Abstract: An ink reservoir for an inkjet printhead, the ink reservoir comprising: a sealed ink storage volume; an ink outlet for establishing sealed fluid communication between the printhead and the ink storage volume; and, an air bag in the ink storage volume with an air inlet for allowing external air into the air bag; wherein during use, the air bag inflates as the ink is drawn from the ink storage volume.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a printer body and a replaceable printhead cartridge, the printhead cartridge having a casing that supports a pagewidth printhead; the printer body having a cradle for holding the printhead cartridge in an operative position such that the pagewidth printhead is adjacent a paper path defined by the printer body; wherein, during insertion, the cradle and the casing interact to form an over centre mechanism whereby, the printhead cartridge rotates against a bias prior until reaching a balance point, after which it is biased to rotate into the operative position.

Abstract: A method of picking sheet media in a printer, comprising: contacting a pick-up roller with sheet media of a supply of sheet media; rotatably driving the pick-up roller with a motor via a gear assembly so that the pick-up roller picks up the sheet media and delivers the picked sheet media to a sheet media transport mechanism for transporting sheet media past a printhead; and substantially at the point of delivery of a leading edge of the picked sheet media to the sheet media transport mechanism by the pick-up roller, disengaging a first gear of the gear assembly from a second gear of the gear assembly to cease the driving of the pick-up roller.

Abstract: A method of assembling a capping mechanism of an inkjet printer, the method comprising the steps of: providing a support frame for at least one elongate shaft; positioning the shaft so as to be supported at its longitudinal first and second ends by the support frame; positioning a bearing of a fixing plate about the first end of the shaft, the bearing being configured to allow rotation of the shaft, the rotation providing transport of a capper out of, and into, a capping position on a pagewidth printhead; and slidably engaging the fixing plate with the support frame so as to fix the shaft thereto, wherein, during the sliding engagement, the elongate shaft pivots about the second end due to the configuration of the bearing.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance station for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance station comprises: an endless maintenance belt having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead; a cleaning station for cleaning the belt; and a conveyor mechanism for conveying the belt past the face and past the cleaning station. The belt is reciprocally movable between a first position in which part of the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face, and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for a printer with an inkjet printhead, the ink cartridge comprising: an ink storage volume; an outlet valve for fluid communication with the printhead; and, an air inlet spaced from the outlet valve for letting air into the ink storage volume as ink is drawn out through the outlet valve; wherein, the outlet valve and the air inlet are configured for engagement with complementary formations on the printer such that the ink outlet and the air inlet are both opened upon installation of the cartridge in the printer.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a printer body and a replaceable printhead cartridge, the printhead cartridge having a casing that supports a pagewidth printhead; the printer body having a cradle for holding the printhead cartridge in an operative position such that the pagewidth printhead is adjacent a paper path defined by the printer body, the cradle having a fulcrum formation for engaging a complementary formation on the casing upon insertion of the cartridge so that it rotates into the operative position; wherein, the cradle has a biased locating abutment to apply a compressive force that maintains the printhead cartridge in the operative position and the casing has a structural member extending from the complementary formation; such that during use, the structural member extends from the locating abutment to the complementary formation and is aligned with the direction of the compressive force.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising; a printer body; a printhead cartridge for installation in the printer body; an ink cartridge for supplying the printhead cartridge with ink; wherein, the ink cartridge has formations to engage both the printer body and the printhead cartridge.

Abstract: A printer with an inkjet printhead, the printer comprising: an ink reservoir; and, a pressure regulating valve for establishing fluid communication between the printhead and the ink reservoir; wherein, the pressure regulating valve is biased closed and opens in response to a predetermined ink pressure difference across the valve.

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: An ink reservoir for a printer with an inkjet printhead, the ink reservoir comprising: a sealed ink storage volume; an ink outlet for sealed fluid communication between the printhead and the ink storage volume; and, a variable volume structure in the ink storage volume for expanding as ink is drawn through the ink outlet to keep a constant head of ink above the outlet valve.

