Double sided printer module with a pair of endless drying belts
View Patent ↗A stackable printer module includes a housing surrounding a frame. The housing defines footing holes and print head assemblies are housed within the housing. The print head assemblies are configured to engage with print media and effect double-sided printing on the print media. A print media loading mechanism is housed within the housing and includes a pair of opposed endless drying belts between which the printed print media can be loaded. Feet extend from the housing and are spaced apart to engage in respective footing holes defined in the housing of another printer module so that the printer modules can be stacked together.
1. A printer module comprising:
a housing surrounding a frame and defining footing holes;
print head assemblies housed within the housing, and configured to engage with print media and effect double-sided printing on the print media;
a print media loading mechanism housed within the housing and having a pair of opposed endless belts between which the printed print media can be loaded; and
feet extending from a one side of the housing; and
footing holes defined in an opposite side of the housing,
wherein said footing holes are offset from said feet such that engagement of feet from one printer module with footing holes of another printer module provides an offset stacked arrangement of printer modules, said stacked arrangement facilitating receipt of print media by each printer module.
2. A printer module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the belts is foraminous or permeable to enable warm air to be blown through the belts to dry ink on the printed print media between the belts.
3. A printer module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each printhead assembly has a print media engaging roller and a pair of adjacent printheads configured to eject ink.
4. A printer module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each printhead has a molding defining an edge portion which is arcuate and a plurality of ink inlets and an ink ejecting integrated circuit mounted on an end of the molding in fluid communication with the ink inlets.
5. A printer module as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the arcuate edge portion of each molding has a radius of curvature which approximates a radius of curvature of the print media engaging rollers.
6. A printer module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each foot has a bayonet fitting so that, when the foot is inserted into a corresponding hole, the foot can be turned to lock the foot in the hole.