Thermal transfer printer with controlled ribbon feed
AssigneeZebra Technologies Corporation
InventorsDavid L. Poole, Jeffrey R. Kaufman, Michael K. Platt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal transfer printer includes an arrangement for continuously and automatically varying the rate of advance of the thermal transfer ribbon during printing, the rate of advance being correlated with the nature of the image being printed, and the variable advance rate being provided by a driven friction feed roller and a pair of ribbon guides which cooperate with the friction feed roller and are so positioned that the transfer ribbon is held tightly against the friction feed roller, contacting the circumference of the friction feed roller over more than 90.degree. its circumference and preferably at least 180.degree. of its circumference.
Claims14
A thermal transfer printer providing controlled feed for a thermal transfer ribbon comprising:
- a thermal printhead,
- advance means for advancing a print receiving medium past said thermal printhead,
- ribbon advance means for advancing a thermal transfer ribbon past said thermal printhead, the thermal transfer ribbon being disposed between the print receiving medium web and said thermal printhead,
- bias means for maintaining the thermal transfer ribbon, the print receiving medium, and said thermal printhead in physical contact;
- control means for producing control signals for said thermal printhead,
- said ribbon advance means including a friction roller in frictional contact with said ribbon, ribbon guide means and drive means out of contact with said ribbon, said ribbon guide means cooperating with said friction roller to control the frictional drag of said friction roller on said thermal transfer ribbon, and said drive means being responsive to said control signals for driving said friction roller at a tangential velocity which is a fraction of the linear velocity of the print receiving medium.
A thermal transfer printer providing controlled feed for a thermal transfer ribbon comprising:
- a thermal printhead,
- advance means for advancing a print receiving medium past said thermal printhead,
- said thermal printhead having a line of heater elements disposed transverse to the direction of advancement of the web,
- a removable ribbon package including a housing containing the thermal transfer ribbon,
- ribbon guide means,
- ribbon advance means including a friction roller in frictional contact with the ribbon and drive means out of contact with the ribbon to drive the friction roller for advancing the thermal transfer ribbon past said thermal printhead, said ribbon guide means cooperating with said friction roller such that the thermal transfer ribbon is maintained in engagement with a portion of said outer periphery of said friction roller over more than 90.degree. of its circumference,
- control means for producing control signals for selecting heater elements to be energized,
- and means responsive to said control signals for driving said friction roller at a tangential velocity which is a fraction of the linear velocity of the print receiving medium.
A ribbon package for a thermal transfer printer having controlled thermal transfer ribbon feed by means of a friction roller, said ribbon package comprising:
- enclosing means for enclosing a supply of thermal transfer ribbon and having a ribbon exit aperture therein, and
- first and second ribbon guides spaced apart from one another on said enclosing means and cooperating to define a channel therebetween which is spanned by the ribbon, the friction roller being received laterally in said channel when said ribbon package is installed in the thermal transfer printer so as to deflect the ribbon into said channel and wrap it part way around the friction roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.