Abstract: A method of maintaining a printhead in an operable condition and/or remediating a printhead to an operable condition is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing an elastically deformable maintenance belt having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead, the contact surface being sloped with respect to the face; (ii) moving the belt into a first position in which a clean part of the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face, the movement being such that the contact surface progressively contacts the face during engagement; (iii) moving the belt into a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face, the movement being such that the contact surface peels away from the face, thereby providing an inked part of the contact surface; (iv) conveying the belt such that the inked part of the contact surface is conveyed away from the printhead; and (v) optionally repeating steps (ii) to (iv).

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: an elongate shaft arranged, in use, to rotate so as to move a capper for capping a pagewidth printhead out of and into its capping position; a support frame for supporting the shaft at the longitudinal first and second ends of the shaft so as to allow the rotation of the shaft; and fixing means for fixing the shaft to the support frame at the first end of the shaft, the fixing means comprising: a bearing into which the first end of the shaft is positioned for allowing the rotation of the shaft; and engagement means arranged to slidably engage with the support frame so as to fix the shaft thereto, the bearing being configured to allow pivotal movement of the elongate shaft about the second end of the shaft during the sliding engagement of engagement means and support frame.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a printer body; a printhead cartridge for installation in the printer body; an ink cartridge containing a supply of ink, the ink cartridge having a docking face for engagement with a complementary face to supply the printhead cartridge with ink; wherein, the complementary face is partially provided by the printhead cartridge and partially provided by the printer body.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance station for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance station comprises: an elastically deformable maintenance belt having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead, the contact surface being sloped with respect to the face; and a conveyor mechanism for conveying the belt past the face. The belt is reciprocally movable between a first position in which part of the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face, and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a printer body and a replaceable printhead cartridge, the printhead cartridge having a casing that supports a pagewidth printhead and a plurality of contacts for receiving print data from corresponding contacts on the printer body; the printer body having a cradle for holding the printhead cartridge in an operative position such that the pagewidth printhead is adjacent a paper path defined by the printer body and the contacts on the printhead cartridge are connected to the corresponding contacts on the printer body, the cradle having a fulcrum formation for engaging a complementary formation on the casing upon insertion of the cartridge; such that, the cartridge rotates into the operative position and the casing is a lever for pushing the contacts into engagement with the corresponding contacts on the printer body.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a media supply; and a gripless driven roller and an idler roller arranged, in use, to take-up the media therebetween from the media supply and feed it past a printhead having a plurality of ink ejection nozzles arranged to print on the media as it is fed past the nozzles, the driven roller being rotatably driven so as to impart translational motion to the media upon contact with the media, wherein a contact surface of the gripless driven roller which contacts the media is substantially plain.

Abstract: A method of maintaining a printhead in an operable condition and/or remediating a printhead to an operable condition is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing an endless maintenance belt having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead; (ii) moving the belt into a first position in which a clean part of the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face; (iii) moving said belt into a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face, thereby providing an inked part of the contact surface; (iv) conveying the belt such that the inked part of the contact surface is conveyed away from the printhead and past a cleaning station, the cleaning station cleaning the inked part of the contact surface; and (v) optionally repeating steps (ii) to (iv).

Abstract: A printhead assembly for an inkjet printer configured for use with at least one replaceable ink cartridge, the printhead assembly comprising: an ink inlet valve for sealed connection to an outlet on the ink cartridge, the inlet valve having an inlet opening and a movable valve member biased into sealing engagement with the inlet opening, the outlet having a complementary member for depressing the movable valve member out of engagement with the inlet opening to open the valve; wherein, the inlet opening has an external formation about its periphery for sealing against the outlet before the complementary member depresses the movable valve member.

Abstract: A printer comprising: at least one elongate roller arranged, in use, to rotate so as to transport print media within the printer; a support frame for supporting the roller at the longitudinal first and second ends of the roller so as to allow the rotation of the roller; and fixing means for fixing the roller to the support frame at the first end of the roller, the fixing means comprising: a bearing into which the first end of the roller is positioned for allowing the rotation of the roller; and engagement means arranged to slidably engage with the support frame so as to fix the roller thereto, the bearing being configured to allow pivotal movement of the elongate roller about the second end of the roller during the sliding engagement of the engagement means and support frame.