Thermal inkjet printer device

[0001] The present application relates generally to thermal inkjet printers and, more particularly, to thermal inkjet printers that utilize replaceable cartridges.

[0002] Thermal inkjet printers that utilize replaceable cartridges are known, in which the cartridges have control terminals on one edge of the cartridge, a nozzle plate on an adjacent edge of the cartridge, and a communication ribbon running externally along the cassette, and around a corner region of the cassette, from the terminals to the nozzle plate. The printer includes a cartridge slot with a set of control pins (commonly referred to as pogo pins) that will engage with the cartridge control terminals when the cartridge is loaded into the slot, such that the printer can send control signals to the cartridge and drive the nozzles as needed for desired printing. In existing printers of this type, the installation sequence of the cartridge permits the communication ribbon to slide or scrape over the printer control pins in the slot, which can lead to damage to the communication ribbon, resulting in the inability of the cartridge to print properly.

[0003] Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a thermal inkjet printer that is capable of addressing the above issue and/or that has other desirable features.

[0004] In one aspect, a thermal inkjet printer device includes a housing defining a cartridge receiving slot with a cartridge install/removal opening, a nozzle plate opening, and a plurality of control pins along a bottom portion of the slot and spaced rearwardly of the nozzle plate opening. The cartridge receiving slot includes a forward upper side, spaced rearwardly of the nozzle plate opening, and a rear side that is curved such that, upon insertion of a thermal inkjet cartridge through the install/removal opening, a forward portion of the thermal inkjet cartridge engages on the forward upper side causing the thermal inkjet cartridge to rotate such that that a rear portion of the thermal inkjet cartridge engages the rear side of the slot, pushing a nose portion of the thermal inkjet cartridge forward toward the nozzle plate opening as the thermal inkjet cartridge rotates downward and moves further down into the slot.

[0005] In another aspect, a thermal inkjet printer device for use with an inkjet cartridge having a cartridge nose portion with an associated nozzle plate for ejecting ink is provided. The thermal inkjet printer device includes a housing defining a cartridge receiving slot with an upper cartridge install/removal opening, opposed first and second lateral sides, a rear side, a bottom side and a forward side. The forward side of the slot includes a lower section and an upper section, wherein the lower section includes a nozzle plate opening for enabling the nozzle plate to be exposed externally of the housing for printing, wherein the upper section includes a planar surface portion facing the rear side and extending downwardly from the upper cartridge install/removal opening. The bottom side of the slot includes a plurality of upwardly extending control pins spaced rearwardly of the nozzle plate opening. The rear side comprises a concave surface portion facing the forward side for guiding installation of the cartridge as it is rotated down into the slot.

[0006] In a further aspect, a thermal inkjet cartridge includes a housing, and an adhesive label applied to the housing. The label includes a first adhesive face end region connected to a first external portion of the housing, a second adhesive face end region connected to a second external portion of the housing, and a third intermediate adhesive face region adhered to a fourth intermediate adhesive face region to form a pull tab that protrudes from the housing to facilitate removal of the thermal inkjet cartridge from a cartridge receiving slot of a printer device.

[0007] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1-18C, a thermal inkjet printer device 10, in the form of a printhead, includes a housing 12 defining a cartridge receiving slot 14 with an upper cartridge install/removal opening 16 and a nozzle plate opening 18 at a forward end of the housing. A plurality of control pins 20 are located along a bottom side or portion 14a of the slot 14 and are spaced rearwardly of the nozzle plate opening 18.

[0020] The device 10 is configured for use with a thermal inkjet printer cartridge 30 that includes a nose portion 32 on which a nozzle plate 34 with ink ejecting nozzles is located, and a bottom edge 36 with a set of communication terminals 38 for engaging with the control pins 20 of the slot. A bottom forward corner segment 40 of the cartridge interconnects the bottom edge 36 and the front of the nose portion 32, and a communication ribbon 42 runs from the communication terminals 38 around the bottom forward corner segment 40 to the nozzle region. The communication ribbon 42 includes conductors that connect with the nozzle plate 34 in a manner to enable controlled ejection of ink from the nozzles of the nozzle plate.

[0021] The cartridge receiving slot 14 includes a forward upper side section 14b spaced rearwardly of the nozzle plate opening 18 and a rear side 14c that is curved, in a concave manner facing forward. As seen in the sequence of FIGS. 13A-13F, upon insertion of the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 through the install/removal opening 16, a forward portion 30a of the thermal inkjet cartridge engages on the top 14b1 of the forward upper side section 14b, which top 14b1 acts as a pivot point, causing the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 to rotate such that that a rear portion 30b of the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 engages the rear side 14c of the slot 14, with continued rotation of the cartridge 30 about the pivot point 14b1 pushing the nose portion 32 of the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 forward toward the nozzle plate opening 18 as the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 rotates downward and moves further down into the slot 14. Notably, the forward upper side top 14b1 and rear side 14c of the cartridge receiving slot 14 are cooperatively shaped and configured such that, during installation of the thermal inkjet cartridge 30, the bottom forward corner segment 40 of the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 is pushed forwardly of the control pins 20 in the slot 14 while the bottom forward corner segment 40 is still spaced upwardly away from the control pins 20. This assures that the portion of the ribbon 42 extending around the corner segment 40 is not damaged by scraping against/over the control pins 20. A plate spring member 35 may be positioned to interact with the rear portion of the cartridge to urge the cartridge forward and may interact with a corner projection on the bottom rear of the cassette to releasably retain the cartridge in the slot.

