摘要:
A printer is disclosed which comprises a recording head for recording information on a recording medium and control means for shifting the position of the recording head relative to the recording medium subsequently to the ending of a recording on the recording medium by the recording head at a record end position preset for the recording medium.
摘要:
In a printing system employing a spliced endless print ribbon, an opening is provided in the ribbon adjacent the splice to enable sensing of the approach of the splice to the print station. Printing is suspended as the splice passes the print station to avoid undesirable printing quality and damage to the splice. The same sensing means detects lack of ribbon movement, indicative of a ribbon jam, to suspend printing and ribbon drive.
摘要:
In an impact printer with a conventional combination of platen and cardholder wherein the cardholder has an inner surface with a curvature matching that of the platen and is mounted adjacent to but spaced from the platen so that a sheet of printing medium may be moved between the cardholder and platen and wherein conventional impact printing is carried out by impact means acting upon the sheet through an opening in the cardholder, an improved cardholder structure is provided wherein the cardholder comprises integral ribbon guide means for guiding the printer ribbon in a path along the outer surface of the cardholder across the opening whereby the impact means may selectively drive the ribbon through the opening to print upon the sheet.In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cardholder further comprises integral end of ribbon sensing means mounted in a fixed position along said ribbon path.
摘要:
End-of-ribbon sensor circuitry for use with an end-of-ribbon sensor of an electronic typing system comprises an input voltage divider for receiving the output signal of the end-of-ribbon sensor. The two signals from the voltage divider are applied to a differentiating circuit providing different time constants to the two signals. The differentiating circuit compensates for varying conditions of ambient light within the ribbon cartridge and provides a delay which eliminates false signals due to rapid fluctuations of the ribbon. After differentiation, the two signals are compared utilizing delayed switching time to determine the presence of an end-of-ribbon signal. The output, if any, of the comparator is applied to a sampling circuit where the signal is sampled for a predetermined period of time after the print hammer is fired. If an end-of-ribbon signal is present, said signal is clocked into a latching circuit from which it is sent to the printer control system which stops the printer when the present line of print is completed.
摘要:
An automatic character printer includes a transport for indexing a receipt form by means of flexible belts having extending pins for engaging pin feed holes in the form. The receipt form includes a leading edge indexing mark and a trailing edge indexing mark to interrupt a light beam at an index sensor for establishing form position with respect to a character wheel at the print station. To distinguish between the form leading edge indexing mark and the form trailing edge indexing mark, a light interrupting signal wheel, synchronized with the rotation of the flexible belts, generates indexing signals related to the position of the belt extending pins. A receipt form is in a known location when the signal wheel and a form index sensor both generate a signal pulse. Upon receipt of a form start signal from a control computer, a hammer solenoid actuates a print hammer against a resilient pad to force the receipt form in contact with a character wheel. Recording ink for the character wheel is provided by a ribbon from a ribbon feed system including sensors for detecting ribbon movement and ribbon operation.
摘要:
A ribbon feed mechanism for feeding a substantially constant linear or longitudinal amount of single pass ribbon past a printing position during each ribbon feed cycle. A cartridge, which is removably mounted on a baseplate, has a supply spool and a takeup spool rotatably mounted therein with the ends of the single pass ribbon attached thereto. The bottom wall of the cartridge has a curved slot to receive a resiliently biased drive roller, which is rotatably mounted on a pivotal arm on the baseplate and has pointed projections thereon for penetrating the inked ribbon on the takeup spool to linearly advance the ribbon past its printing position. The drive roller is rotated by a gear train during each actuation of a character key on the typewriter. Means change the gear ratio of the gear train to cause a smaller amount of rotation of the drive roller during each actuation of a character key to advance the ribbon a smaller linear amount. The cartridge has a cylindrical recess to receive a portion of the gear train. When the ribbon is a solvent coated plastic transfer matrix whereby overstriking is desired, then resiliently biased means is disposed within the recess in the cartridge to render the change means operative to reduce the amount of rotation of the drive roller. If a total release ribbon is used wherein no overstriking is desired, then the recess in the cartridge is empty and the larger amount of rotation of the drive roller occurs because the change means is not rendered operative.
摘要:
A method for monitoring a characteristic of a printed image of a thermal transfer printer. The method comprises providing a ribbon and a substrate at a printing location of the thermal transfer printer. The method further comprises printing an image on the substrate at the printing location by transferring ink from a region of the ribbon in a printing operation, a negative image being formed on the region of ribbon. The method further comprises transporting the region of ribbon, by a ribbon transport system, from the printing location towards an imaging location along a ribbon transport path. The method further comprises when a characteristic of the ribbon transport meets a predetermined criterion, obtaining, by an image capture system, a ribbon image of the negative image. The method further comprises processing said ribbon image to generate data indicative of the characteristic of the printed image.
摘要:
There is provided a tape cartridge, in which the cartridge case is provided with an outer protrusion portion received by an outer recess portion, the outer protrusion portion blocks insertion of a third core projection into a core hole of a tape core B around which a tape B, which is different in type from the tape A, is wound and which has a shape different from that of the tape core A, by contact with the tape core B when the tape roll A is mistakenly replaced with a tape roll B included in a tape cartridge B, which is configured to be mounted on a tape printing apparatus, and including the tape B and the tape core B.
摘要:
There is provided a tape drive. The tape drive comprises first and second spool supports on which spools of tape may be mounted. The tape drive further comprises an optical sensing system. The optical sensing system comprises a radiation emitter and a radiation detector, said radiation emitter and radiation detector having a fixed positional relationship in use with respect to said first and second spool supports. The tape drive further comprises a controller. The controller is operative to, energise the radiation emitter to emit radiation, and determine a diameter data indicative of a diameter of a spool mounted on one of the first and second spool supports based on a radiation signal generated by the detector.
摘要:
A method of operating a thermal transfer printer, the thermal transfer printer comprising first and second spool supports each being configured to support a spool of ribbon; a ribbon drive configured to cause movement of ribbon from the first spool support to the second spool support along a predetermined ribbon path; and a printhead. The printhead is moveable towards and away from a printing surface, and, during printing, is configured to selectively transfer ink from the ribbon to a substrate as the substrate and printhead are moved relative to one another at a print speed. The method comprising causing relative movement between the ribbon and the printhead at a ribbon speed. A relative speed of movement between the ribbon and the substrate during printing is controlled based upon a force exerted upon the ribbon by the printhead during a printing operation, and/or a parameter indicative of an area of contact between a portion of the printhead and a portion of the printing surface.