Abstract: A printer comprising: a support frame; and a sheet media pick-up device pivotally mounted to the support frame so as to be pivotable relative to a supply of sheet media, the pick-up device comprising: a driven roller arranged to be rotated so as to contact and pick-up sheet media from the supply of sheet media and deliver the picked sheet media to a sheet media transport mechanism of the printer; and a motor for rotatably driving the roller, wherein the motor and driven roller are arranged to pivot with the pick-up device, the pick-up device being configured to pivot so that the driven roller is consistently positioned to contact and pick-up the sheet media as the supply of sheet media is successively depleted after each pick-up.

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: a printhead cartridge with a printhead and a maintenance station for engaging the printhead when not in use; a printer body with a cradle for receiving the cartridge, and a maintenance station drive shaft for detachably engaging the maintenance station upon insertion of the printhead cartridge into the cradle, the maintenance station drive shaft having an engagement formation for engaging a complementary formation in the maintenance station; such that, when engaging the complementary formation, the engagement formation has limited axial displacement and limited transverse displacement.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance assembly comprises: (i) a printhead maintenance station comprising 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; and (ii) an engagement mechanism for reciprocally moving the belt 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: 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: 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: A method of assembling a gear arrangement for a capper of an inkjet printer, the method comprising the steps of: mounting a first gear assembly to the printer so as to cooperate with a motor gear for driving rotation of the first gear assembly, the first gear assembly having a code feature; and mounting a second gear assembly the printer so as to cooperate with the first gear assembly to be rotatable therewith, the second gear assembly, in use, cooperating with a capper for capping a printhead so that the rotation of the second gear assembly moves the capper out of and into its capping position, wherein in the step of mounting the second gear assembly the code feature of the first gear assembly is arranged to cooperate with a holding feature of a mounting arrangement used to mount the second gear assembly to the printer, the code feature being configured so that the cooperation with the holding feature maintains the first gear assembly at a predetermined position during the mounting of the second gear assembl

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: 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 method of assembling a print media transport arrangement of a printer, the method comprising the steps of: providing a support frame for at least one elongate roller; positioning the roller 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 roller, the bearing being configured to allow rotation of the roller, the rotation, in use, providing transport of print media within the printer; and slidably engaging the fixing plate with the support frame so as to fix the roller thereto, wherein, during the sliding engagement, the elongate roller pivots about the second end due to the configuration of the bearing.

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: 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: 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.

Abstract: A peripheral component interconnect-extended system that includes a bus bridge. The bus bridge includes an input queue adapted to receive a first request for data from a requesting device coupled to a first bus. The first bus is coupled to the bus bridge, and the first request containing a sequence identification information. The bus bridge also includes a data storage device to contain information to control the bus bridge, and a processor that associates a first unique identification code to the first request.

Abstract: A pagewidth inkjet printhead is provided. The printhead comprises: (a) a plurality of nozzles formed on a frontside of a substrate, each nozzle having a respective nozzle inlet; and (b) a plurality of ink supply channels. Each ink supply channel is configured for supplying ink from a backside of the substrate to a corresponding group of nozzle inlets. Further, each ink supply channel is dimensioned for receiving ink from one or more outlets in a molded ink manifold. Relatively wide ink supply channels allow the printhead to be directly bonded to a molded ink manifold, facilitating alignment and avoiding leaks.

Abstract: A pagewidth inkjet printhead is provided. The printhead comprises (a) a plurality of nozzles formed on a frontside of a substrate, each nozzle having a respective nozzle inlet; and (b) a plurality of ink supply channels. Each ink supply channel is configured for supplying ink from a backside of the substrate to a corresponding group of nozzle inlets. Further, each ink supply channel has an aspect ratio of less than 4:1, the aspect ratio being defined by the ratio of the channel depth to the channel width. A low aspect ratio allows facile backside etching of the ink supply channels.

Abstract: A printhead integrated circuit is provided. The printhead integrated circuit comprises: (a) a plurality of nozzles formed on a frontside of a substrate, the nozzles being arranged in rows extending longitudinally along the substrate, each nozzle having a respective nozzle inlet; and (b) a plurality of ink supply channels extending longitudinally along a backside of the substrate. Each ink supply channel is configured for supplying ink from the backside to at least one corresponding row of nozzle inlets. Further, each ink supply channel is interrupted along its length by one or more transverse bridges. The transverse bridges provide the printhead integrated circuit with strength in a transverse direction.

Abstract: An inkjet printer unit comprising: a media input tray for supplying print media for printing; a print engine for printing an image on said print media; and a media output tray for collecting the printed media; wherein the print engine comprises 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;

Abstract: A pagewidth printhead assembly for an inkjet printer comprising: a body portion for receiving ink from one or more ink sources and distributing the ink along the length of the printhead assembly; a plurality of integrated circuits extending the length of the printhead assembly, each integrated circuit having a plurality of nozzles formed in rows thereon, each of the nozzles being arranged in use to deliver the ink onto passing print media; and an ink distribution member upon which the integrated circuits are fixed and which distributes the ink from the body portion to the nozzles of the integrated circuits; wherein the integrated circuits are aligned in an abutting arrangement across the length of the ink distribution member.

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.