Combination keyboard and printer apparatus
View Patent ↗A combination keyboard and printer apparatus includes a housing having a print media entry slot and a print media ejection slot. A printer assembly is located within a chamber defined by the housing on a print media transport path between the entry slot and the ejection slot. A print media exit tray extends outwardly from the ejection slot and is formed as a unitary piece with the housing.
1. A combination keyboard and printer apparatus adapted to connect to a computer system for providing user input commands to the computer, the apparatus including;
a housing having an upper surface formed with an opening for a number of keyboard
keys;
a printer assembly located on a print media transport path within a chamber defined by the housing;
a print media entry slot continuous with said transport path formed through a first side of the housing;
a print media ejection slot continuous with said transport path formed through a second side of the housing opposite the first side; and
a print media exit tray extending outwardly from the ejection slot formed as a unitary piece with the housing;
a serial bus to communicate with a computer, the user input commands being communicated to the computer through the serial bus;
a printer controller circuit that is coupled to the serial bus to communicate with the computer;
wherein the apparatus is adapted to receive print commands from the computer through the serial bus, the printer printing in response to the received print commands.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the keyboard keys are arranged to engage key switches of a keyboard circuit board located within the housing.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 including a belt-and-roller transport assembly disposed to transport print media along the transport path.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3 , further including a planar member biased against the belt-and-roller transport assembly to maintain planarity of print media in use.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the planar member and the belt-and-roller transport assembly are located beneath the keyboard circuit board.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printer assembly comprises a pagewidth ink jet printhead.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the printer assembly includes a plurality of galleries each in fluid communication with the printhead and dedicated to store a different color ink.