Hewlett-Packard Company

Richard M Kemplin

William H Schwiebert

Todd R Medin

Brent W Richtsmeier

Robert R Giles

Charles W Dodge

Todd L Russell

Ronald J Kaplan

Shelley I Moore

Raymond M Cundiff

David C Tribolet

Richard N Tverdoch

Arjang M Hourtash

Larry Wayne Hennessee

A paper tray assembly for a computer controlled printer has an angled paper discharge wall and a paper stack skewer which automatically urges the leading edges of each sheet of paper in the stack against the slanted wall as the paper tray is inserted into a tray receiving slot in the printer. The reason for doing this automatic skewing is to prevent paper misfeeds. Optionally, paper length and paper width adjusting slides are used with the automatic paper stack skewer being pivotally affixed to a length adjustment slide, if used. The skewer is operated by interengaging cams and followers which are actuated as the paper tray is inserted into or removed from a tray receiving slot in the printer.

Printer media tray with automatic skewing of stack of media

A printer architecture structure in which a flexible external case is used to compress and sandwich internal printer structure comprised of a rigid metal base and printer chassis structure by nominally compressing resilient pads between the chassis structure and case top and side walls. Additional resilient pads between the base and chassis structure are ordinarily nominally uncompressed by the flexible case except during application of shock loads during shipment or vibrations during printer operation. The construction minimizes transmission of externally applied shock loads through the internal components of the system and assists in containing vibrations and noise generated during printer operation interiorly of the case. The relatively rigid base comprises a metal enclosure for RF shielding of the electronic components.

Printer architecture structure

An ink-jet printer having improved print quality and full color printing capability on plain paper media. A media advancing mechanism advances the print medium through a media path during print operations. Electrically energized heater elements heat a portion of the print medium at the print area. A power supply supplies electrical power to the heater elements and the media advancing mechanism. A single fan airflow system with multiple ducts evacuator air from the printer, including the print area. The airflow system evacuates excess ink spray and carrier vapor from the print area, provides cooling for the power supply and other electronics, and actively ventilates the preheater and print heater to avoid runaway temperatures.

Airflow system for ink-jet printer

A bi-directional pen changer for use in an X-Y plotter is disclosed which requires only a single axis of motion for pen snatch, pen re-insertion, and plotting. The device is made up of two pen stables, one on each side of a pen carriage, for holding pens when not in use, and a pen holder located between the two pen stables which holds a pen during plotting. The pen holder is mounted on the pen carriage and is a symmetric device configured to snatch and re-insert a pen from either side. The snatch and re-insertion of pens by the pen holder is accomplished by co-acting clamp arms on the pen holder and on each pen stable. The pen holder clamp arms are configured such that the pen tip is always at the same location relative to the clamp arms when the pen holder is holding a pen, regardless of the side from which the pen is snatched.

Bi-directional pen changer

An X-Y plotter is provided having an automatic pen changer comprising a pen repository, a memory for storing data identifying a pen selected by a user, a plot head for automatically fetching pens from and depositing pens into the repository, a processing means having a routine stored in a read-only-memory for providing head-movement coordinates, and a control means for moving the head to said coordinates, the pen-changing action (fetching and depositing) being performed solely by movement of the head to said coordinates. Deposited pens are automatically capped to prevent drying-out, fetched pens are automatically uncapped prior to use.

Plotter with automatic pen-changer

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Poway, CA, United States of America

Richard M Kemplin