Printing and display device
View Patent ↗A printing and display device comprising a flat panel display; a printer, including a printhead for printing onto paper; a multi-sheet paper holder; a paper sheet separator configured to separate a single paper sheet from the paper in the paper holder for supply to the printhead.
1. A stand alone monitor for connecting to an external computer, the monitor comprising:
a housing detached from the external computer;
a flat panel display disposed in the housing for displaying data video signal provided by the external computer;
a pagewidth inkjet printhead for printing print data provided by the external computer onto a paper sheet, the pagewidth inkjet printhead being disposed in the housing behind the flat panel display as viewed by a user;
a video connection to allow releasable operative connection of the external computer to the monitor for receiving the video signal;
a data connection to allow releasable operative connection of the external computer to the monitor for receiving the print data; and
a stand for holding the flat panel display in an operative position, the stand including at least one receptacle configured to accept at least one replaceable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the printhead.
2. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least two printheads, the printheads being disposed on either side of a path through which the paper sheet is fed for printing, thereby enabling substantially simultaneous printing of both sides of the paper sheet.
3. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a paper feed mechanism configured to position the paper sheet substantially parallel in at least one direction with respect to a plane defined by the flat panel display.
4. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the printhead is a process color printhead.
5. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the printhead has more than 5,000 inkjet nozzles.
6. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , further including a curved paper guide disposed, when the monitor is in use, beneath the flat panel display, such that the paper sheet that has been printed is urged horizontally as the paper sheet exits the monitor.
7. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the printhead is configured to receive halftoned print data to be printed onto the paper sheet.
8. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 , further including a halftoning unit for generating halftoned image data and supplying halftoned image data to the printhead for printing.
9. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
a data connection hub configured to allow connection of at least one data-receiving device to the monitor, enabling the data-receiving device to receive data from the external computer.
10. A stand alone monitor as claimed in claim 1 wherein, during printing, the paper sheet being printed onto passes between the flat panel display and the printhead, or passes behind the flat panel display and the printhead relative to a viewing position of the flat panel display.