Hand-held modular system with printer and internal replaceable ink cartridge
View Patent ↗A hand-held modular printer system for printing a stored image, the printer system comprising a memory module in which the image can be stored; a printer module adapted to be releasably interconnected with the memory module, the printer module including an elongate body defining a transverse print media passage and a printer which is arranged within the body so that the stored image can be printed onto print media which passes through the passage, the printer module further including a print media feed arrangement located within the body, the print media feed arrangement comprising a plurality of rollers configured to feed the print media through the passage and a motor arrangement for driving at least one of the rollers; and a pen module adapted to be releasably interconnected with the printer module and which includes a nib which can dispense ink. The printer module is housed in a substantially cylindrical housing, and the hand-held modular printer system further comprises an ink cartridge, the ink cartridge substantially extending the length of the printer module and shaped such that a major surface of the ink cartridge has a curvature substantially matching that of an internal surface of the cylindrical housing, whereby the ink cartridge is nestled against the cylindrical housing.
1. A hand-held modular printer system for printing a stored image, the printer system comprising:
a memory module in which the image can be stored;
a printer module adapted to be releasably interconnected with the memory module, the printer module including an elongate body defining a transverse print media passage and a printer which is arranged within the body so that the stored image can be printed onto print media which passes through the passage, the printer module further including a print media feed arrangement located within the body, the print media feed arrangement comprising a plurality of rollers configured to feed the print media through the passage and a motor arrangement for driving at least one of the rollers; and
a pen module adapted to be releasably interconnected with the printer module and which includes a nib which can dispense ink, wherein
said printer module is housed in a substantially cylindrical housing, and the hand-held modular printer system further comprises:
an ink cartridge, the ink cartridge substantially extending the length of the printer module and shaped such that a major surface of the ink cartridge has a curvature substantially matching that of an internal surface of the cylindrical housing, whereby the ink cartridge is nestled against the cylindrical housing.
2. The hand-held modular printer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ink cartridge is coupled to the cylindrical housing via a latch, the latch being accessible from outside of the cylindrical housing.
3. The hand-held modular printer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical housing is made up of two halves, the first half being a lid and the second half being a base.
4. The hand-held modular printer system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the ink cartridge has a substantially half-annular cross section, and wherein a printhead of the printer is at least partially located at a centre of the substantially half-annular cross section of the ink cartridge.
5. The hand-held modular printer system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ink cartridge is further shaped to have longitudinally extending channels, the channels adapted to receive therein the rollers of the print media feed arrangement.
6. The hand-held modular printer system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the channels are provided at opposite ends of the substantially half-annular cross section of the ink cartridge.