[0022] In implementations, the relative shape and size of the cartridge 30 and the slot 14 prevents the cartridge 30 from being pushed down into the slot 14 in a manner that would cause the forward corner segment 40 to engage the control pins 20, as represented by the blocking interference region 60 and the overlap region 62 shown in FIGS. 14A-14B. It is recognized that the cassette position of FIG. 14B is not even possible.

[0023] The cartridge receiving slot 14 has opposed lateral sides 14d, rear side 14c, bottom side 14a and a forward side 15, with the forward side 15 including a lower section 15a and an upper section 15b. The lower section 15a includes the nozzle plate opening 18. The upper section 15a includes forward upper side section 14b, in the form of a planar surface portion, facing the rear side 14c and extending downwardly from the upper cartridge install/removal opening. The rear side 14c includes concave surface portion or wall 17 facing the forward side for guiding installation of the cartridge 30 as it is rotated down into the slot. The concave surface portion 17 extends over a majority of a height of the cartridge receiving slot 14. Here, the cartridge install/removal opening 16 is defined by a forward portion 16a and a rearward portion 16b that extends upwardly and rearwardly from the forward portion 16a. The concave surface portion 17 extends upward along the rear side of the cartridge install/removal opening to a location higher than the upper edge of the forward portion 16a of the cartridge install/removal opening. Here, a slot cover 24 is pivotably mounted on the cartridge housing 12 for rotation between a position that covers both the forward portion and the rearward portion of the cartridge insertion/removal opening (e.g., per FIG. 3) and a position in which both the forward portion and the rearward portion of the cartridge insertion/removal opening are uncovered (e.g., per FIG. 4).

[0024] Notably, the nozzle plate opening 18 is located in a forwardly protruding cartridge nose portion 12a of the housing 12, such that a forward facing external surface portion 12b of the housing angles rearwardly away from the nozzle plate opening in both a region 12b1 above the nozzle plate opening 18 and a region 12b2 below the nozzle plate opening 18. As per FIGS. 15A-15C, this configuration facilitates positioning of the nozzle region of the device in tight, angular spaces for printing.

[0025] In the region 12b1 above the nozzle plate opening, the external surface portion of the housing includes a drainage ledge 12c oriented for directing moisture on the external surface portion 12b1 away from the nozzle plate opening 18. Here, the drainage ledge 12c is formed as a V-shape, with an apex of the V-shape oriented above the nozzle plate opening 18 and legs of the V-shape extending downwardly and laterally beyond locations of opposite lateral sides 18a, 18b of the nozzle plate opening 18. The drainage ledge directs moisture away from the nozzle plate opening and nozzle plate of an inserted cassette.

[0026] The housing 12 includes a main section 12d and an electrical connector section 12e. The main section 12d includes the cartridge receiving slot 14, and the electrical connector section 12e includes electrical connector opening(s) 70. Per FIGS. 16A-16C, the electrical connector section 12e is connectable to the main section 12 in different configurations. In one configuration, per FIG. 16C, the electrical connector opening(s) 70 face rearwardly and, in another configuration, per FIGS. 16A-16B, the electrical connector opening(s) 70 face sidewardly. To achieve this variability, here, per FIGS. 17A-17D, the electrical connector section 12e comprises a six-sided box-shaped module 13, with a fixed upper side wall 13a, a fixed lower side wall 13b, a fixed lateral side wall 13c, a fixed lateral side wall 13d, an open lateral side 13e and an open lateral side 13f. The electrical connector opening(s) 70 is/are located in the fixed lateral side wall 13c, and the open lateral side 13e is located opposite the fixed lateral side wall 13c. The open lateral side 13f runs between the fixed lateral side wall 13c and the open lateral side 13e. A removable cover panel 82 is connectable, via fasteners, to either the open lateral side 13e or the open lateral side 13f to cover the opening as needed depending upon how the module 13 is connected to the main section 12d of the housing 12. Central fastener openings 19 in both fixed lateral side walls 13c and 13d enable engagement of the module 13 with the main section 12d of the housing in either of the orientations (e.g., per FIG. 16B or FIG. 16C).

[0027] In implementations, per FIGS. 18A-18C, the device 10 includes a guide bar 72 removably attached to the housing and running at least partly in the region 12b1 above the nozzle plate opening 18, and a guide bar 74 removably attached to the housing and running at least partly in the region 12b2 below the nozzle plate opening 18. Here, the guide bars 72, 74 are connected to side plates 76 that are, in turn, fastened to the exterior sides of the housing 12. Various configurations (orientations, shapes and lengths) of the guide bars 72, 74 are possible.

[0028] To facilitate removal of the cassette 30 from the slot 14, in embodiments, per FIGS. 9-12, the cartridge 30 includes an adhesive label 80 applied thereto (where the label may includes printed indicia at its externally facing non-adhesive surface). The label 80 includes a first adhesive face end region 80a connected to a first portion of the housing 12, a second adhesive face end region 80b connected to a second portion of the housing 12, and a third intermediate adhesive face region 80c adhered to a fourth intermediate adhesive face region 80d to form a pull tab 82 that protrudes upwardly from the thermal inkjet cartridge 30 to facilitate the removal of the thermal inkjet cartridge from the cartridge receiving slot by pulling upward on the pull tab 82. Here, the first external surface portion of the housing 12 is an upwardly extending portion of a rear edge of the cartridge, and the second external surface portion of the housing 12 is a forwardly extending portion of an upper edge of the cartridge, and the pull tab 82 extends from a rear upper corner region of the housing where the rear edge and the upper edge meet.

[0029] It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only and is not intended to be taken by way of limitation. Variations are possible.