Recorders – Combined with non-recording register – Fare register
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-24
2001-11-13
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Recorders
Combined with non-recording register
Fare register
C347S037000, C347S019000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317145
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S. C. §119 from my application entitled
A Printer Having a Carriage Control Apparatus and Method Thereof
filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 24, 1997 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 97-62290 by that Office.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ink jet apparatus that uses an ink cartridge and, more specifically, to a device and a method for controlling a printer carriage that needs to be replaced.
2. Background Art
With the increasing amount of data that must be archived stored and presented constantly increasing, more efficient ink jet devices have been developed to meet increasing performance demands. Different methods of printing have been developed, such is the dot-matrix method, the electronic picture-developing method, and the ink-jet method. Among these methods, the ink jet printer has developed a system of forming images on cut sheets of paper that is efficient and economical. There are two types of ink-jet printers, the continuous jet type and the drop on demand type of ink jet printer. The continuous ink-jet printers project a continuous spray of ink drops from a small nozzle toward a recording medium. In contrast, the drop on demand ink-jet printers release droplets in response to signals from a controller. The controller causes changes in the pressure within the ink storage chamber of the printer cartridge resulting in a succession of droplets being ejected. Many advancements have been made in ink-jet technology due to continuing efforts to increase printer speed and to improve the resolution of printed images.
It has been noticed that contemporary ink-jet printers tend to be inefficient when the ink cartridge must be replaced. When a printer receives the command to replace a cartridge the printer transports the cartridge outside of the printing area. This is important as ink can often leak from the cartridge due to shocks that are generated while removing and inserting cartridges into the carriage. Thus, by removing the carriage from the printing area of the printer, the sheet of paper that is being printed upon will not be contaminated by ink.
The moving of the carriage outside of the printing area, however, results in both a loss of time that can be significant when a highly used printer needs frequent cartridge replacement and results in reducing the amount of free space surrounding the cartridge during the removal process, thus making replacement more difficult. As such, it may be possible to improve on the contemporary art of ink jet devices by providing a method and a device for controlling a carriage that reduces the amount of time consumed waiting for a carriage to be moved from the printing area, that reduces the probability of polluting a sheet of paper that is within the printing area during the replacement of an ink cartridge, that allows more space around the cartridge to facilitate the removal of the cartridge, and that moves the carriage to a position depending on whether paper is detected in the printing area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and an improved device for controlling the carriage in an ink jet apparatus.
It is another object to provide a method and a device for controlling the carriage in an ink jet apparatus that reduces the time consumed waiting for a carriage to be removed from the printing area.
It is still another object to provide a method and a device for controlling the carriage in an ink jet apparatus that reduces the probability of polluting a sheet of paper that is within the printing area during the replacement of an ink cartridge.
It is yet another object to provide a method and a device for controlling the carriage in an ink jet apparatus that moves the carriage to a position depending on whether paper is detected in the printing area.
To achieve these and other objects, a method and a device are provided for controlling the position and motion of a carriage. The method starts with the printer receiving a signal representing a command to replace the cartridge mounted on the carriage. A controller, or microprocessor, then detects whether paper is present in the printing area of the electrophotographic device. The printing area is the area beneath the nozzles in the printer over which the cartridge can apply ink during one pass of the carriage over the paper. If paper is detected in the printing area, then the carriage is moved outside of the printing area. When no paper is detected by the paper detection sensor, the carriage is moved to the center of the printing area. At this time, a user replaces the old ink cartridge with a new ink cartridge and sends a signal or command to the printer indicating that the replacement process is completed. When the controller receives a command indicating the replacement process is completed, the carriage is returned to the position it occupied prior to the printer receiving the replace cartridge command.
These objects can be achieved by providing a printer having a controller, or microprocessor, that can receive a cartridge replacement command from a user via a control panel or other interface device, such as computer system. When the controller receives the replacement command, it checks the output of a paper detection sensor to determine whether paper is present in the printing area of the printer. If paper is present in the printing area, then the controller activates a carriage return driver, that causes a carriage return motor to move the carriage from the printing area. If paper is not detected in the printing area, then the controller activates the carriage return driver causing the carriage to be moved to the center of the printing area. Then, a user replaces the cartridge and sends a command to the printer signifying the completion of the cartridge exchange. Upon receiving a command indicating the completion of the cartridge exchange, the controller causes the carriage return motor to return the carriage to the position the carriage originally occupied prior to the receipt of the exchange command by the printer.
Barlow John
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Dodding Alfred
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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