The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 22, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 16, 1998
Edward P Maher, Oceanside, CA (US);
Darren W Wilcox, San Diego, CA (US);
Dan Scott Caputo, San Diego, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Both a printing-medium support (such as a platen) and a printhead-carriage slide-rod are supported and located in common from a single chassis. Preferably a pair of positive stops is used to locate the slide-rod, and a biasing retainer forcibly abuts the rod against, selectively, either stop of the pair of positive stops. Alternatively the two positive stops are instead used to locate the print-medium support--or separate pairs of such stops are used to locate both the slide-rod and the print-medium support respectively. A respective biasing retainer forcibly engages each located support element against one or the other of its stops. In another facet of the invention, an accurate system establishes and adjustably controls printhead-to-print-medium spacing without an assembly fixture. An adjustable mechanism (such as the biasing retainer mentioned above), distinct from both support elements, locates one of the two supports relative to the other. The mechanism includes components that enable adjustment to control the spacing between the printhead and the printing medium--but these adjustment-enabling components contribute zero uncertainty to the spacing. The assembly method includes positioning the slide-rod with its two ends in respective oversize mounting holes of a chassis, and attaching to each end of the slide-rod a respective retainer to force the slide-rod end in one of exactly two opposite directions against the mounting-hole edge.