Printing apparatus and method
AssigneeVideojet Technologies Inc.
InventorsKeith Buxton, Gary Pfeffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer comprising a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate, a first motor coupled to the printhead and arranged to vary the position of the printhead relative to a printing surface against which printing is carried out to thereby control the pressure exerted by the printhead on the printing surface, and a controller arranged to control the first motor. The controller is arranged to control the magnitude of current supplied to windings of the first motor so as to cause a predetermined pressure to be exerted by the printhead on the printing surface.
Claims20
A printer comprising:
- a printhead configured to selectively cause a mark to be created on a substrate;
- a first motor coupled to the printhead and arranged to vary the position of the printhead relative to a printing surface against which printing is carried out to thereby control the pressure exerted by the printhead on the printing surface;
- and
- a controller arranged to control the first motor in first and second operating modes;
- wherein:
- in the first operating mode, the controller is arranged to control the magnitude of current supplied to windings of the first motor so as to cause a predetermined pressure to be exerted by the printhead on the printing surface wherein the magnitude of current supplied to the first motor generates a known torque output of the motor and a known pressure exerted by the print head on the printing surface;
- and,
- in the second operating mode, the controller is arranged to control the angular position of an output shaft of the first motor so as to control the position of the printhead relative to the printing surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.