Print supply locks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073784-B2
Application number	US-201816981721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

An example apparatus may include a supply guide to receive a plurality of print supplies and a lock mechanism to retain the plurality of print supplies and release a print supply of the plurality of print supplies responsive to a determination that an amount of print substance in the print supply is at or below a threshold level.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a supply guide to receive a plurality of print supplies; and
a lock mechanism to retain the plurality of print supplies and release a print supply of the plurality of print supplies responsive to a determination that an amount of print substance in the print supply is at or below a threshold level; and
a hidden manual release mechanism coupled to the supply guide to disengage the lock mechanism responsive to actuation of the hidden manual release mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a lock indicator coupled to the lock mechanism to visually indicate that the plurality of print supplies are locked in the supply guide.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the lock mechanism is to individually lock the print supply of the plurality of print supplies in the supply guide and prevent removal of the print supply from the supply guide.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , comprising an actuator to actuate the lock mechanism responsive to the determination that the amount of print substance in the print supply is above the threshold level.

5. A system including a print supply lock, the print supply lock comprising:
an enclosure to house a supply guide;
the supply guide to support a plurality of print supplies;
a hidden manual release mechanism that is hidden in the enclosure and that is to disengage a lock mechanism;
a lock indicator to selectively indicate a print supply of the plurality of print supplies is locked to the supply guide; and
the lock mechanism to selectively lock and retain the print supply of the plurality of print supplies to the supply guide, wherein the lock mechanism is to disengage responsive to:
a determination that an amount of print substance in the print supply is at or below a threshold level; or
actuation of the hidden manual release mechanism.

6. The system of claim 5 , comprising a door to cover the enclosure when in a closed position, wherein the door is to initiate the lock mechanism responsive to the door being in the closed position.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the enclosure is a removable enclosure of a printing device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the lock mechanism is to remain locked when power is not received by the printing device.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the hidden manual release mechanism is coupled to the lock indicator to selectively disengage the lock mechanism for each print supply of the plurality of print supplies responsive to the actuation of the hidden manual release mechanism.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the print supply is inserted into the supply guide by pushing the print supply into the enclosure and retained in the supply guide by a retention mechanism in the supply guide responsive to the print supply contacting the retention mechanism.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the print supply is removed from the supply guide by pushing an unlocked print supply into the enclosure.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing resource, cause the processing resource to:
determine when an amount of print substance in a print supply is at or below a threshold level;
determine when a hidden manual release mechanism is actuated;
unlock a lock mechanism responsive to a determination that the amount of print substance in the print supply is at or below the threshold level or a determination that the hidden manual release mechanism is actuated; and
trigger a lock indicator to recede into a supply guide responsive to the lock mechanism unlocking.

13. The medium of claim 12 , storing instructions to determine when the amount of print substance in the print supply is above the threshold level;
initiate the lock mechanism responsive to a determination that the amount of print substance in the print supply is above the threshold level; and
trigger the lock indicator to appear responsive to the lock mechanism initiating.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Collie Lynn A
• Schalk Wesley R
• Myers Vern Elliot
• Connell John
• Osborne Paul
• Lo Kevin

Classifications

• B41J2/1752 Primary

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/17566

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• G03G15/556

  for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title