Print station system
AssigneeSource Technologies, LLC
InventorsWilliam M. Bouverie, Mark Allen Hitz, Richard Hatle, Dwayne Steven Tobin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A print station system having a chassis for housing a modular print station; a power source in communication with the print station; a controller circuit card assembly in communication with the print station; a display panel in communication with the print station; a media rewind hub; a pair of adjustable media guides connected about a base of the print station; and at least one sensor affixed to the print station base and being operable for detecting the presence and position of media passing through a media feed path of the print station system.
Claims20
A print station system for use with a thermal transfer printer comprising:
- a chassis for housing a modular print station;
- a display panel disposed in the chassis and being in signal communication with the print station;
- a ribbon drive assembly located in the chassis and being operable for maintaining a ribbon supply;
- a media rewind hub located in the chassis;
- a pair of adjustable media guides connected about a base of the print station, the media guides being axially spaced apart along the length of the base and being configured and adapted such that they can be manipulated or moved along a horizontal axis of the base in a sliding manner and in a synchronized manner;
- a power source in communication with the print station, the display panel, the ribbon drive assembly, the media guides, and the media rewind hub;
- and
- control circuitry located in the chassis and being in signal communication with for the print station, the display panel, the ribbon drive assembly, the media guides, and the media rewind hub,
- wherein a sensor is affixed to the base, the sensor being operable for emitting at least one light beam through at least one aperture located in the base,
- wherein at least one of the media guides are provided with a tab or other obstruction which is operable for protruding into the path of at least one of the light beams emitted from the sensor at defined locations, thereby signaling the sensor and the printer of the media's width.
A print station system operable for use with a thermal transfer printer, comprising:
- a modular image forming device configured for installation in and removal from a printing system, the modular image forming device comprising a motor mounted within a housing, a platen roller assembly configured to have a media web pass there through and being in operative communication with the motor and control circuitry, a pinch roller in operative communication with the motor, a top-of-form sensor located between the platen roller and the pinch roller, wherein the top-of-form sensor allows for sensing of indicators on the media web, a rocker arm in operative communication with the platen roller and the pinch roller, a printhead assembly, a media width sensing and guide device having a pair of adjustable media guides and at least one media width sensor in communication with the printhead assembly for guiding the media through the system, and a radio-frequency identification antenna substantially located between the main platen roller and the pinch roller;
- a power source in communication with the modular image forming device;
- a controller circuit card assembly in communication with the modular image forming device;
- a display panel in communication with the modular image forming device, the control circuitry and the power source;
- a chassis for housing the modular image forming device;
- a media rewind hub located in the chassis;
- a ribbon drive assembly;
- a pair of adjustable media guides connected about a base of the modular image forming device, the media guides;
- and
- a sensor affixed to the modular image forming device base.
An print station system operable for use with a thermal transfer printer, comprising:
- a chassis;
- a modular print station removably installed within the chassis;
- a power source in communication with the modular image forming device;
- a controller circuit card assembly in communication with the modular image forming device;
- a display panel in communication with the modular image forming device, the control circuitry and the power source;
- a media rewind hub located in the chassis;
- a ribbon drive assembly;
- and
- a pair of adjustable media guides connected about a base of the modular image forming device, the media guides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.