Apparatus for processing irregularly-shaped letters in a thermal printer
AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.
InventorsPatrick Murphy, Duc H. Tran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In apparatus for thermally transferring ink from a ribbon, having backing and ink donor layers, to a letter, wherein the apparatus includes a frame, a thermal printhead and a printhead backing roller, there is provided an improvement for urging a ribbon and letter into engagement with one another. The improvement includes the printhead backing roller connected to the frame for rotation in engagement with a letter fed between the roller and a ribbon, and the printhead backing roller including a body portion adapted to flex when engaging a letter for urging a letter into contact with the ink donor layer of a ribbon. Moreover, it is of the invention that the roller body portion include at least one channel formed therein.
Claims13
In apparatus for thermally transferring ink from a ribbon having backing and ink donor layers to a letter, wherein the apparatus includes a frame, a thermal printhead and a printhead backing roller, an improvement for urging a ribbon and upper surface of a letter of non-uniform thickness into engagement with one another, the improvement comprising:
- a. the printhead backing roller connected to the frame for rotation in engagement and continuous contact with the lower surface of a letter of non-uniform thickness fed between the roller and a ribbon;
- and
- b. the printhead backing roller including a generally cylindrical body portion adapted to flex when engaging said letter for urging said upper surface of said letter to remain in said continuous contact for the length of said letter with the ink donor layer of a ribbon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.