Abstract |
An apparatus for horizontally loading and unloading an ink-jet print cartridge from a carriage in a printer.The apparatus includes a generally rectangular print cartridge ,an elongate supporting lip located on a side wall of the rpint cartridge ,a carriage body ,a chute mounted on the carriage for receiving the print cartridge into the carriage.In operation cartridge horizontally loads a print cartridge into a carriage by translating the print cartridge horizontally forward into a cartridge, engaging a lip on the print cartridge with a guide rail on the carriage,sliding the print cartridge up and over a datum on the carriage with the guide rail and latching the print cartridge in the carriage.The apparatus unloads a print cartridge from a carriage by ratoting the print cartridge about a datum on the carriage ,unloatching the print cartridge from the carriage ,and horizontally translating the print cartridge out of the carriage. |