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Drive bay printer

Printer in a drive bay
  (+4)
(+4)
  [vote for,
against]

This would be an ultra-compact ink-jet printer. It would print up to standard sized pages by having the print heads run on a curved track. Saves desk space.
Voice, Oct 18 2007

Inspired by this idea 5_2e25_22_20Bay_20Text_20I_2fO
[Voice, Oct 18 2007]

PC Vinyl Burner PC_20Vinyl_20Burner#1154384658
great minds etc... [BunsenHoneydew, Oct 18 2007]

[link]






       How could you possibly print a standard (8.5"x11") page out of, I'm assuming, a 1.75"x5.75" drive bay.
BJS, Oct 18 2007
  

       The page is curved, the print head follows this curve.
Voice, Oct 18 2007
  

       It could be printed on a small but thick sheet of paper, which is then heated as it leaves the drive and expands in the same way a poppadom does. Edible ink and actual poppadom media would provide easy recycling!
vincevincevince, Oct 18 2007
  

       [vince^3] poppadom media - excellent...
hippo, Oct 18 2007
  

       So if I understand this- The sheet prints inside of the computer, and then it's dispensed through the front as a paper tube rolled up in a 1-inch diameter. Or does this printer fold the paper before it comes out?
Jscotty, Oct 18 2007
  

       I think it's supposed to take a 8.5"x11" sheet bent, but not creased, along its long axis--a U shape on its side. That would make it about 4" wide, which would fit into a drive bay--at least it appears to on the front of my computer. But the 11" length would extend past the back of the drive bay and into the guts of my computer.   

       It's either impossible, or very poorly described.
baconbrain, Oct 18 2007
  

       <envisions 3 printers in a bouncing Cadillac smoking endo about to pop some caps in a gang of fax machines up on 10th Street>
theleopard, Oct 18 2007
  

       *blam!zeeee* *blam!zeeee*
elhigh, Oct 18 2007
  

       If it could take cash register rolls and print at inkjet quality, I would settle for smaller slips of paper for the sheer convenience of being able to quickly print out addresses, directions, shopping list etc. [+]
BunsenHoneydew, Oct 18 2007
  

       Good idea, if the paper isn't full size. I think 8.5"x11" paper is ridiculously oversize for half of what people use it for anyway.   

       [+]
Spacecoyote, Oct 18 2007
  

       A long time ago when PC towers used to be 3œ feet tall and 30 inches deep there was printer on the market (not sure of the manufacturer) that was ahead of its time that did inkjet color prints right out of one of the drive bays. It took 4x6 paper sheets and they had to be loaded individually into the PC.
Jscotty, Oct 18 2007
  

       The two people that voted (+), voted for it to not print standard sized pages, but in the idea it clearly says "It would print up to standard sized pages by having the print heads run on a curved track."   

       Does such a small print head even exist?
BJS, Oct 19 2007
  

       I should have added [+], as I believe expanding paper is not a major problem as per previous anno.   

       The thing I really like about this idea however is the space-saving nature. And even if expanding paper proves expensive, it can be used for photo printing.
vincevincevince, Oct 19 2007
  

       I would be perfectly happy if it just printed on smaller paper. A4 and letter have always seemed humorously large to me.
ed, Oct 19 2007
  

       Apparently the author of this invention is not understanding is that curved print heads will not solve the problem of getting a standard sized sheet of paper out of the computer without folding it.
Jscotty, Oct 19 2007
  

       Almost immediately after pressing [Print] a car full of criminals rolls past, and with some precision, shoots the image of your document into the wall of your premises with an array of automatic weapons.   

       Oh! Drive *bay* printer - damn!
zen_tom, Oct 19 2007
  

       Perhaps the printer could provide two half-width prints, and second drive bay has a Scotch tape dispenser.
AbsintheWithoutLeave, Oct 19 2007
  

       Maybe a printer that prints out standard sized pages could some how be put into the side of the computer.   

       If this idea was changed to either print photo-sized pages or on a roll of paper, then I would definitely give it a (+).
BJS, Oct 19 2007
  

       //curved print heads will not solve the problem of getting a standard sized sheet of paper out of the computer without folding it//   

       Depends on the depth of the bay. What's to stop you rolling a stack of paper into a tube (about 20cm long in the case of A4 paper, but as narrow as you like), and then removing one sheet from the centre the roll by over- twisting it slightly to reduce its diameter. At the same time, it's pulled out of the tube of stored paper (a bit like a telescopy being extended). With the right mechanism, you could actually spiral the entire page out of the bay past a fixed print-head.   

       The result would be an un-creased (though slightly curled) fully printed page.
MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 19 2007
  

       It might be easier to install a small PC or notebook computer in a large printer.
Giblet, Oct 20 2007
  

       That *is* the drive-by printer, Ian
BunsenHoneydew, Oct 23 2007
  
      
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