Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Housing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-26
2003-05-06
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Housing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557992
ABSTRACT:
INTRODUCTION
The present invention relates generally to imaging devices, such as inkjet and electrophotographic printers.
Imaging devices such as personal printers for the home user have become pervasive in recent years. The majority of these devices are fairly uniform in appearance and are either a dull beige or gray in color. Particularly to those users who appreciate creativity and value individuality, these devices are aesthetically unpleasing and even boring.
Some imaging device manufacturers have attempted to inject life into the appearance of their devices by producing unique versions of a particular device. For example, in 1999 Tektronix, Inc. produced a “Designer Edition” of its standard Phaser® 840 color inkjet printer. The standard 840 printer utilized an ordinary beige molded plastic housing. The “Designer Edition”, however, featured an eye-catching icy blue transparent housing and was designed to match a Power Macintosh® G3 computer which had a similar transparent blue housing.
A drawback with producing unique or “designer” versions of imaging devices is that each version requires separate case parts, non-standard materials, unique painting and/or other expensive modifications. Additionally, each specially designed version of an imaging device will likely appeal to only a subset of the potential market for the device.
It would be desirable to provide an imaging device that is easily customized or decorated by a user, and a method for easily and inexpensively decorating an imaging device to create a customized appearance.
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Dwyer Daniel R.
Hwang Peter G.
Do An H.
Hewlett--Packard Development Company, L.P.
Moore Charles F.
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