Inkjet printer with cradle for unobstructed access to cartridge

1. An inkjet printer comprising:

an outer casing with a hingedly mounted panel for access to its interior;

a cradle housed within the outer casing for supporting an inkjet cartridge, the cradle having a hingedly mounted lid that opens to allow the cartridge to be inserted and removed; wherein, the hinge axis of the lid and the hinge axis of the panel are parallel; and, the lid and the panel both open in the same direction;

a replaceable pagewidth printhead of the ink jet cartridge with an array of nozzles and printhead contacts for transmitting power and print data to the nozzles;

corresponding contacts arranged on the panel for supplying the power and print data to the printhead contacts; and

a selective biasing mechanism for biasing the printhead contacts and the corresponding contacts into engagement when the panel is hinged toward the cartridge upon insertion and for releasing the biased engagement when the panel is hinged away from the cartridge during removal.

2. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the lid and the panel open towards the back of the printer.

3. An inkjet printer according to claim 2 wherein the front wall of the cradle rotates away from the back wall to further expose the interior of the cradle.

4. An inkjet printer according to claim 3 wherein the front wall is drawn towards the back wall of the cradle as the lid is closed.

5. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the lid has a series of refill interfaces.

6. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein:

the cartridge comprises an ink storage compartment and an ink feed system for connection to a printhead assembly with an array of ink ejection nozzles; and

the ink storage compartment has a variable storage volume and a displaceable wall section biased to expand the variable storage volume to generate a negative pressure therein, such that ink does not inadvertently leak from the ink ejection nozzles.

7. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a refill unit for refilling a negatively pressurized ink storage compartment that supplies ink to a printhead assembly, the ink storage compartment having an interface for receiving the refill unit, the interface having an inlet valve biased to its closed configuration, the refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

engagement formations for releasably engaging the interface; and

an inlet valve actuator for opening the inlet valve as the refill unit engages the ink interface so that the ink in the body is in fluid communication with the ink storage compartment.

8. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink refill unit for the cartridge, the cartridge having a negatively pressurized ink storage compartment that supplies ink to the printhead, and an interface for receiving the refill unit, the interface having a normally closed inlet valve and a normally open outlet valve, both in fluid communication with the ink storage compartment, the refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

a docking portion having an ink outlet and valve actuator formations,

wherein during use, the docking portion releasably engages the interface to actuate the inlet and the outlet valves so the cartridge fills with ink from the body because of the negative pressure in the ink storage compartment.

9. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a refill unit for refilling a negatively pressurized ink storage compartment that supplies ink to a printhead assembly via a normally open outlet valve, the refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

engagement formations for releasably engaging the ink storage compartment; and

an outlet valve actuator for closing the outlet valve as the refill unit engages the ink storage compartment.

10. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a refill unit for refilling an ink storage compartment supplying a printhead assembly with an array of nozzles, wherein during use, the ink storage compartment is maintained at a negative pressure to avoid inadvertent ink leakage from the nozzles, the refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

an ink outlet; and

a repressurizing arrangement,

wherein upon engagement of the refill unit with the ink storage compartment, the repressurizing arrangement causes part of the unit to be inwardly depressed as the ink from the body is drawn into the ink storage compartment through the ink outlet by the negative pressure until pressure equalization, and

upon subsequent disengagement of the refill unit from the ink storage compartment, the repressurizing arrangement releases the inwardly depressed part of the ink storage compartment to re-establish the negative pressure.

11. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge comprises:

an ink storage compartment having opposed wall sections connected by a flexible wall arrangement to define a variable ink storage volume; and

an ink feed system for supplying for supplying ink to a printhead with an array of nozzles, one of the opposed wall sections being displaceable and biased to expand the variable ink storage volume to create a negative pressure in the ink storage compartment for avoiding inadvertent ink leakage from the nozzles.

12. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a refill unit for refilling an ink storage compartment with an interface for releasably engaging with the refill unit, the interface having valves for controlling ink flows into, and out of, the storage compartment, the refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

an ink outlet; and

valve actuators for actuating the valves when the refill unit engages the interface, such that the valve actuators actuate the valve in a predetermined sequence.

13. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a

refill unit for refilling the cartridge that forms part of the inkjet printer, wherein:

the printer further comprises control circuitry and an interface for releasably engaging the refill unit; and

the refill unit comprises:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

an ink outlet; and

a memory circuit for storing information relating to at least one characteristic of the ink, wherein, during use, the memory circuit allows to the control circuit to interrogate it to verify that the ink in the refill unit is suitable for the printer.

14. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a printhead maintenance assembly for the printhead, the printhead having a nozzle plate with an array of nozzles formed therein, the printhead maintenance assembly comprising:

a capper to cover the array of nozzles when the printhead is not in use; and,

a cleaner for engaging the nozzle plate and wiping across the nozzles,

wherein the cleaner is positioned between opposing sides of the capper.

15. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a printhead with an array of nozzles;

a maintenance assembly for moving between a capped position where the assembly covers the array of nozzles, and an uncapped position spaced from the array of nozzles; and

a motorized drive for moving the maintenance assembly between the capped position and the uncapped position.

16. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink refill unit for replenishing the cartridge, the cartridge having an interface for engaging the ink refill unit, the ink refill unit comprising:

an ink storage compartment;

a docking portion for engaging the interface of the cartridge, the docking portion having a base plate with an ink outlet for connection to an inlet port on the interface; and

engagement formations for releasably engaging the interface, the engagement formations being formed on the transverse centre line of the base plate,

wherein the centre of the ink outlet is spaced from the transverse centre line.

17. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink refill unit for replenishing the cartridge, the cartridge having an interface for engaging the ink refill, an ink storage compartment partially defined by a tubular flexible wall, and a constriction mechanism for constricting the flexible tubular wall by a predetermined amount, the ink refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink; and

a docking portion for engaging the interface of the cartridge, the docking portion having an ink outlet for connection to an inlet port on the interface, and a plurality of constriction actuators for actuating the constriction mechanism as the ink refill unit engages the interface and releases the constriction mechanism as the ink refill unit disengages the interface.

18. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink refill unit for replenishing the cartridge, the cartridge having an interface for engaging the ink refill unit, the ink refill unit comprising:

a body containing a quantity of ink;

an ink outlet for engaging a complementary ink inlet in the interface; and

a spigot extending from the body for insertion in an aperture in the interface,

wherein the lateral cross section of the spigot is keyed to the shape defined by the aperture to ensure the ink refill is correctly matched to the cartridge.

19. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink refill unit for replenishing the cartridge, the ink refill unit comprising:

a body containing ink;

an ink outlet for engaging a complementary ink inlet in the cartridge; and

a visual indicator to provide a visual indication when a predetermined quantity ink has flowed from the refill unit into the cartridge.