Laser containment structure for a laser printhead
AssigneeZebra Technologies Corporation
InventorsRichard Mark Clayton, Patrick Martin Brown, Chinmay Nanda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser printhead assembly for a laser printhead is disclosed herein. The laser printhead assembly may include a laser containment door; and a laser containment housing that is configured to form a sealed enclosure with a label support of a rewriteable label. The sealed enclosure may be configured to include the rewriteable label and the laser printhead. The laser containment door, in a laser-enabled position, may be configured to permit the laser printhead, via a light beam, to modify the rewriteable label and the laser containment door, in a laser-disabled position, may be configured to prevent a light beam from escaping the laser containment housing.
Claims19
A laser printhead assembly for a laser printhead, the laser printhead assembly comprising:
- a laser containment door;
- a laser containment housing that is configured to form a sealed enclosure with a label support of a rewriteable label;
- and
- a latch,
- wherein the latch is configured to fasten the laser containment housing to the label support to form the sealed enclosure,
- wherein the sealed enclosure is configured to include the rewriteable label and the laser printhead,
- wherein the laser containment door, in a laser-enabled position, is configured to permit the laser printhead, via a light beam, to modify the rewriteable label, and
- wherein the laser containment door, in a laser-disabled position, is configured to prevent the light beam from escaping the laser containment housing.
A label modification unit comprising:
- a laser printhead assembly that is configured to modify, via a light beam, a rewriteable label that is mounted to a label support;
- and
- a laser containment housing, comprising:
- a label-side end that includes an opening,
- wherein the opening is configured to match a label support fitting of the label support;
- a latch,
- wherein the latch is configured to fasten the laser containment housing to the label support to form a sealed enclosure;
- a laser-side end that is opposite the label-side end,
- wherein the laser printhead assembly is positioned at the laser-side end;
- and
- a laser containment door that is between the laser-side end and the label-side end,
- wherein, based on whether the sealed enclosure is formed between the laser containment housing and the label support fitting, the laser containment door is configured to:
- enable the light beam to pass through the opening to modify the rewriteable label when the sealed enclosure is formed, or
- prevent the light beam from escaping the laser containment housing when the sealed enclosure is not formed.
A label modification system comprising:
- a placement device;
- and
- a label modification unit, movable by the placement device, the label modification unit comprising:
- a laser printhead assembly;
- a laser containment structure that includes an opening at a label-side end of the label modification unit,
- wherein the opening is configured to be aligned, by the placement device, with a label support fitting associated with a rewriteable label;
- and
- a laser containment door that is between the laser containment structure and the laser printhead assembly,
- wherein the laser containment door is configured to maintain a laser printhead of the laser printhead assembly within a sealed enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.