further below. As depicted, the top edge of the front plate may include a rounded outer portion and a projecting section or nub to enhance surface area for abutment with the cam member 46 and improve mechanical stability and smoothness of operation.
The cross-sectional views of
When the cover 14 is closed (typically over an installed cartridge 100), the bottom surface 48 holds the front plate 16 down against the bias from the compression springs 22, defining a closed position of the assembly 10. In the closed position, the front plate 16 is vertically aligned with a flat portion 29 of its inner surface against the rounded surface of the circuit board fasteners 20, which thereby presses the circuit board 18 inwardly against the bias from the lateral compression springs 24. In this position, the circuit board 18 is retained within the enclosure in communicative contact with the cartridge 100 and there is an open gap 40 between the front plate 16 and circuit board 18. The key elements and relationships of the assembly in the closed position are best seen in
When the cartridge receipt cavity of the housing 12 needs to be accessed, typically to remove and replace a cartridge, a user pivots the cover 14 from the closed position (
The forward shifting of the circuit board 18 described herein allows a user to insert a cartridge vertically downward into the cartridge receipt cavity, unlike any other print head assemblies on the market that require cartridges to be inserted obliquely and shifted into place. Critically, providing for such vertical installation allows for manufacturing an assembly with a lower profile, which is advantageous to print quality and capabilities. Further, as will be discussed in detail below, a flexible circuit board 54 can be employed to transfer the inner electronics of the print head assembly from the front side to the rear side of the Penstall. Removing the electronics from the front side to the rear side allows for a tighter placement of the ink cartridge to the conveyor system in a printer.
All other elements and relationships within the assembly 110 are identical or substantially identical to those within the assembly 10, and thus, all common elements are labeled with like numerals. In operation, the same cam system forces the front plate 16 downward against bias from longitudinal springs 22, which forces the circuit board rearward toward the cavity and cartridge 100, if installed. When the cover 14 is opened, the bottom surface 48 of the cam transitions to the front surface 50, providing clearance for the front plate 16 to move upward via the bias from the springs 22 until the heads of the fasteners 20 align with the dimples 28 and ramp 30 of the front plate. In this opened position, the circuit board 18 is shifted forward and withdrawn from the shield 156 away from the cavity and cartridge 100, thus disengaging the circuit board 18 from the cartridge 100.
As shown most clearly in
While the flexible circuit 54 or portions thereof are shown in numerous Figures, it is best understood with reference to
The remaining elements and operational characteristics of the embodiment of the assembly 110 are the same as detailed above with respect to the assembly 10. Such elements and characteristics, without limitation, include the housing 12, cover 14, front plate 16, circuit board 18, longitudinal springs 22 and a cam system 46 including bottom surface 48 and side surface 50, which are thus not described in detail with respect to
Further, while the disclosed embodiments of the assembly with dynamically shifting circuit board utilize sets of compressed lateral springs and compressed longitudinal springs cooperatively acting on the front plate, other embodiments exist that employ different mechanisms. Such mechanisms include, without limitation, cooperative lever between cover and front plate and/or circuit board, torsion springs acting on the front plate and/or circuit board, compressed resilient material acting on the front plate and/or circuit board, and extended torsion springs acting on the front plate and/or circuit board. Still further embodiments exists wherein forward movement of the circuit board is initiated by another mechanism not linked automatically to the cover, such as a manual release latch, switch or button actuatable by human action to release the circuit board prior to removing and replacing an ink cartridge.
Additional elements, characteristics and features of the depicted embodiments of the print head assembly 10 and 110 include, without limitation:
While a particular embodiment of a print head assembly with dynamically shifting circuit board cam system with cooperative spring biased front plate 16 and circuit board 18 is described herein, those skilled in the art would readily understand that alternate options exist for providing such dynamic shifting upon opening the cover via a cam system. Such reasonable alternatives include, without limitation, different types or quantities of bias members, different numbers or positions of circuit board fasteners, and different configurations of dimples/ramps in the front plate. Further, the general characteristics of the disclosed cam/front plate/circuit board/spring system is clearly usable in different types of print head assemblies other than for use with thermal ink jet printing and/or non-Penstall design.
While a preferred embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the claimed coverage.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/247,907 for Print Head Assembly With Dynamic Shifting Circuit Board, filed Sep. 24, 2021, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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10518545 | Ono | Dec 2019 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20230115348 A1 | Apr 2023 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63247907 | Sep 2021 | US |