Printing on free surfaces
AssigneeMicropply Limited
InventorsAnthony David George Rhoades, Samuel Paul Cornish-Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer has first and second print sections 100, 200 joined along a line 12, and a controller 50. Each section contains a printhead 120; 220 travelling on a track 110; 210. A frame or frame part 104 supports the track and is driven on wheels by a motor, so that the printer can travel autonomously along a horizontally extending step edge, printing as it goes. It further includes a sensor for detecting the proximity of the vertical face 5v of the step. The printer can thus be set to print advertising, for instance, on the steps of a stadium.
Claims15
A printer configured to simultaneously print on vertical and horizontal faces of a step, the printer comprising first and second sections joined along a line, and a controller, the first section containing
- a first printhead;
- a first track on which the first printhead is guided, the first track defining a variable length along which the first printhead is able to travel;
- and
- a first frame supporting the first track, the first frame comprising a base plate and an end plate, the base plate and the end plate being coupled to the first track so that the end plate is extendable relative to the base plate so as to determine the variable length along which the first printhead is able to travel;
- and
- the second section containing a second printhead, a second track on which the second printhead is guided, and a second frame supporting the second track;
- wherein the printer further includes a motor, and the first frame is configured to be capable of being applied to a horizontally extending edge of the step, and further includes a sensor for detecting proximity of the vertical face of the step, the controller being configured to operate the motor so as to be capable of driving the printer along the edge of the step.
A method of printing, in which a printer is driven along a horizontally extending step edge of a step and first and second printheads of the printer simultaneously print on horizontal and vertical faces of the step while being controlled to follow the step edge, wherein:
- the first printhead is guided on a first track that defines a variable length along which the first printhead travels, the first track is supported by a base plate and an end plate, and the base plate and the end plate are coupled to the first track so that the end plate is extendable relative to the base plate so as to determine the variable length along which the first printhead travels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.