Abstract: The invention accomplishes print medium feed functions, at least in part, by making use of pre-existing printer apparatus that is used to accomplish other functions of the printer. For example, the invention can enable the use of a single print drive mechanism to accommodate multiple print medium feed paths within a printer and, in particular, feed paths in which print media are fed into the print drive mechanism in different (e.g., opposite) directions. Additionally, the invention can enable a rotatable media guide that can be positioned in one position to guide a sheet of a print medium during a print operation and in another position to release the sheet of the print medium after the printing operation, to be positioned in still another position to facilitate guiding a sheet of a print medium into a print drive mechanism after the sheet has traversed a gap in the feed path.

Abstract: A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system including a source of treatment fluid further including a treatment fluid reservoir and a treatment fluid transfer element adapted to transfer treatment fluid from the reservoir to at least one of the two elements involved in wiping the printhead, the two such elements consisting of the printhead and the wiper, the transfer element thereby acts as an applicator placing treatment fluid onto said at least one element, the source of treatment fluid not contacting said one element directly, and the treatment fluid then is available to assist in cleaning the printhead as it is wiped by the wiper, removing accumulated dried ink solids and other debris, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render such accumulations more removable by wiping.

Abstract: A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system for inkjet printer incorporating a wiper for wiping the printhead including a treatment fluid applicator configured for placing treatment fluid onto at least one element of the printhead and wiper elements involved in wiping the printhead orifice plate surface, the treatment fluid being placed on said at least one element by direct contact of the applicator, subsequently the wiper wipes the printhead, the treatment being available to enhance cleaning effectiveness, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render unwanted accumulations on the printhead more removable by wiping.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a scanning carriage in a color inkjet printer houses three identical color pens for printing cyan, magenta, and yellow. A separate array of nozzles is associated with each color ink. The nozzle arrays are such that they scan over the same print area of the medium during a single scan. To prevent the wet ink from one color swath being deposited over or bleeding into the wet ink from another color swath during the same scan, only a section of each nozzle array is used for printing during a single scan such that wet ink of two different colors cannot overlap during a single scan. This technique reduces ink bleed between colors as well as paper cockle. In another embodiment, a single tricolor pen is used where a single nozzle plate contains three nozzle arrays, one for each color. A section of each nozzle array is used during a single scan, as described above, to prevent wet ink of two different colors from overlapping during a single scan.

Abstract: An inkjet printer has a printhead mounted in a carriage which periodically moves along a printhead path in a carriage scan direction to a stop position in a service station where an actuation device imparts translational motion to a wiper blade. The wiper blade moves along a linear wiping path orthogonal to the printhead path and across ink orifices on a nozzle surface of the printhead during a wiping operation. The wiper blade is removably mounted on a base and is split to form a first blade for wiping one column of ink orifices and a second blade for simultaneously wiping another column of ink orifices on a nozzle surface of the printhead. In a preferred form of the invention, the service station provides different sequential wiping steps with successive wiper blades by first drawing ink onto the nozzle surface from the ink orifices with a rounded blade edge of a leading wiper blade, and then wiping the ink from the nozzle surface with a sharp blade edge of a following wiper blade.

Abstract: A combination printer and scanner comprises a frame and a plurality of rollers mounted in the frame that define a single paper path through the frame. The combination printer and scanner further comprises an automatic sheet feeder and an automatic document feeder mounted to the frame for selectively providing clean paper print sheets and documents having text and/or graphics to be scanned, respectively, to the single paper path. A scanner station is mounted in the frame for scanning documents conveyed through the single paper path. A printer station is mounted in the frame for printing text and/or graphics on print sheets conveyed through the single paper path. A pen door is hingedly connected to the frame for opening and closing a region along the single paper path to allow access to the scanner station to permit the cleaning of a scanner window thereof.

Abstract: A printer with paper stacker activation. A platen is mounted on the drive roller for both rotation and translation. When fully to the right end of its travel, the platen is engaged with rotation stops which position the platen a fixed distance from the print cartridge, and disengaged from the roller, which can rotate for paper advancement during printing. When translated to the left, the platen is disengaged from the rotation stops and allowed to rotate. A clockwise rotation of the drive roller brings a roller shoulder into contact with a platen tab, urging the platen downwardly, clearing the way for the paper to fall into the output tray. Platen translation from right to left is driven by the carriage. A flag and a key are mounted on the roller, and engage the platen by the pen carriage. The key has a friction pinch on the roller, such that a torque is produced when the roller turns. The flag is adjacent the key, and the torque produced by the key urges rotation of the flag.

Abstract: A new and improved rectifier power supply operates in a low voltage mode of operation and a high voltage mode of operation without user intervention and includes an inrush current limiting device that is in circuit during a predetermined period of time during start up and bypassed during steady state operation in the low voltage mode of operation. In the high voltage mode of operation, when inrush current is reduced relative to the low voltage mode of operation, the inrush limiting device always remains in circuit. As there is no power loss associated with the inrush limiting device in the steady state low voltage mode of operation, the power supply has an improved efficiency and reliability and a reduced cost as it can be rated for continuous operation only in the high voltage mode of operation when the input current is lowest and device dissipation is least.

Abstract: An inkjet printer has a printhead mounted in a carriage which periodically moves in a carriage scan direction to a stop position in a service station where an actuation device causes a wiper blade to move back and forth across ink orifices on a nozzle surface of the printhead during a wiping operation. The actuation device incorporates a rotating lead screw to impart transtlational motion to the wiper blade in a wiping direction orthogonal to the carriage scan direction. A clutching action prevents further movement of the wiper blade after completion of each wiping step. The actuation device is driven through a gear train from a motor such as a media advance motor. An ink spittoon is incorporated in the same service station for receiving ink generated during a spitting operation, and a scraper in the ink spittoon removes residual ink from the wiper blade.

