Printer for printing on a continuous print medium
US5816719A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 24, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 6, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 24, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB41J33/54
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A thermal printer for printing on a continuous print medium by ink transfer from a thermal print ribbon has a print head which is pivotally mounted and which is driven in an oscillatory pivotable motion by a stepper motor so as to repeatedly bring a linear array of energizable printing elements to bear against a platen roller. The print medium is fed through the printer between the platen roller and the print head. The instantaneous rate of travel of the print medium past the print head is substantially the same as the rate of feed of the print medium to the printer. The ribbon also travels between the print head and the platen roller, overlying the print medium, and is driven in such a manner that it travels at the same rate as the print medium during each printing operation up to a speed equivalent to the maximum printing speed of the print head. This is achieved by driving the ribbon with a motor the speed of which is controlled according to the sensed speed of travel of the print medium, such as, for example, by coupling the motor to processing circuitry which takes an input signal from a shaft encoder associated with the platen roller. To restore the aspect ratio of characters…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.