Printer within a computer keyboard
View Patent ↗A printer is disposed within a housing of a keyboard. The keyboard housing has an upper side bearing a plurality of keypads arranged to interact with a keyboard circuit board located within the housing. A print media entry slot formed through a first side of the housing and a print media ejection slot formed through a second side of the housing opposite the first side provide an entry and exit for a print media transport assembly located between the keyboard circuit board and a bottom side of the housing, the assembly extending across the width of the keyboard circuit board. The assembly is arranged to draw print media through the entry slot.
1. A printer configured as a peripheral device for a computer, the printer including:
a housing having an upper side bearing a plurality of keypads arranged to interact with a keyboard circuit board located beneath the keypads and within the housing, the keypads and keyboard circuit board forming a keyboard peripheral device for the computer;
a print media entry slot formed through a first side of the housing and a print media ejection slot formed through a second side of the housing opposite the first side;
a print media transport assembly located between the keyboard circuit board and a bottom side of the housing, said assembly arranged to draw print media through the entry slot;
a pagewidth printhead located between the print media entry slot and the print media ejection slot and extending substantially the width of said print media ejection slot for printing onto print media transported by said print media transport assembly; and
a data connector for connecting the printer to the computer for data transmission therebetween,
wherein the print media transport assembly extends substantially beneath the width of the keyboard circuit board.
2. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein the print media transport assembly includes a belt disposed about at least two rollers and arranged to transport print media from the entry slot to the printhead.
3. A printer according to claim 2 , further including a planar member biased against the belt to maintain planarity of the belt.
4. A printer according to claim 3 , wherein the planar member comprises a sprung metal plate.
5. A printer according to claim 2 , further including a spiked wheel coupled to one of the at least two rollers and arranged to transport the print media from the printhead through the media ejection slot.