Abstract: Device-space color specifications for two color-presentation devices are interrelated through the intermediary of at least one perceptual color space. This interrelation is performed by either tabulations or real-time software processing, and in such a way that color, and color changes, specified in relation to one device--in a control language of that device--are tracked in both the language and the actual performance of the other device. This mapping through perceptual space can be used to produce the effect of matching the two device gamuts to each other, so that the full gamuts of both are in effect merged. When so used, this new kind of mapping preserves relative positions in color space--and thus the capability of the tracking device to maintain distinctions between colors seen on the source/input device that appear very closely similar.

Abstract: At least two different printmasks are used for different printing devices--such as inkjet pens--that operate concurrently, or different printing steps that proceed concurrently, to produce respective image swaths in a single, pixel-based printing machine. In one form of the invention, the different printing devices produce different respective pixel-row pitches (related to resolution) on a printing medium, and the different printmasks help to minimize adverse patterning effects that result from interaction of the different pitches with dot-placement errors. The different pitches on the print medium may be provided through different pitches of marking devices (for example, the number of inkjet nozzles per unit distance along a pen) or in other ways.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism including a pick apparatus for selectively moving a sheet of media from a stack. A kicker is disclosed in several embodiments and serves to retain media on the stack. A cam is coupled to the pick apparatus for deflecting the kicker from the first position at which it retains media on the stack to a second position at which paper is allowed to move through the mechanism. The mechanism includes a frame and a shaft mounted on the frame for rotational movement relative thereto. The pick apparatus includes a pick tire mounted on the shaft and adapted to rotate therewith. The kicker is mounted on the frame for retaining media on the stack in a first position. The cam is adapted to deflect the kicker during a first portion of a rotational cycle and to release the kicker when the cam is in a second rotational position.

Abstract: A color ink-jet printer is provided, with one pen for dispensing black ink onto a print medium and at least one pen for dispensing color ink onto a print medium. The pen for dispensing black ink is adapted to jet droplets of black ink of a first volume and the pen(s) for dispensing color ink are adapted to jet droplets of color ink of a second volume, with the first volume being larger than the second volume. Such a color ink-jet printer provides both superior text quality of the black ink and does not require as much ink volume of the color ink(s) as previous ink-jet printers.

Abstract: A new and improved process by which plastic material forming the plastic body package of an integrated circuit is selectively removed and replaced with a radiation shield having a specific formulation that is customized for a given radiation environment dependent upon the space application in which the integrated circuit is to be used.

Abstract: A new and improved cleaning and storage system for a body cavity aspirator instrument includes a holder having a narrow mouth configuration for receiving an aspirator instrument therein for temporary storage purposes between periods of non-use. An inlet disposed in a base portion and spaced apart from a distal end of the holder permits the admittance of a cleaning agent in a sufficient volume into the base portion of the holder to clean the instrument according to the novel method of cleaning. A wiper cap disposed over the mouth of the holder, helps wipe the instrument of residual fluids when being inserted and removed from the holder. A mounting arrangement permits the holder to be supported from any convenient surface in close proximity to a patient/user.

Abstract: A closed ventilator system includes a universal endotrachael tube adapter having a pair of interconnected hollow body members. One of the hollow body members includes a pair of interconnected air passageways coupled respectively between a ventilator and an endotrachael tube, where the air passageway coupled to the endotrachael tube includes a universal access port for receiving a measurement gauge or a suction catheter device. The other hollow body member is adapted to receive a valve which is maintained in a normally open position to permit air under pressure from the ventilator to be supplied to the endotrachael tube. However, when the measurement gauge or suction device is attached to the access port, the valve can be manually operated to close the passageway to the ventilator without closing the other air passageway to facilitate accurate breathing measurement or fluid removal procedures.

Abstract: A new and improved neon illumination apparatus and method for illuminating large and small areas, such as the exterior and interior of a motor vehicle and the like, with bright glowing light. The apparatus includes an elongated transparent tube holder member for receiving an elongated neon bulb and a high voltage power distribution system. The high voltage power distribution system is encapsulated with an end cap adapted to be secured to the tube holder member for insulating and sealing the neon bulb and distribution system from the exterior environment and for forming a unitary illuminating device. The end cap includes an electrical input arrangement adapted to be coupled to a conventional low voltage, direct current source, such as the low voltage electrical system of a vehicle.

Abstract: The display device image stabilization apparatus is utilized in a display system having a frame buffer coupled to a display device. The apparatus includes a sampling arrangement coupled to the frame buffer for sampling input video data to generate a display signal, wherein the display signal is stored temporarily in the frame buffer as buffer information. A control device is coupled to the frame buffer for comparing the buffer information with reference information to determine whether the buffer information and the reference information are similar to one another. The control device generates a gain adjustment signal when the buffer information and the reference information are different from one another. Coupled between the control device and the sampling arrangement is a phase lock loop circuit for varying the display signal in response to the gain adjustment signal.

Abstract: A body decoration, and a method of using it, includes a main ornamentation body, secured and supported in place on the body of a wearer by a flexible pliable fine threadlike line such that it remains substantially invisible to an observer, to enhance the appearance of the wearer. A cushion device is attached to the line to protect the skin of the wearer. Embodiments of the present invention can be adapted to be worn in various locations on the body, such as the head, the face, the ear, the neck, the finger, the hand, and the hair.