Multi-dimensional media printer with media based registration and free edge printing
AssigneeTidemark Corporation
InventorsT. Mark Chung, Anthony G. Orchard, William H. Baker, Charles L. Bradford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer 20 for imprinting data on a variety of multi-dimensional media 62 has media based registration and can accomplish free edge printing for printing data adjacent edges. The printer 20 includes a transport mechanism 52 for accurately transporting and positioning the media 62 before a print head 102. Further, the printer 20 includes a carriage mounted sensor 144 for media edge detection, registration and media size determination. A media presentation mechanism 96 ensures that the media 62 is appropriately presented and maintained at the optimal distance from and orientation with respect to the print head 102.
Claims45
A printer for imprinting data on a variety of multi-dimensional media including a means for transporting the media, which media transporting means includes:
- a pick roller means adapted for contacting the bottommost media from a stack of media and for urging the bottommost media out from the bottom of the stack of media;
- a feed roller means adapted for engaging the bottommost media urged out from the stack of media by the pick roller means and for initiating the feeding of the bottommost media through the printer in a media feeding direction;
- wherein said feed roller means includes a feed roller with a plurality of media engaging notches provided about the periphery of the feed roller, which notches allow a leading edge of the media to be caught by the feed roller means.
A printer for imprinting data on media including:
- means for storing media to be imprinted;
- means for transporting media to a location for imprinting;
- print head means adapted for printing data on the media;
- carriage means for transporting the print head means relative to the media to be imprinted;
- sensor means mounted on the carriage means so as to be transportable along with the print head means for sensing the presence of the media;
- and
- wear surface means provided on the print head means adapted for spacing the media from the print head means;
- and
- secondary wear surface means provided on the carriage means adapted for spacing the media from the print head means when the wear surface means provided on the print head means has worn away.
A printer comprising:
- a housing which has a base of a given size;
- an input bin means adapted for holding a stack of media to be imprinted;
- an output bin means adapted for holding a stack of media which has be imprinted by the printer;
- means for mounting the output bin means substantially above the input bin means in order to minimize the size of the base;
- a transport means adapted for transporting a bottommost media from the stack of media in the input bin means to the output bin means;
- carriage means adapted for mounting and transporting a print head that can print data on the media;
- wherein the transport means includes:
- (a) a pick roller means having a pick roller with a rectangular cross-section adapted for urging the bottommost media out from the bottom of the stack of media;
- (b) a feed roller means having a feed roller with notches provided on a periphery of the feed roller adapted for engaging the media in the notches in order to initiate the feeding of the bottommost media through the printer in a media feeding direction;
- (c) a deskew roller means including a deskewing roller adapted for receiving the media from the feed roller means and deskewing the media;
- and
- (d) means (1) for driving the pick roller and the feed roller in a media feeding direction and the deskew roller in a direction opposite to the media feeding direction in order to initiate transport and deskewing of the media, and (2) for ceasing the driving of the pick roller and the feed roller and for driving the deskew roller in a media feeding direction.
A printer comprising:
- a transport means for transporting media from a stack of media;
- carriage means adapted for mounting and transporting a print head that can print data on the media;
- wherein the transport means includes:
- (a) a pick roller means having a pick roller with a rectangular cross-section adapted for urging the bottommost media out from the bottom of the stack of media;
- (b) a feed roller means having a feed roller with notches provided on a periphery of the feed roller adapted for engaging the media in the notches in order to initiate the feeding of the bottommost media through the printer in a media feeding direction;
- (c) a deskew roller means including a deskewing roller adapted for receiving the media from the feed roller means and deskewing the media;
- and
- (d) means (1) for driving the pick roller and the feed roller in a media feeding direction and the deskew roller in a direction opposite to the media feeding direction in order to initiate transport and deskewing of the media, and (2) for ceasing the driving of the pick roller and the feed roller and to driving the deskew roller in a media feeding direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.