US 10,293,624 B2Granted

Smart media hanger with media width detection

AssigneeDatamax-O'Neil Corporation

InventorsChin Young Wong, Boon Kheng Lim, Yaw Horng Yap, Sébastien Michel Marie Joseph d'Armancourt

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Abstract

The present invention embraces a method and apparatus for providing feedback to a user on the status of media or ribbon of a printer. The feedback may be provided by incorporating a feedback mechanism in a hanger of a printer. The printer may be a thermal printer, but may be another type of printer. The feedback mechanism of the printer may be designed to work with one or more sensors to provide a feedback loop so that without an input from a user, the printer is able to detect the presence/absence of media or ribbon, as well as determine the width of the loaded media or ribbon. In another embodiment, the feedback mechanism is able to determine the weight of the roll of media or ribbon and hence determine the quantity of media or ribbon available on the hanger.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A printer comprising:

a housing;
a hanger having a top surface and open portion below the top surface;
a plurality of moveable buttons located on a top of the hanger;
a plurality of flaps located below the top surface of the hanger, wherein each of the plurality of flaps is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of moveable buttons;
each of the plurality of flaps being in an open state or a closed state based on a position of a roll of media or ribbon loaded on the hanger;
one or more sensors that determine a state of at least one of the plurality of flaps and output at least one signal corresponding to the state;
and
a processor for processing the at least one output signal to determine at least one of a presence of the roll of media or ribbon loaded on the hanger and a width of the roll of media or ribbon loaded on the hanger.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/790,645Filed 23 Oct 2017
Published: US 2019/0118529 A125 Apr 2019
Granted: 21 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B41J 15/04
Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or…
B41F 21/00
Devices for conveying sheets through printing apparatus or machines
B41F 33/16
Indicating, counting, warning, control or safety devices: programming systems for automatic control of sequence of operations
B41J 2/32
Characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material: using thermal heads