| Abstract |
The invention relates o a method of manufacturing an ink-jet hard copy appartus comprising the steps of: fabricating an ink-jet hard copy engine (301)having transporting mehanisms(312)interfacing with and moving ink-jet printing mechanisms(405),said engine(301)having no ink-jet wet components therein;fabricating a plurality of unitary,swappable,ink-jet writing engines(401)containing all ink-jet wet components having atleast one of said ink-jet printing mechanisms(405),including atleast one cap(69)for capping nozzles (411-417),atleast one waste-ink receptacle for receiving and removing waste-ink,and atleast one wiper(68)for wiping the nozzles,atleast one predetermined ink(421-417),atleast one ink container atleast one delivering mechanism(62)delivering said ink from said container (603)to said ink-jet printing mechanism (405),atleast one electrical connector (445)for power and control signals to said writing engine(401),and a housing (403)holding therein said ink-jet printing machanism (405),servicing mechanism(407),ink, ink container, delivering mechanism and electrical connector in a respective operational configuration as a unitary,selectively replaceable unit;and,equipping the hard copy engine (301)and the writing engines(401)for replaceably interfacing the unitary,swappable,ink-jet writing engines(401)with the hard opy engine (301)such that the hard copy engine (301) is reusable with a plurality of writing engines(401). |