Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-Packard Company

Craig A Maurer

Jack H Schmidt

Alpha N Doan

Jon Lee Zimmerman

Scott F Williams

Kevin Lee Bokelman

James E Clough

Darrel D Cherry

Juan Manuel Jimenez

Jason R Arbeiter

Charles W Dodge

D Bradley Short

Gary M Nobel

Heinz H Waschhauser

A Justine Worley

Joseph P Milkovits

Daniel Wee

Steven H Chiu

A dust tolerant scanner without a transparent plate to support objects scanned by its media scan assembly. Other dust or debris collecting surfaces in the optical path of the scanner are positioned as far away as possible from an object focal plane of the media scan assembly. The media scan assembly includes upper and lower document feeder portions which define a media path adjacent to a reference surface of the upper portion. The lower document feeder portion includes a media conformance member which positions pieces of media against the reference surface as the pieces of media are advanced along the media path. The media conformance member includes ramp portions and an aperture which provides an optical path between the object focal plane and a sensor focal plane within the scanner.

Dust tolerant windowless scanner

A media detection system includes a sensor and a flag. The flag is pivotally supported proximate to a media path through which media is moved. The flag pivots as media is moved through the media path such that the flag interacts with the sensor to cause the sensor to alternate between two states and to produce at least four signals representing positioning of the media along the path. The flag is configured to remain substantially in one angular position for a portion of time while the medium is moving and in contact with the flag.

Media detection

In one embodiment, an image forming device is provided that includes a replaceable component. The image forming device includes an operating state configured to form images utilizing the component. The image forming device further includes a security state configured to reduce access to the replaceable component in response to a triggering event.

Image forming device component retention system

An automatic document feeder mounted removably to a computer input device having a medium receiving and supporting surface includes a plurality of interconnectable modular assemblies for defining a medium path that extends from a medium input tray to a medium output tray via the medium receiving and supporting surface of the computer input device. One of the modular assemblies is a main chassis assembly includes an integrally formed main chassis shell having a substantially planar base. The input tray has a document receiving surface with a concave shape in both the vertical and horizontal planes to help facilitate proper sheet stiffening and alignment for sheet loading purposes onto the receiving and supporting surface of the computer input device. A pair of spaced apart drive rollers mounted to a spring loaded drive axle engage in seriatim individual sheets for loading and unloading them onto the supporting surface of the computer input device. A motor driven transmission system is mounted to a central portion of the drive axle to balance the drive force applied by the drive rollers so that the individual medium sheets are loaded and unloaded without any substantial sheet skewing.

Automatic document feeder having a center drive mechanism for loading

Automatic document feeder

The invention minimizes liquid-ink deposition on the top and edge of a guide-plate (or 'hold-down' plate), and also minimizes running of deposited liquid ink along the top to the edge. Through these two effects together the rate of ink deposition on the top and edge of the plate is held below the volume of ink per unit time that can dry there. The invention also minimizes ink transfer from the edge onto the print medium. The deposition-minimizing provisions include two features: serration, and a very fine vertical dimension of the edge itself. These features enhance air flow, and thus transport of ink spray, rapidly across the edge--discouraging formation of a dead-air zone from which spray readily precipitates onto the edge. The thin edge also presents a smaller direct target for ink droplets. The serrations may enhance transport by (1) promoting a more-favorable balance between laminar and turbulent flow; or (2) enabling air passage between opposed surfaces of the plate--from underside to top surface--creating an updraft to lift the flow away from the edge; or (3) both. To minimize running of liquid ink along the plate, the plate is mounted essentially all exposed to heat from a heater whose main purpose is drying ink on the print medium: this raises the plate temperature and so promotes drying of ink on the plate too. To further minimize running of liquid ink along the plate toward the edge, the edge panel is at a very shallow angle; and the air-flow provisions mentioned above also help carry away liquid carrier, from whatever ink does fall onto the edge, thus accelerating drying. To minimize brushing off even a slight accumulation of ink (liquid or dry) onto the medium, the serrations also raise most of the edge away from the medium.

Thin, shallow-angle serrated hold-down with improved warming, for better

An inkjet printer (10) has a movable carriage (12) supported above an ink-receiving medium by a rail (14) defining a carriage axis. A cartridge holder (16) is mounted on the carriage and having at least one cartridge compartment (18), each of the at least one compartment having a compliant compartment wall (82). Each compartment is providing with an opening at one end (19) of the carriage floor for receiving the snout (72) of an ink jet printer cartridge (20) on which is mounted a nozzle plate with more that one nozzle for depositing ink onto the ink-receiving medium. Each compartment is also provided with equalizing structure for maintaining the cartridge substantially perpendicular to the carriage axis when the compliant compartment wall is deflected by a spring at the middle of the compartment forcing two datum surfaces on the cartridge against front and rear supporting surfaces on the compartment wall. The equalizing structure preferably includes a second opening (21) at the other end of the floor.

Deflection compensation for cartridge carriage with compliant walls

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Craig A Maurer