Patent Application
20060275071
A user of a printer, in many cases, desires that portions of a printed document be physically detachable from other portions of the same document. For example, a user using a personal computer (PC) may desire to print out documents embodying checks, bills or other items that the user wishes to detach. In the case of checks or bills, the user must purchase and use paper that has been perforated prior to being fed into a printer. This pre-perforated paper is often significantly more expensive than regular printer paper. Otherwise, the user must first print the document, remove the document from the printer, and then employ a cutting device, such as scissors, to detach the item from the remainder of the document. This latter approach can be unduly time-consuming and fatiguing to the user.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a printer including a controller, a printhead operable, in response to at least a first signal received from the controller, to render an image on a print medium, and a piercing device operable, in response to at least a second signal received from the controller, to produce a predetermined pattern of piercings in the print medium.
By including the piercing device in the printer, a user, in a customized fashion, can perforate or otherwise cut a document upon printing without having to pre-perforate or buy pre-perforated the paper on which the document is printed.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
Referring to
In operation, as the printhead 20 is moved across the print medium 70 and the print medium is moved relative to the carriage 40, the controller 50 activates the printhead to emit droplets of ink at precise locations corresponding to a pattern of pixels associated with a document or image received from the PC 100. Similarly, as the piercing device 30 is moved across or otherwise with respect to the print medium 70, the controller 50 activates the piercing device 30 to pierce the print medium at precise locations corresponding to the piercing locations associated with the pattern defined by the user. As such, because the piercing device 30 is movable, via the carriage 40, along a first dimension (e.g., the width) of the print medium 70 and the roller 80 is operable to move the print medium relative to the piercing device along a second dimension (e.g., the length) of the print medium, a pattern of perforations in two dimensions of the print medium may be achieved. Alternatively, the carriage 40 and, thus, the piercing device 30 may be movable in two dimension relative to the print medium 70 to provide a two-dimensional perforation pattern.
The printhead 20 and piercing device 30 may be simultaneously operational. That is, the printer 10 may be configured to concurrently print on and pierce the print medium 70. Alternatively, the printer 10 may be configured such that the printhead 20 applies ink to a swath of the print medium 70, after which the piercing device 30 is deployed to pierce one or more locations along or near the same swath. In the latter case, the ink may be allowed to dry prior to piercing of the print medium 70 to ensure that the ink does not seep through the piercing to other components of the printer 10.
In an embodiment, the piercing device 30 is not permanently attached to, but, rather, is retrievable by, the carriage 40. For example, the piercing device 30 may be parked in a “home” position on, for example, an end of the rod 60. Accordingly, when, for example, the printhead 20 is employed to print an image on a portion of the print medium 70 not requiring piercing, the carriage 40 does not transport the piercing device 30. Upon receiving an indication from the controller 50 that the print medium 70 is to be pierced, the carriage 40 is operable to move along the carriage rod 60 to the home position of the piercing device 30, couple itself to the piercing device using, for example, a conventional latching device, and move the piercing device to the location of the print medium 70 to be pierced.
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While embodiments of the present invention have been discussed herein in the context of an inkjet printer, the present invention is not to be construed as limited to implementation in an inkjet printer. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in other types of printers such as, for example, laser printers, dye-sublimation printers and light jet printers. As such, the printhead 20 may be a type of ink-application device, such as a laser-printing assembly, other than an inkjet printhead. Additionally, while the printer 10 has been described herein as including the piercing device 30, the piercing device may be regarded as a separate module that is attachable to the printer and functions in the manner described. Accordingly, the piercing device 30, along with one or more of the computer-readable media discussed with reference to
Additionally, although embodiments of the printer 10 described herein may allude, for exemplary purposes, to certain types of computer-readable media that the printer includes or with which the printer interacts, it should be recognized that such embodiments may include or interact with a variety of computer-readable media.
Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be included and/or accessed by the printer 10 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, DVD or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store information and that can be included and/or accessed by the printer 10. Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.
