Mobile Telecommunications Device Having Dual Drive Shafts

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications device comprising: a printhead for printing upon print media; a first drive shaft for feeding the print media past the printhead; and a second drive shaft for passing the print media past the printhead once disengaged from the first drive shaft whilst the printhead continues to print upon the print media.

1 . A mobile telecommunications device comprising:
 a printhead for printing upon print media;   a first drive shaft for feeding the print media past the printhead; and   a second drive shaft for passing the print media past the printhead once disengaged from the first drive shaft whilst the printhead continues to print upon the print media.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first drive shaft includes a first drive roller. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second drive shaft comprises:
 a sprung shaft supporting a plurality of spike wheels; and   a second drive roller.   
     
     
         4 . The mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 2 , wherein the mobile telecommunications device includes a cradle for supporting the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft, wherein the cradle includes a central drive roller mounted at an end of the cradle which abuts both the first and second drive rollers simultaneously such that the first and second drive shafts drive the print media at a substantially similar velocity. 
     
     
         5 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising a media guide adjacent the first drive shaft for biasing the print media against the first drive shaft. 
     
     
         6 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a print engine controller for controlling the operation of the printhead; and 
 a position sensor connected to the print engine controller such that the print engine controller can determine the position of the print media relative to the printhead. 
 
     
     
         7 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 6  wherein the position sensor reads encoded data on the print media. 
     
     
         8 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  wherein a position sensor senses the number of rotations of the first drive shaft. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  wherein the printhead and the first drive shaft are incorporated into a replaceable cartridge for insertion into a print media feed path within the mobile telecommunications device. 
     
     
         10 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  wherein the printhead has an array of ink ejection nozzles and is incorporated into a cartridge that further comprises at least one ink reservoir for supplying ink to the printhead for ejection by the nozzles, each of the at least one ink reservoirs including at least one absorbent structure for inducing a negative hydrostatic pressure in the ink at the nozzles, and a capping mechanism for capping the printhead when not in use. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a print media feed path for directing the print media past the printhead in a feed direction during printing; 
 a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print media, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; and 
 a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the print media as it moves relative to the feed path is transferred to the capper by the force transfer mechanism, thereby to at least commence movement of the capper from the capped position to the uncapped position prior to the media substrate reaching the capper. 
 
     
     
         12 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a print media feed path for directing the print media past the printhead in a feed direction during printing; 
 a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print media, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; and 
 a locking mechanism configured to hold the capper in the uncapped position until after a trailing edge of the media substrate is clear of the printhead. 
 
     
     
         13 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  wherein the first drive shaft has a media engagement surface for enhanced contact friction with the print media. 
     
     
         14 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print media, wherein the capper assembly is held in the uncapped position by the media substrate such that the capper moves to the capped position upon disengagement with the print media. 
     
     
         15 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising a print engine controller with a light emitting beacon, and the printhead comprises:
 an array of nozzles for ejecting ink; 
 print data circuitry for providing the nozzles with print data; and 
 a photosensor for optically receiving the print data from the beacon. 
 
     
     
         16 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  wherein the first drive shaft is driven by a piezo-electric resonant linear drive system. 
     
     
         17 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead; and 
 a position sensor for providing the print engine controller with a signal indicative of the position of the print media relative to the printhead, wherein the print engine controller differentiates the signal to derive the speed of the print media relative to the printhead and adjusts the operation of the printhead in response to variations in the speed. 
 
     
     
         18 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising a print engine controller for operatively controlling the printhead, wherein during use, the print engine controller senses the number of complete and partial rotations of the first drive shaft and adjusts the operation of the printhead in response to variations in the angular velocity of the first drive shaft. 
     
     
         19 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one ink reservoir, the at least one reservoir comprising:
 a housing defining an ink storage volume; 
 one or more baffles dividing the ink storage volume into sections, each of the sections having at least one ink outlet for sealed connection to the printhead; and 
 at least one conduit establishing fluid communication between the ink outlets of adjacent sections. 
 
     
     
         20 . A mobile telecommunications device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a print media feed path for directing the print media past the printhead in a feed direction during printing; 
 a capping mechanism including a capper moveable between a capping position in which the capper is urged into a capping relationship with the printhead, and an uncapped position in which the printhead is able to print onto the print media, wherein in the uncapped position the capper is displaced away from the printhead; 
 a force transfer mechanism connected to the capper and configured such that a force provided by an edge of the print media as it moves relative to the feed path is transferred to the capper by the force transfer mechanism, thereby to at least commence movement of the capper from the capped position to the uncapped position prior to the print media reaching the capper; and 
 a locking mechanism for holding the capper in the uncapped position whilst the print media is being printed on by the printhead, wherein the locking mechanism includes at least one cam mounted for rotation between an unlocked position and a locked position, the at least one cam being configured such that in the unlocked position, the cam extends at least partially into the feed path when the print media is not present, the at least one cam being positioned and configured to engage an edge of the print media as the print media is fed through the feed path such that the at least one cam is rotated by the print media into the locked position, such that, in the locked position, the capper is held in the uncapped position until after a trailing edge of the print media is clear of the printhead.