Abstract: The invention provides for an ink cartridge unit for an inkjet printer. The ink cartridge includes a main body defining a number of ink reservoirs, each reservoir having a layered stack of absorbent material forming a micro-capillary array for suspending ink inside said reservoir. The ink cartridge also includes a lid assembly covering the main body to seal ink inside the ink reservoirs, and a printhead assembly operatively fed with ink from the ink reservoirs in the main body.

Abstract: A refill unit for refilling a negatively pressurized ink storage compartment that supplies ink to a printhead assembly. The refill unit has a body with a variable volume container for holding a quantity of ink and an actuator for fluidically isolating the printhead assembly and the ink storage compartment as the refill unit engages the ink storage compartment.

Abstract: A print engine for an inkjet printer includes an inkjet cartridge having a cartridge body, a pagewidth printhead, a capper unit extending a length of the pagewidth printhead and housing a capping element which is movable between a capped position in engagement with the pagewidth printhead and a retracted position spaced from the pagewidth printhead, and an ink supply. The cartridge body supports the pagewidth printhead, the capper unit and the ink supply for simultaneous removal and replacement as a unitary component. The print engine further includes a cradle having a body for receiving the removable inkjet cartridge and to control the operation of the printhead for printing, the cradle having a capper drive for engaging the capper unit and drawing the capping element to the uncapped position; and a print controller board received in the cradle, the print controller board including one or more electrical terminals for engaging with corresponding electrical terminals on the inkjet cartridge.

Abstract: A pagewidth printhead assembly for an inkjet printer, that has a body portion for receiving ink from an ink source, an elongate ink distribution member mounted to the body portion, the body portion and the elongate ink distribution member being in fluid communication at a series of spaced locations along the length of the elongate ink distribution member, one or more integrated circuits fixed to the ink distribution member, the or each integrated circuit having nozzles for ejecting ink supplied by the distribution member onto a passing media substrate, and an electrical connector for transmitting data to the or each integrated circuit, the electrical connector having an elongate array of contacts for electrical connection with a corresponding array of contacts on the inkjet printer.

Abstract: A cradle unit is provided which has a body complementary to a removable printhead cartridge, the removable printhead cartridge having a pagewidth printhead and a capper assembly, a controller for controlling operation of the printhead to facilitate printing when the removable printhead cartridge is received within the body, and an electromagnet assembly on the body which is controlled by the controller for operating the capper assembly of the removable printhead cartridge to permit the operation of the printhead.

Abstract: An ink refill unit for a print cartridge is provided. The unit includes a housing which defines a fluid path in fluid communication with an outlet. The unit also includes an ink reservoir having an ejection port arranged in fluid communication with the fluid path inside the housing, and an ejector assembly configured to incrementally eject ink from the reservoir when the assembly is actuated by the print cartridge. The ejector assembly is configured so that the amount of the printing fluid ejected from the reservoir by the ejector assembly is between 6 ml and 50 ml per increment.

Abstract: An ink refill unit for a print cartridge is provided. The unit includes a housing which defines a fluid path in fluid communication with an outlet. The unit also includes an ink reservoir having an ejection port arranged in fluid communication with the fluid path inside the housing, and an ejector assembly configured to incrementally eject ink from the reservoir when the assembly is actuated by the print cartridge. The ejector assembly includes a plunger having a toothed thread which engages with a screw thread provided in an internal wall of the housing. The ejector has a drive gear so that actuation of the drive gear imparts rotation to the toothed thread so as to rotate the plunger within the screw thread of the housing to eject ink from a bellows-like reservoir.

Abstract: An ink refill unit for a print cartridge is provided. The unit includes a housing which defines a fluid path in fluid communication with an outlet. The unit also includes an ink reservoir having an ejection port arranged in fluid communication with the fluid path inside the housing, and an ejector assembly configured to incrementally eject ink from the reservoir when the assembly is actuated by the print cartridge. The ejector assembly includes a piston and cylinder ink reservoir. The piston has a thread which engages a screw thread in an internal wall of the cylinder and is piston rotationally biased by a wound spring and the ejector having a pawl-and-ratchet detent preventing the biased piston threading into the reservoir until the pawl is actuated by the print cartridge.

Abstract: A method of refilling a supply of printing fluid in a printing unit. The method comprises the steps of removably mounting a dispenser unit of printing fluid to the printing unit so as to align and engage a plurality of outlets of the dispenser unit with a plurality of inlets of a plurality of printing fluid storage chambers of the printing unit, the dispenser unit being configured so that only one outlet of the plurality of outlets connects to printing fluid stored within an enclosure of the dispenser unit; determining an amount of printing fluid needed to refill the printing fluid storage chamber via the inlet engaged with said one outlet; disengaging a ratchet mechanism of the dispenser unit so as to facilitate a reduction of volume in the enclosure by a plunger; and engaging the plunger so as to effect the reduction of volume in the enclosure until the ratchet mechanism is reengaged, thereby dispensing fluid from the enclosure into the printing fluid storage chamber.

Abstract: A reservoir assembly for a pagewidth printhead cartridge has a fluid distribution molding with priming inlets in fluid communication with fluid channels for supplying printing fluid to a plurality of printhead integrated circuits. The assembly includes a reservoir compartment arranged in fluid communication with the fluid channels via a fluid outlet. The reservoir compartment defines a vent hole to facilitate pressure equalization in the compartment and a bypass fluid path interconnecting the fluid outlet and a well region defined by the compartment. A bypass valve is operatively arranged with respect to the fluid path to facilitate priming the reservoir compartment with printing fluid.

