Abstract: An auxiliary print media tray or cartridge forms part of a print media handling system that provides for holding two discrete supplies of print media in a manner that permits the user to select printing media from one supply or another, without the need for first emptying either of the supplies. The print media is oriented in a manner such that both supplies engage a common media feed mechanism, such as pick and feed rollers. As a result, a printer that employs two discrete media supplies is provided without the increased manufacturing cost or size that would otherwise be required if duplicate pick and feed rollers (or related components) were employed. One embodiment of the present invention is particularly adapted for holding in an auxiliary tray a supply of relatively small print media, such as photo-type paper that is popular as a medium upon which high-quality digital images may be printed.

Abstract: An auxiliary print media tray or cartridge forms part of a print media handling system that provides for holding two discrete supplies of print media in a manner that permits the user to select printing media from one supply or another, without the need for first emptying either of the supplies. The print media is oriented in a manner such that both supplies engage a common media feed mechanism, such as pick and feed rollers. As a result, a printer that employs two discrete media supplies is provided without the increased manufacturing cost or size that would otherwise be required if duplicate pick and feed rollers (or related components) were employed. One embodiment of the present invention is particularly adapted for holding in an auxiliary tray a supply of relatively small print media, such as photo-type paper that is popular as a medium upon which high-quality digital images may be printed.

Abstract: An aerosol reduction system collects stray ink aerosol generated by inkjet printheads includes ventilation and collection components. During printing and purging, the printhead ejects ink to generate a desired ink droplet and a by-product comprising floating ink satellites. The aerosol collection system may be either passive or active, with the passive devices relying upon carriage motion to bring the collection elements into contact with the aerosol collection location. The passive systems have collection elements mounted on the carriage, including a rigid electrostatic filter, a billowing sail shaped filter geometry, or electrically charged plates. The active systems use some additional mechanism to bring the aerosol and the collection location together, such as the carriage-mounted aerosol removal or extraction fans illustrated. The collection location of these active systems may be mounted at the carriage, or well behind the carriage.

Abstract: A metering roller and feed guide are included in a desktop printer between a first roller and a print zone. During first side printing, a media sheet is fed along the first roller and directed by an upper feed guide over the refeed guide to a second roller. The metering roller feeds the media sheet through the print zone. As the trailing edge approaches a metering pinch line, the metering roller stops. After a drying time, the second roller reverses direction moving the media sheet back toward the refeed guide. The refeed guide blocks the original path and directs the media sheet toward a repick guide and the first roller. The media sheet is fed onto the first roller for second side printing. In one embodiment the media sheet is wrapped around the first roller and unwrapped into the input tray during the refeed process to accommodate long media sheets.

Abstract: An indexing double planetary gear train forms a portion of a feed system for accurately advancing a print media sheet through a printer. The planetary gear train has primary and secondary rings coupled to a sun gear by a series of planet gear clusters. Each planet gear cluster has primary and secondary planet gears which engage the respective primary and secondary rings. By assembling at least two of the gear train components to be fully indexing, and through the use of the identical planet gear clusters formed in a single mold, imperfections in the planet clusters and the rings, such as tooth-to-tooth defects or eccentricity, are canceled and have no effect on the accuracy of the line feed increments. Thus, more accurate and uniform media advance is achieved using plastic molded gears which are also relatively low in cost to manufacture and easy to assemble.