Printing cartridge that incorporates casing for both print media and ink
View Patent ↗A cartridge for a printing device includes a casing divided into a print media supply portion for housing sheets of paper and a storage portion for housing an ink supply and defining a print media exit opening. A print media transport mechanism is within the print media supply portion to feed print media out of the print media exit opening. The storage portion is defined by two separate moldings forming part of the casing in the form of an ink storage base molding and a cover molding.
1. A cartridge for a printing device comprises
a casing divided into a print media supply portion for housing sheets of paper and a storage portion for housing an ink supply and defining a print media exit opening; and
a print media transport mechanism within the print media supply portion to feed print media out of the print media exit opening, wherein
the storage portion is defined by two separate moldings forming a part of the casing in the form of an ink storage base molding and a cover molding, the ink storage base molding defines a plurality of distinct ink chambers; and
the print media supply portion has a media top molding which mates with a corresponding bottom molding.
2. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the media top molding and the corresponding bottom molding combine to define a generally rectangular print media supply region in which is housed print media in the form of a stack of paper sheets or cards.
3. A cartridge as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the base and cover moldings are both configured at a front end to define, in combination, the print media exit opening.
4. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the base molding is sealingly connected with a flange provided around a periphery of a thin walled deformable film which in turn is sealingly connected with an underside of the corresponding bottom molding.