Abstract: The invention provides for an ink storage module for a printer cartridge having a number of ink storage modules. Each cartridge module operatively stores a different colored ink for delivery to a printhead of the printer. The module includes upper and lower plate members having an ink bag located between the plate members to define an ink volume, said plate members displaceable towards and away from each other. The module also includes a bag constrictor assembly engaged with said plate members and configured to act on the bag when the plate members are displaced towards each other to reduce the ink volume, as well as a lid engaged with the plate members and bag constrictor assembly, the lid having at least one port in fluid communication with the bag, to deliver ink to a printhead or to facilitate refilling said bag with ink.

Abstract: A cartridge is provided for an inkjet print engine. The cartridge includes an elongate body, in turn, defining a plurality of partitions and a pair of mounting posts at either end. An ink storage module assembly includes a row of ink storage modules interleaved with the partitions. A printhead assembly is mounted to the body and includes at least one ink ejection integrated circuit (IC) connected to receive ink from the ink storage modules. An elongate maintenance assembly is mounted between the posts and is configured to cap and clean the IC.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cradle unit for receiving a print cartridge to form a print engine. The cradle unit includes a main body defining an opening for receiving said cartridge, the main body having a frame structure including end plates with drive and exit rollers mounted therebetween. The cradle unit also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) pivotally mounted between the end plates for housing control electronics for controlling the operation of the print engine. Also included is a cover assembly for securing said cartridge in the opening, the cover assembly pivotally mounted between the end plates, the cover assembly configured to pivot the PCB into electrical contact with a printhead controller on the cartridge when in a closed position, and to pivot the PCB out of electrical connection with said printhead controller when in an open position.

Abstract: A method of assembling a media transport arrangement of a printer is provided. The method includes positioning a roller so as to be supported at a first end by a support frame, positioning a ring bearing of a fixing plate about a second end of the roller, the fixing plate being separate from the support frame, and slidably engaging the fixing plate with the support frame so as to fix the fixing plate and the roller to the support frame. During the sliding engagement, the roller pivots about the first end due to the configuration of the ring bearing.

Abstract: A printing fluid refill unit for a print engine, comprising an information storage element for storing information on the amount of printing fluid contained in the refill unit and for connecting with an information reader incorporated in the print engine for reading the information stored by the storage element when the refill unit is mounted to the print engine, wherein the information stored by the storage element enables the reader to control the refilling of the print engine with the printing fluid contained in the refill unit.

Abstract: A printer comprising: a sheet media transport mechanism for transporting sheet media past a printhead; a pick-up roller arranged to be rotated so as to contact and pick-up sheet media from a supply of sheet media and deliver the picked sheet media to the sheet media transport mechanism; and a gear assembly for communicating a driving force of a motor to the pick-up roller so as to rotate the pick-up roller, wherein a first gear of the gear assembly is arranged to disengage from a second gear of the gear assembly substantially at the point of delivery of a leading edge of the picked sheet media to the sheet media transport mechanism so as to cease communication of the driving force of the motor to the pick-up roller.

Abstract: Provided is a cradle unit for receiving a print cartridge to form a print engine. The cradle unit includes a main body defining an opening for receiving said cartridge, the main body having a frame structure including end plates with drive and exit rollers mounted therebetween. The cradle unit also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) pivotally mounted between the end plates for housing control electronics for controlling the operation of the print engine, and a cover assembly for securing said cartridge in the opening. The cover assembly is pivotally mounted between the end plates, with the cover assembly configured to pivot the PCB into electrical contact with a printhead controller on the cartridge when in a closed position, and to pivot the PCB out of electrical connection with said printhead controller when in an open position.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a removably secured cradle in which a cartridge having a pagewidth printhead and printing fluid supply is removably received. The cradle has a printed circuit board mounted on pivoting arms such that terminals on the printed circuit board contact, upon the pivoting arms being pivoted toward the cartridge, corresponding terminals of the cartridge, and a controller for controlling operation of the received cartridge via the connected terminals of the cradle and cartridge.

Abstract: A print engine for an inkjet printer including: a removable inkjet cartridge of a type having a pagewidth printhead and an ink supply; and a cradle having a body adapted to receive the removable inkjet cartridge and to control the operation of the printhead for printing; wherein the cradle is configured to be secured to the inkjet printer to receive print media from a media input tray and to deliver printed media to a media output tray.

Abstract: A cradle unit for receiving a printer cartridge unit includes a printed circuit board (PCB) on which a print engine controller for controlling a printhead of the printer cartridge unit is provided, the PCB having a row of electrical contacts; a cover assembly movable between a closed position where the printer cartridge unit is mechanically secured in the cradle unit, and an opened position where removal of the printer cartridge unit from the cradle unit is facilitated; a pair of arms for supporting the PCB therebetween, each of the pair of arms having a grooved portion; and a pair of tension springs, one end of each tension spring being engaged with the grooved portion of respective arms, and another end of each tension spring being engaged with the cover assembly. The cover assembly, pair of arms, and tension springs are configured to bias the row of electrical contacts into electrical contact with the printer cartridge when the cover assembly is moved from the opened position to the closed position.